LGBTQIA+

The 2021 progress pride flag by Valentino Vecchietti.

**LGBTQIA+** is an acronym which stands for **L**esbian, **G**ay, **B**isexual, **T**ransgender, **Q**ueer/**Q**uestioning, **I**ntersex, **A**sexual/**A**romantic/**A**gender, **plus** many more identities. It is also referred to as **LGBT**, **LGBTA**, **LGBTQ**, **LGBTI**, **LGBTQIAP**, **LGBTQIAPD**, **LGBTQ2S**, **LGBTQIA2S**, **GLBT**, and **QUILTBAG**, among other variations. A "**+**" often added at the end to signal inclusivity towards identities not covered by those letters.

These acronyms are used as general terms to describe people, or communities of people, which are varioriented, a-spec, non-straight, non-cisgender, nonbinary, intersex, and/or under one or more of those umbrellas. Polyamory and gender nonconformity are also sometimes included under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella.[*source?*]

## Meanings

### L

The 'L' primarily refers to the lesbian label and community. The lesbian label can be defined in many ways, but at its base, it is essentially defined as a term for women who experience attraction to other women, typically primarily or exclusively. The 'L' also sometimes stands for all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'L', such as lithsexual, lunarian, librafluid, and labelflux, among other identities.

### G

The 'G' primarily refers to the gay label and community. The gay label can also be defined in many ways, but it is most often defined as a general term for attraction towards the same or similar genders. It is also sometimes used as an umbrella term, similarly to queer. The 'G' can also refer to those who are genderqueer and/or gender nonconforming, as well as other identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'G', such as genderfluid, gynesexual, greyromantic, and girlflux, among other identities.

### B

The 'B' primarily refers to the bisexual label and community, as well as related labels, such as biromantic. The bisexual label has two primary definitions: attraction to two or more genders, or attraction to genders both *like* and *unlike* one's own. The 'B' also sometimes stands for all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'B', such as bigender, boi, butch, and boyflux, among other identities.

### T

The 'T' primarily refers to the transgender label and community, as well as related labels, such as transsexual. Transgender is a gender modality for people whose gender identity does not correspond with their birth assignment. This encompasses transgender men, transgender women, and some nonbinary people. The 'T' can also stand for Two-Spirit, as well as other identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'T', such as trixic, toric, trisexual, and terraric, among other identities.

### Q

The 'Q' primarily stands for queer and questioning. Queer is a general term which may refer to any LGBTQIA+ identity, the state of existing within the LGBTQIA+ community, or a description for things related to the LGBTQIA+ community and experience. It was historically used as a slur against LGBTQIA+ people, literally meaning "strange," "bizarre," or "eccentric," but has presently been reclaimed by many as a term of self-identification. Questioning refers to the state of being unsure of one's identity, such as one's gender or orientation. It is a state of exploration, and is not necessarily a linear experience. The 'Q' can also stand for genderqueer, as well as all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'Q', such as quoisexual, qirl, quintsexual, and quadgender, among other identities.

### I

The 'I' primarily stands for intersex. Intersex is an umbrella term for people with sex variations which cannot be categorized as clearly male or clearly female. This may refer to variations in genitalia, hormones, chromosomes, or other sex characteristics. The 'I' can also stand for indigender, as well as other identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'I', such as intergender, ipsogender, iamvanosexual, and icularomantic, among other identities.

### A

The 'A' primarily stands for asexual, aromantic, and agender. Asexual is a sexual orientation in which one experiences little to no sexual attraction. Aromantic is a romantic orientation in which one experiences little to no romantic attraction. Agender is a gender identity which can be experienced in many ways, but generally refers to a lack of gender. The 'A' also sometimes stands for other identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'A', such as abrosexual, aliagender, androgyne, and apothisexual, among other identities.

Some people believe that the 'A' stands for ally in place of (or in addition to) asexual/aromantic/agender. However, this is controversial due to the fact that allyship is not an LGBTQIA+ identity in and of itself, and only describes one's support towards communities which they are not a part of. With that said, allies may sometimes be a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, such as cisgender queer people who are allies to transgender people, or closeted people who call themselves "allies" for plausible deniability.[*source?*]

### P

The 'P' primarily stands for pansexual, as well as related labels, such as panromantic. Pansexual is a sexual orientation in which one experiences attraction regardless of gender, or in which one experiences attraction to all genders. Pansexual people are often described as being "genderblind" in their attraction. The 'P' also sometimes stands for identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'P', such as polysexual, polyamorous, polygender, and pangender, among other identities.

### D

The 'D' primarily stands for demisexual, as well as related labels, such as demiromantic. Demisexual people cannot experience sexual attraction unless an emotional bond has been established. The 'D' also sometimes stands for all identities under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that begin with 'D', such as demigender, demigirl, demiboy, and deunisexual, among other identities.

### 2S

The '2S' stands for Two-Spirit. Two-Spirit is a term for identities present within some Indigenous American cultures; these identities involve a combination of both masculine and feminine traits. Two-Spirit people were respected and revered within earlier Indigenous communities, and often served the roles of spiritual leaders, storytellers, counselors, and healers. Due to the effects of colonization, however, Two-Spirit people have become marginalized for their cultural and spiritual identities.

## Flag

The original pride flag was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978. Pink represented sexuality, red represented life, orange represented healing, yellow represented the sun, green represented nature, turquoise represented art and magic, blue represented harmony and serenity, and purple represented spirit. The rainbow represents the spectrum of identity, and the many elements of a person's life. Due to a lack of resources to produce this version of the flag, however, it was revised. The pink stripe was removed, and the turquoise stripe was subsequently removed in 1979 to create an even number of stripes. The six stripe version remains commonly used today.

