TAMPA, Fla. — Something that's changed over the years is the letters added to the original acronym LGBT. It's been expanded to better describe a growing community.
LGBT is the older acronym used when referring to the gay and trans community.
The move to normalize the acronym began in the 1940s and 50s when the term "gay" was used as slang for those who were attracted to someone of the same sex. Women began to use the term "lesbian" in the 1970s to differentiate themselves.
According to Steven Petrow of the Washington Post, the term "bisexual" started to become a truly recognized sexual identity in the 1990s.
While the first three letters (LGB) focus on sexual identity, transgender refers to a person whose gender identity is different from the sex on their birth certificate.
The letters were used for an evolution towards inclusion and to distinguish different groups within the community rather than being called the "gay community."
In the last decade adding a "Q" became more common, and the advocacy group GLAAD recommends it to be more inclusive to those who identify as queer or questioning.
But the full acronym also includes "I-A", for intersex and asexual/ally. Intersex describes a person "born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male." Asexual stands for someone who isn't sexually attracted to anyone and ally is a supporter of the community.
Often a "+" sign is added at the end, symbolizing the inclusion of all other identities.
Kiala Emmons who is in the Trans Services Division of Metro Inclusive Health says, "When we try to add more letters, and more identities to this trans umbrella, so the LGBTQ+ community, the plus is a representation of using those different pronouns as we begin to expand and begin to evolve, that's how you get into these new identities."
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