Is it LGBT, or can it be GLBT? I always thought it was sequenced by probable order of the percentage of the population, as in the latter. How was that sequence configured? Also, was there an acronym that was used beforehand - for official purposes? I know that in U.S. censuses they have POSSLQ (persons of opposite sex sharing living quarters) and PSSSLQ (persons of same sex sharing living quarters) to describe household demographics in a census tract, or at least they used to.
I don't think it really matters. Abbreviations that put people in an umbrella of minorities are irrelevant in my option. I'm gay, I'm not LBTQRSTUVWXYZ. It's not hard to say the individual label. The same as it isn't hard to say straight. People complain that trans isn't a sexuality, yet it's apart of an abbreviation that is surrounded by sexual orientations, which I disagree with. Trans and gay should be separated, more so for the benefit of trans people.
It can be LGBT or GLBT, either are accepted and both are in fairly common use. I think it probably depends on location as much as anything, I've only ever seen LGBT in real life but I've seen plenty of Americans using GLBT online. The point of including gender minorities in the same community as sexual minorities is that we face similar problems, similar discrimination, we find it easy to work through things together and support each other. If we really want to break everything down to the bare bones then yes, they are separate issues, but the community as it exists works really well and, as I've never met a transgender person in real life, I don't think I would have nearly as good an understanding of the issues that they face if I hadn't spoken to people over EC. Personally I love the LGBT community and am proud to consider myself a member of it.
True. We do go through similar forms of discrimination, but I think abbreviating two different kinds of people is incorrect. The abbreviation itself is surrounded by negativity because it's something we've had to include ourselves in because we have all been discriminated against at some point in time. Let's break free from abbreviations and labels. I'm not LGBT, I'm one of those things. Actually, no. I'm one thing, I'm a person that happens to be attracted to men. Pigeon holing people into an abbreviation of various different minorities that are discriminated against is just something we need to move on from in my opinion. I do find it's hard for us to move on from certain things and realise which century we're in. Especially on this forum, I get stick for standing up for movement, but it's something we should all be aiming for. People think I'm 'internally homophobic' because I don't agree with pride parades and labels, but it's quite the opposite actually. I take people as they are, not by the label that is placed upon them.
^I don't disagree with your opinion, I just don't share it. But it's a sensible opinion to have and you have good reasons for supporting it so I don't have a problem. I'm just personally quite happy to consider myself a member of the LGBT community.
In some sense, I guess I could be considered all LGBT... kinda... But yeah, it's just letters. Some people say "Alphabet soup" some say other things... It doesn't really matter. I think gender is in there because, as LinkLarkin has said, they are similar issues. All in all, they're gender issues. People don't like a BOY being with a BOY and a GIRL being with a GIRL. Similarly, people don't like BOYS acting or dressing like GIRLS and vice versa. And at the same time, it's just people being people.
I've seen it written LGBT and GLBT. I've also seen QUILTBAG, which I hate, but it's mainly a matter of preference, I think.
QUILTBAG is awesome. As for before... I have a suspicion they'd never have all been grouped up together. At least, not with transgender there as well. There were plenty of terms for homosexual, for either or both genders... almost all of which I'd find offensive today... but I've never heard of any acronyms.
As I understand it, its referred to as LGBT rather than GBLT because once again, it was placing undue focus on gay men. That isn't to say gay men shouldn't be a part of the LGBTQ community or anything, but they are so much more represented in the media, in studies etc than any of the other groups. So L puts women first. Thank you for explaining exactly why I shouldn't be here. Its so comforting to feel wanted. Also, one of the reasons trans people are included in queer communities is because homophobia and transphobia have the same sexist roots.
I think the short answer is that everyone uses whatever they want. I generally use LGBTQ or queer in both writing and speech, but I don't have a problem with people who use LGBT, GLBT (although, I do feel kind of like it's putting the emphasis on men, again), LGBTQQIAA, QUILTBAG, or anything else that floats their boat.
I've recently seen the term "sexual minority." I don't even know what to make of that term. In terms of percentages, it's more correct than not. However, are left-handed people considered a "dexterity minority?" The thing is that terms for groups of people seem to change over time.
LGBT/GLBT, the difference is absolutely zero for me. I prefer GSM for its succinctness, but if you're going to say all the letters, I like to think of it like the commutative property-- you can add them up in any order and get the same result.
I view in like this I am a women , I like women therefore I am gay therefore I am considered a lesbian therefore i am part of the lgbt , yes is true there are probably issues that I don't understand about that Trans people come across just like there are problems that gay men and bisexuals have that i don't understand , doesn't mean we don't have some of the same problems because we do and that's what makes us a good community, because we are all something other than the norm ie straight and living as are cisgender (i think that terminology's right i am not so sure) . I don't say i am part of the lgbt community cause its long and most straight people don't seem to understand what lgbt means so i say I like girls or I am gay , but i am still a member of my university lgbt committee even though we don't actually have any T members but that not through lack of trying. Which means I try and help other LGBT members and i do view myself as in a community , but than again i most importantly see myself as human and therefore a big believer in human rights and will fight for the rights of anyone , so just because some of the lgbt community aren't trans doesn't mean we cant try and learn about there issues and help after all we understand discrimination. In the same way that i will fight for the issues of other races and religions even though I am a white Agnostic.
