We all know about pride month and celebrate the cause of the LGBTQ community. Most of us even use hashtags like #loveislove #happypride #bornthisway in our Instagram posts and have LGBTQ friends. While it is amazing to have LGBTQ+ friends and embrace the diversity and inclusion of our society, it is also essential to understand the meaning of the LGBTQ+ community and what LGBT stands for. But do we really know what does LGBTQ+ means or what does LGBTQ+ stands for? Are you also aware that the term LGBTQ+ can be expanded to include LGBTTQQIAAP and other gender expressions and orientations?
LGBTTQQIAAP Meaning: Meaning of LGBTQ+ and What Does LGBTQ+ Stand For?
Before we understand the meaning of LGBTQ+ and what does LGBTQ+ stands for, we need to decode the plus “+” first.
What is the meaning of the plus (+) sign in LGBTQ+?
Decoding The ‘+’
Many people wonder what the plus (+) symbol in the LGBTQ+ stands for. So here is what it means.
The plus sign in the LGBTQ+ denotes two main aspects of the LGBT community:
- The plus sign (+) sign denotes a spectrum of sexual identities apart from lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer and signifies other sexual identities such as transsexual, intersex, non-binary, questioning, asexual, etc. It also includes all the allies who support and advocate for the cause of the LGBTQ community.
- The plus sign (+) sign also denotes that everyone is welcome to join the LGBT community regardless of the gender identity they conform to, their gender expression, and their sexual orientation. I
The plus sign signifies that everyone can join the LGBTQ community whether they belong to it or not.
What does LGBTQ+ stands for?
The term LGBTQ+ denotes the members of the LGBTQ community and other gender expressions and identities that do not conform to any other gender roles. The full form of LGBTQ+ is: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and plus. The plus means all people who are LGBTQ allies and other gender expressions and identities such as cisgender, gender fluid, pansexual, asexual, intersex, gender non-conforming, curious, and many more other identities.
So what is LGBTTQQIIAAP?
LGBTTQQIAAP is an inclusive term and denotes the complete form of the LGBTQ+ community. The LGBTTQQIAAP term covers how people define their gender identity and sexuality, but this list is not exhaustive. Some of you may also identify with more than one of these identities. So here is the full meaning of LGBTQQIIAAP!
1. L-LESBIAN
A woman who is primarily attracted to another woman.
2. G-GAY
A man who is primarily attracted to another male.
It is also a broad term that represents a person attracted to the same sex or same gender. They are also called homosexuals.
3. B-BISEXUAL
A person attracted to their own and the opposite gender. In another way, it means a person is attracted to both males and females. In gay parlance, they ‘swing both ways.’
4. T-TRANSGENDER
A person who acts and lives in a gender opposite to that which has been assigned to him at birth. Transgenders often crossdress and behave as the opposite sex in their normal lives, as they believe that they feel opposite to their assigned birth sex. For example, a person born as a man may feel like a woman trapped inside a man’s body and vice-versa.
5. T-TRANSSEXUAL
A person who has permanently changed his or her gender identity by the means of surgery and the use of hormones. They modify or transition their bodies and change their sexual organs with the help of medical science. A transsexual person may be transgender initially, but after transitioning medically they become transsexual.
6. Q-QUEER
People generally refer to gays and lesbians as queer, but it is an umbrella term that is more inclusive and represents many other identities that make up the LGBTQ+ community. In other words, a queer person is not someone who is heterosexual or identifies himself as straight.
7. Q-QUESTIONING
A person still exploring or discovering their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
8. I-INTERSEX
A person born with sexual or reproductive anatomy that doesn’t fit the definition of ‘female’ or ‘male. Intersex people have both male and female biological characteristics. Some people have both male and female sex organs. Some males have a penis but also female organs like the vagina or uterus.
9. A-ASEXUAL
A person who has no sexual desire, attraction, or interest in any gender. But this doesn’t mean that such people do not enter into relationships; they do. It’s just that they do not indulge in sexual acts.
10. A-ALLY
Anyone who supports the LGBT+ community is an ally. An ally is a non-queer who supports, cheers, and advocates for the cause of the LGBTQ+ community. These allies don’t belong to the LGBTQ+ community but support it from the outside.
11. P-PANSEXUAL
Someone who is emotionally and/or physically attracted to all genders, including people who don’t identify with any gender.
