LGBT

LGBT is an initialism standing for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (the "T" is sometimes given as Transgender). It is widely used as an umbrella term for the community of people who are not heterosexual or not cisgender. It is sometimes written LGB&T, the ampersand used to signal that trans people differ in various ways from LGB people, with distinct needs and experiences.

Origins of the term

The initialism developed gradually. "Gay" was widely used from the mid-twentieth century as a general term for the whole community, but through the 1970s many lesbians adopted "lesbian" to gain distinct visibility, and "gay and lesbian" (or "lesbian and gay") became the common expression. In the mid-to-late 1980s the initialism LGB – lesbian, gay and bisexual – began to replace "gay" as the umbrella term, and during the 1990s a "T" for transgender was added to give LGBT, which came into general use in that decade and has been mainstream since. The word "transgender" itself dates from the 1960s and was widely embraced as part of the movement by the 2000s.

Variants

In the United States, the order is often reversed to GLBT, a form that was common into the early 2000s.

The Welsh equivalent is LHDT (lesbiaidd, hoyw, deurywiol a thrawsryweddol) and the Scottish Gaelic equivalent is LGDT (leasbach, gèidh, dà-sheòrsach, tar-ghnèitheach).

Since the 1990s the initialism has been extended in many ways. LGBTQ adds Q for Queer or Questioning (often used of younger people who may be unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity); longer forms include LGBTQQI (adding Questioning and Intersex; also written LGBTIQQ), and LGBTQIA or LGBTQQIA (the A standing for "Asexual" or "Allies"). The form LGBT+ has increasingly come into use as a shorthand meant to encompass all these combinations.