The ABCs of L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+

Excerpt

When I came out as gay more than 10 years ago, there were only four letters commonly used to group various sexual and gender minorities: L, G, B and T.

These letters were an evolution toward inclusion — an expansion of the language used to represent a disparate group that had often just been called “the gay community.”

Despite their intent, the letters proved to be limiting.

Times and attitudes have changed, and the language used to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity has also changed. As a result, the established L.G.B.T. abbreviation has acquired a few extra letters — and a cluster of ancillary terminology around both sexuality and gender. Not everyone has adopted them yet.