LGBT
Initialism for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
LGBT is an initialism that stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender".[1][2][3][4] It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual, non-heteroromantic, or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.[5][6][7] The variant LGBTQ adds a Q for those who identify as queer (which can be synonymous with LGBT)[8] or are questioning their sexual or gender identity,[9] while LGBTQ+ adds a plus sign for "those who are part of the community, but for whom LGBTQ does not accurately capture or reflect their identity".[10][11] Many further variations of the acronym exist, such as LGBT+ (simplified to encompass the Q concept within the plus sign),[12] LGBTQIA+ (adding intersex, asexual, aromantic and agender),[13] and 2SLGBTQ+ (adding two-spirit for a term specific to Indigenous North Americans). The LGBT label is not universally agreed upon by everyone that it is generally intended to include.[14] The variations GLBT and GLBTQ rearrange the letters in the acronym.[15][16] In use since the late 1980s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for marginalized sexualities and gender identities.[17] Some prefer the catch-all term queer.[18]
The earlier initialism LGB began to replace the term gay (or gay and lesbian) in the late 1980s to reference the broader community.[19] When not inclusive of transgender people, the shorter LGB is still used.[20][21]