What do they all mean? This initialism and the various terms are always evolving so don’t try to memorize the list. LGBTQ is the more commonly used term in the ‘gay’ community, possibly because it’s more user friendly! It’s used to refer to the non-heterosexual and/or non-cisgender individuals, topics and communities. You may also hear the terms “Queer Community” or “Rainbow Community” used to describe LGBTQ2+ people, who are as diverse and varied as any other group. The most important thing is to be respectful and use the terms that people prefer.
Over time the term has evolved to include a ‘Q’ for Queer and a ‘+’ in LGBTQ+ in order to be more inclusive and acknowledge that there are varying identities. It’s also common to see LGBT2Q+, the ‘2’ representing Two-Spiritidentity used by some Indigenous peoples.
WHAT DOES QUEER MEAN?
Over the years this term has meant a few things and unfortunately, it hasn’t always been good, but the term has evolved, today Queer is used as an umbrella term to refer to the entire LGBT2SQQIAAP community.
Queer is one word, one syllable meant to include all the unique and diverse individuals who make up this community.
