QUILTBAG: one of the several LGBTQ+ abbreviations. The original abbreviation, LGBT, stands for people in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. This term began in the 90s and has blossomed since then. Now, there are several abbreviations for the LGBTQ+ community that add on letters to include others who are not directly expressed in the LGBTQ+ acronym.
I will be explaining one of the versions of the LGBTQ+ acronym I have found, and accompany a book to further explain/represent the culture of the specific letter.
L – Lesbian: a woman who is attracted to other women
Recommended book: The Mideducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth
G – Gay: a man who is attracted to other men
Recommended book: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
B – Bisexual: a person who is attracted to men and women
Recommended book: Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee
T – Transgender: a person whose sense of identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex
Recommended book: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
Q – Queer: a person who is attracted to people of many genders, and feels they do not fit with cultural norms around sexuality and/or gender identity/expression
Recommended book: Gender Trouble by Judith Butler
Q – Questioning: a person who is in the process of discovery and exploration about their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or gender expression
Recommended book: Beautiful Music for Ugly Children by Kirstin Cronn-Mills
I – Intersex: a person who is born with a combination of male and female biological characteristics
Recommended book: Pantomime by Laura Lam
A – Asexual/Aromantic: a person who may not have sexual attraction to others; a person who may lack romantic attraction *(both asexual and aromantic people have the possibility to develop the lacked feelings listed, but it is solely dependent on the person)*
Recommended book (asexual): Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee
Recommended book (aromantic): The Trouble by Daria Defore
(Asexual: black, grey, white, purple; Aromantic: green, light green, yellow, grey, black)
A – Ally: a person who supports the LGBTQ+ community
Recommended book: Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay in America by Mitchell Gold and Mindy Drucker
P – Pansexual: a person who is attracted to another person (regardless of their sexual orientation, biological sex, gender, gender identity, etc.)
Recommended book: Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
There are several other communities that I have not listed. I linked articles that further explain the ones I have listed, and the ones that I have left out:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/06/15/lgbtq-glossary-slang-ally-learn-language/101200092/
https://ok2bme.ca/resources/kids-teens/what-does-lgbtq-mean/
https://www.wearefamilycharleston.org/lgbt-a-z-glossary/
We live in a time where the LGBTQ+ community is on the rise, and more acceptance with it. Sadly, there still is backlash and hate towards the LGBTQ+ community, but together we must stand. We must accept our differences and stand up for those who would otherwise be stepped on. Even within the LGBTQ+ community, there is discrimination and intolerance. This is unacceptable, and we must work together as a team to irradiate this behavior everywhere. We are all human. We all deserve to be loved and accepted, regardless of race, class, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, or anything else.
Love begins when hate ends.