In other words, a pansexual person can get attracted to any person regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or identity, including males, females, transgender people, transsexuals, intersex people, queer people, non-binary people, etc.
Like asexuals, pansexuals get attracted to personalities. But the main difference is that an asexual never gets attracted sexually while a pansexual does.
So this is the complete LGBTTQQIAAP meaning. But this spectrum is broader than this, and the term “LGBTQ+” doesn’t end here. Other forms of gender expression and orientation also fall under the purview of the LGBTQ+ community. Let us understand these terms as well.
12. CURIOUS
A curious person is a person who is not sure if they are gay. They are not necessarily bisexual but have some curiosity or interest in other men or women. They are still exploring, curious, and experimenting with their sexuality. It is rather tough to categorize them.
13. GENDER FLUID
Gender-fluid people are people whose gender changes over time. A gender-fluid person may identify as a woman one day and as a man the very next day. They also do not have a fixed gender identity and oscillate between the two genders.
14. GENDER NONCONFORMING
A person who doesn’t conform to the gender expression and expectations set by their society. For example, in many societies, men are not supposed to shave their chest and legs, not be vulnerable and show emotions and tenderness, etc. While women are expected to shave their legs, keep clean, and show tenderness. But many a time, we do not conform to these pre-defined roles. Most of us don’t fully conform to those gender expectations all of the time. It’s a matter of one’s own preference.
15. NON-BINARY
A person who is identified as the third gender and who doesn’t fit into the traditional binary-male or female identity. It is a term people use to describe genders that don’t fall into one of the two categories of male or female.
16. ANDROGYNOUS
An androgynous person is one who owns both masculinity and femininity. Such a person is partly male and partly female in appearance and is often of indeterminate sex. Such people identify as being mentally between male and female or entirely as genderless.
17. CISGENDER
A person whose personal identity and gender correspond with their birth sex. Cisgender and straight are two different terms. Cisgender is a word that describes gender identity. Straight, on the other hand, describes sexual orientation. A person can be cisgender and be straight, or he can be cisgender and gay.
To seek more clarity, let us consider an example. If you were born with a penis and identify as a man, you’re a cisgender man. Similarly, if you were born with a vagina and identify as a woman, you’re a cisgender woman. While if you don’t identify with the gender you were assigned at birth, you may find that you’re transgender, nonbinary, or gender non-conforming.
These are the other forms of gender orientation that don’t fall under LGBTTQQIAAP. These people may not necessarily fall specifically into the LGBTTQQIAAP community, but they are still a part of the LGBTQ+ community. And everyone is welcome here.
Other LGBTQ Slangs
| Aromantic | A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction towards others. |
| Heteronormative | Heternormativity theory believes that heterosexuality assigned with binary gender identities is the standard human norm. This ideology believes that all human beings are assigned binary gender identities and that nothing exists in between. |
| Non-Heteronormative | Non-heteronormative people are people who either are not heterosexual or do not identify as male or female or both. They may also identify with the gender opposite to the ones they were assigned at birth. |
| Homosexual | A person who engages in same-sex romantic and sexual behaviours. |
| Drag Queen | A person (generally a male), who uses ostentatious woman clothing, hair and makeup and imitates exaggerated female attributes and characteristics. Such a person dresses up in flashy women’s clothes and accessories and performs in drag events for entertainment. |
| TERF | This term stands for ‘trans-exclusionary radical feminists.’ It is usually used for women who are feminist and transphobic. This term can be used to denote feminist groups with anti-trans agendas. |
| LGBT | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender. |
| LGBTQ+ | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Plus (to denote other members of the community). |
| LGBTQIA | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Ally. |
| LGBTQ2S | Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Two-Spirited. (Read Also: LGBTQ2S & Two-Spirited Gender Meaning) |
| Straight (str8) | Someone who is heterosexual and doesn’t identify as a member of the LGBTTQQIAAP or LGBTQ+ community. |
If you liked this post, read our LGBTQIA Blog for more posts on issues related to sexuality, coming out, and being gay. You may also engage with our LGBTQ+ Forum and connect with like-minded people. Here you can ask and share your problems and learn from other like-minded individuals who have gone through the same. Also, before logging off, do not forget to check our Youtube Studio for crisp, engaging, and life-inspiring content.
Very informative!
Thanks Sneha!
holy sh!t