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The LGBTQIA+ community is a group of people who have had to struggle with their identity because society has not always accepted it. As the world becomes more accepting, there are many new developments and changes that this group will be able to enjoy. In this blog post, we want to go over some of these 13 facts about the LGBTQIA+ community so you can better understand them!
-The LGBTQIA+ community is made up of people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex. Sometimes the word “Queer” can have a negative connotation but members of this group use it to reclaim its power by claiming an identity that society has rejected them for. There are many different identities within this umbrella term so don’t be afraid if someone does not feel like they fit into one specific category!
-Transgender individuals make up about 0.35% percent in America which means there are around 900 transgender folks out there today with more coming each day. They may struggle with their gender because some societies view being transgendered or transsexual as wrong or abnormal while others see it as a way to express themselves and live their life authentically.
-There are many different ways of identifying your gender, including but not limited to agender, bigender, non-binary, transmasculine or transfeminine. Gender is more than just male/female so it’s important that we’re able to understand the diversity in this community and how they identify!
-Transgender people may choose to undergo surgery related changes such as breast augmentation or mastectomy for those who were born with female anatomy. These surgeries usually take place before one transitions into living full time in another identity like going from a woman to man would require chest masculinization surgery. This type of surgery is often called top surgery.
-Transgender people are not being transgendered – they’re just living as who they really are! The term “transgender” refers to a person whose gender identity or expression does not match the sex assigned at birth (i.e., male, female). Transgender people may identify with any point on this vast continuum of genders: masculine androgynous, feminine, agender, bigender etc.
-While transgender people have been around forever in most cultures across time periods that we know about because every culture has had some concept for what it means to be different from societal expectations related to gender, many LGBTQIA+ communities feel like members of their own community don’t get recognized enough by society at large.
-Many LGBTQIA+ people are not out to their families or communities, and this can be for a number of reasons: family rejection; fear of potential violence (e.g., physical harm), discrimination in the workplace, homelessness due to lack of familial support etc. Sometimes being out is just too hard because there’s so much social stigma that they experience from every angle – even if it’s with themselves!
Asexuals identify as those who do not have sexual feelings towards any gender identity but may feel romantic attraction towards others on other spectrums such as age, race and orientation. The Asexual community often categorizes itself into “quads” which includes women who like women (WSW), men who like men (MSM), women who like both genders and vice versa (WSW/MSM) and Asexuals.
Cisgender people are those whose gender identity is the same as their sex assigned at birth. Transgender people have a different understanding of what it means to be male or female, which often does not align with stereotypes such as being born into a certain body type etc. Transgendered individuals may also identify under terms that include Non-binary; Genderqueer; Two spirits; Pangender; Agender etc.
The LGBTQIA+ acronym includes Lesbian Gay Bisexual Queer Intersex Asexual Transgender + Q stands for Questioning – this term is reserved for someone who doesn’t know how they identify yet.
The acronym is often referred to as the LGBTQ+ community or just “the Queer Community.” People who identify with this term may use it to refer to themselves in a political way, which can express solidarity and show that they are allies of those communities – sometimes people will say “Queer Nation,” for example when there is an event being held by members of these groups. There’s also something called queer theory. It’s a branch of critical thought about gender and sexuality that challenges traditional assumptions about sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity. A lot of scholars contributed to the development of queer theory and queer studies, but it’s closely associated with the work of Michel Foucault.
The term “queer” was originally a derogatory word for gay people, but in recent decades many activists have taken ownership of that insult and proudly use it to describe themselves as an act of rebellion against traditional ideas about sexuality. The acronym LGBTQIA+ is often used instead of “LGBT.” It stands for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Asexual plus any other sexual orientation or gender identity not listed here. Some argue this includes heterosexuals too because everyone has their own experience no matter who they are attracted to or date. There is also some debate around whether someone should be included if they’re cisgender (identifies as the sex they were assigned at birth) because they might experience discrimination for their sexual orientation.
“Queer” is often used as a catch-all term to describe people who don’t identify with the gender of the sex they were born into, or those whose sexuality doesn’t match what society thinks it should be. That’s why many LGBTQIA+ activists prefer using “queer.” It does not have any specific meaning and can represent all that do not fit within heteronormative concepts of normality. For example, someone could be gay but detest being called queer so use another word instead (e.g., homosexual). This may also refer to transgender individuals who are attracted to members of more than one gender; pansexuals may be attracted to anyone, regardless of gender or sex.
LGBTQIA+ is a blanket term that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people as well as those questioning their sexuality (e.g., “questioning”) in order to include everyone who doesn’t identify with the heteronormative normality standard. The acronym can also be further broken down into L for lesbians; G for gays; B for bisexuals; T for transsexuals/transgender individuals and Q (or LGBTQ) meaning those questioning if they are straight-identified members of society but identifying themselves somewhere on the queer spectrum within the LGBTQIA+.
“Queer” has been used by some activists because it does not have any specific meaning attached to it, while still being used as a blanket term for LGBTQIA+ people.
The variation of the acronym is not without its detractors. Some individuals take issue with “queer,” finding that to be an offensive slur against LGBT members and prefer other variations like QTIP (Queers/Trans/Intersex People).
LGBTQIA+ community has been historically marginalized in society at large, but lately there have been unprecedented efforts to create awareness about this particular segment of society and focus on their rights within our contemporary culture. More specifically, many universities now offer courses or entire programs dedicated entirely to understanding this diverse population’s collective experience from various angles: cultural studies; social sciences; history; sociology and more. Â It is only through education and awareness that we can work towards tolerance, acceptance, and freedom. This article aims to examine the history of this community as well as debunk a few myths that have persisted historically about LGBTQIA+ people in our society. Â Diving into these facts will hopefully provide readers with greater insight into who they are–not just for those within the LGBTQIA+ population but also for anyone interested in learning more about them. Myth #: 13 Facts To Understand The Lgbtqia Community With More Perspective Than Ever Before! – Description: A blog post from carrot top gay. Written by [author name] on November 20th, 2018 – Posted On Site Name (URL) – Category: Blogs/