In 2016, many stories exposed the racism which occurs within LGBTQIA+ communities in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Pride Flag, Philly Pride Flag, or More Color More Pride Flag, was made in response to this, as a way to explicitly signal intersectionality. The flag was designed in 2017 through collaboration of Philadelphia's Office of LGBT Affairs and design agency Tierney. The design was led by Amber Hikes, a civil rights activist. Black and brown stripes were added to the top of the flag in honor of queer people of color. The rest of the rainbow maintained its original symbolism: red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, blue for harmony and serenity, and purple for spirit.

In 2018, an additional pride flag was designed by Daniel Quasar, as an expansion upon the Philadelphia Pride Flag. This is often referred to as the Progress Pride Flag. The black and brown stripes were converted into a chevron, with the addition of white, pink, and blue. The black and brown stripes, as well as the rainbow, maintain their previously established symbolism; however, black and red were expanded upon to additionally represent HIV and AIDS awareness. The white, pink, and blue represents gender diversity, specifically pertaining to the inclusion of transgender people. Transgender people and queer people of color are highlighted in this flag to emphasize the current sociopolitical climate, and to recognize that transgender and QPOC experiences must be put at the forefront to progress. The chevron represents movement forward, and the progress made (and to be made) by the LGBTQIA+ community, and by society as a whole.

In a similar vein, the Seattle Pride Flag was introduced in 2018, and was inspired by the Philly Pride Flag. The black and brown stripes represent queer people of color. The blue, pink, and white stripes represent transgender people. The rainbow maintains its symbolism. The flag was raised over Seattle on June 1, 2018.

Daniel Quasar's Progress Pride Flag was expanded upon by sex-worker rights advocate Jason Domino in 2020. The black and brown stripes became a gradient, as to be more accurate in representing a wide array of skin tones among people of color. The red umbrella was also added to represent and honor sex workers.

Daniel Quasar's Progress Pride Flag was once again expanded upon by Valentino Vecchietti in 2021. The intersex flag was added to the chevron to explicitly offer visibility to, and signal the inclusion of, intersex people.

## Notes

1. ↑ "GLBT" is often considered to be an outdated acronym.
2. ↑ The transsexual label is often considered outdated, and has heavily medicalized connotations. It should not be used to describe people unless they explicitly prefer it.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 LGBTQIA Definition & Meaning. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 Drescher, Elizabeth (2016-06-17). GLBT? LGBT? LGBTQIA+? What's in a Name?. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 LGBT Definition & Meaning. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 Terms & Definitions. Amherst College. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 LGBTQ2S Resources. SAMHSA Native Connections (2019-04-02). Archived from the original on July 6, 2022.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 About the GLBT Historical Society. GLBT Historical Society. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
7. ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 QUILTBAG. The Trans Language Primer. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
8. ↑ Davis, Chloe O.. *The Queen's English*. Clarkson Potter, 2021. ISBN 9780593135013. ""Lesbian: adjective: As a woman, having a sexual and emotional attraction toward other women."
9. ↑ Holleb, Morgan Lev Edward. *The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality*. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019. ISBN 9781784506636. "LESBIAN — A woman who is sexually or romantically attracted to women. Lesbian can mean women who are attracted exclusively to other women, but it is also a broader term for women and femmes who are attracted to other women and femmes. This includes bisexual and pansexual women, asexual women who are romantically attracted to women, and non-binary people who identify with womanhood."
10. ↑ Huegel Madrone, Kelly. *LGBTQ: The Survival Guide for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Teens*. 2018. ISBN 9781631983023. "Lesbian: A woman who is emotionally, romantically, and sexually attracted to other women."
11. ↑ Martínez, Elena M.. *Book Editions for Lesbian Voices From Latin America*. Routledge, 2017. ISBN 9781351817899. "In this book, the word 'lesbian' is used to refer to the representation of women who have erotic and sexual interest in each other and whose fundamental emotional connections are with other women. My definition coincides with the one proposed by Catherine R. Simpson and Charlotte Bunch, for whom both the erotic and sexual involvement of women is intrinsic to the definition of lesbianism."
12. ↑ Institute of Medicine. *The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding*. National Academies Press, 2011. ISBN 9780309210621. "Lesbian—As an adjective, used to refer to female same-sex attraction and sexual behavior; as a noun, used as a sexual orientation identity label by women whose sexual attractions and behaviors are exclusively or mainly directed to other women."
13. ↑ McNabb, Charlie. *Queer Adolescence: Understanding the Lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual Youth*. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020. ISBN 9781538132814. "Lesbians are women or woman-aligned people who are sexually or romantically attracted to other women or woman-aligned people. Some lesbians prefer to identify as gay or as gay woman."
14. ↑ Lesbian Definition & Meaning. Merriam-Webster. Archived from the original on September 14, 2022.
15. ↑ 'LGBTI' People and Communities. LGBTIQ+ Health Australia (2019-06-28). Archived from the original on April 20, 2021.
16. ↑ List of LGBTQ+ terms. Stonewall. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021.
17. ↑ Lesbian. The Trans Language Primer. Archived from the original on October 22, 2021.
18. ↑ Melendez, Lyanne (2017-03-01). LGBTQ PRIDE: Gilbert Baker, creator of rainbow flag, shares story of strength and pride. ABC7. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
19. ↑ How The Pride Rainbow Flag Came To Be. NBC News.
20. ↑ Deane, Ben (2021-06-12). The Philly Pride flag, explained. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
21. ↑ What's the Story Behind the "Progress" Pride Flag?. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
22. ↑ Austin, Dylan M. (2018-06-02). With Seattle City Hall flag raising, new stripes for Pride in 2018. Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
23. ↑ This new pride flag aims to be the most inclusive ever (2020-03-30). Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.
24. ↑ Vecchietti, Valentino. “We need to see flags that include, support and celebrate our community”. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022.