The ABCs of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+

GAY AND LESBIAN

As “homosexual” began to feel clinical and pejorative, gay became the de rigueur mainstream term to refer to same-sex attraction in the late 1960s and early ’70s. Gradually, as what was then called the gay liberation movement gained steam, the phrase “gay and lesbian” became more popular as a way to highlight the similar-yet-separate issues faced by women in the fight for tolerance. 

Gay is still sometimes used as an umbrella term, but these days, it also refers specifically to men, as in “gay men and lesbians.” 

BISEXUAL

Someone who is attracted to people of their gender or other gender identities. 

PANSEXUAL

 Someone who is attracted to people of all gender identities. 

ASEXUAL Or “ace.”

Someone who experiences little to no sexual attraction. 

TRANSGENDER

A wide-ranging term for people whose gender identity or gender expression differs from the biological sex they were assigned at birth. 

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