Pride month is upon us. The time of year where members of the LGBTQQIP2SAA (LGBTQ+ for short) demonstrate their pride in who they are. Now, those are a lot of letters, and you might be wondering what they all mean. Each letter represents a group of people who stand with the others in order to celebrate pride month, strengthen their communities, and raise awareness. One way to raise awareness and show support would be to educate yourself in what each of the letters in the acronym mean.

L – Lesbian

A Lesbian is a woman who is attracted to other women, either sexually, emotionally, or both.

G – Gay

Originally, “gay” was used to describe a man who was sexually and/or emotionally attracted to other men. In modern times, the term is used to describe homosexuality as a whole. It refers to both men and women who are attracted to the same sex. Some women also prefer “gay” to “lesbian.”

B – Bisexual

Those who identify as bisexual are attracted to more than one gender identity. Originally it referred only to those who were attracted to men and women, but as gender identities grew more varied, the term expanded to include any who were attracted to two or more.

T – Transgender

Transgender, or “trans” for short, refers to a person whose gender identity differs from the one assigned to them at birth. In contrast, the term “cisgender” is used to refer to people who do identify as the gender they were assigned at birth. Those among the transgender communtiy have transitioned from the gender identity assigned at birth to the gender identity they now identify as. They prefer to be referred to by their preferred pronouns. Do note that some among the transgender community prefer to be referred to by the gender they identify as rather than as “trans.”

Q – Queer

The word “Queer” is an umbrella term for anyone who is not straight or cisgender. It was formerly used as a derogatory slur for members of the community, but has since been adopted by members of the LGBTQ+ community as a term of pride.

Q – Questioning

Questioning, or “curious” if you prefer, refers to anyone who is unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Members of this group go on to identify as one of the other groups later, or decide that they are straight/cisgender. All the same they are considered members of this community.

I – Intersex

Intersex people are born with traits that prevent them from fitting the traditional gender molds of male and female. These traits can be biological, hormonal, genetic, or anatomical in nature. Not every intersex person is different in the same way, the term is an umbrella for all those who don’t fit the traditional gender definitions.

P – Pansexual

Pansexual people are sexually and/or emtionally attracted to all gender identities. They do not discriminate by one’s sex, gender, or identity. While it is similar to bisexual, the key difference is that bisexuals are attracted to two or more gender identities, while pansexuals are attracted to all of them.

2s – Two-Spirit

“Two-Spirit” is an umbrella term used to describe members of Native American cultures who fulfill a traditional third gender or other variants in a ceremonial or social role. The exact nature of these variants differs for each tribe, and the term was created to refer to them collectively.

A – Androgynous

“Androgynous” refers to someone who either presents or identifies as neither masculine nor feminine. Instead they are a mix or indeterminate gender.

A – Asexual

Asexual people lack any sexual attraction to other people, no matter the identity. Asexual people may feel romantic affection for others but they do not have the desire to act on that desire in a sexual manner. Asexual is differs from abstinence and celibacy, as instead of rejecting the desire, there is no desire to reject.

+

The plus sign, found at the end of LGBTQ+, is used to refer to any who feel they are not represented by any of the above. The pride movement prioritizes inclusivity and thus establishes spaces for those who don’t necessarily fit in. So remember to be kind and inclusive this pride month.