LGBTQ people

LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Other individuals are often included in the group, such as questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic, and agender, denoted under variants of the initialism "LGBTQ". The group is generally conceived as broadly encompassing all individuals who are part of a sexual or gender minority. Variants of the abbreviation, including LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, and LGBTQIA+, are also used.

Scope and terminology

LGBTQ people express a broad array of sexual and gender minority identities. The alternative umbrella gender, sexual, and romantic minorities is sometimes used for this group.

Groups that blend into the larger LGBTQ population include:

People with a sexual orientation that is non-heterosexual, including lesbians, gay men, bisexual people, and asexual people

People who are transgender or non-binary

People who are aromantic

People who are intersex

Queer people, sometimes used as a synonym for LGBTQ people generally, sometimes as a specific identity

Common variations of the initialism include LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+, and QUILTBAG.

Community

Some LGBTQ people participate in community activities such as LGBTQ community groups, Pride events, and LGBTQ social venues. This may be defined by shared LGBTQ culture, by shared geography (such as gay villages), or by participation in LGBTQ-focused organizations. Organized LGBTQ community life can include civil-rights movements and advocacy organizations, LGBTQ student groups at U.S. colleges and universities, and, in some contexts, LGBT-affirming churches that provide spaces of acceptance and support.

Culture

LGBTQ culture varies widely by geography and the identity of the participants.