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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,[1][2] 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.[3][4][5]
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.[6][7]
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+, and LGBTQIA+.
Community
LGBTQ people may participate in the LGBTQ community, which may be defined by shared LGBTQ culture, by shared geography (such as gay villages), or by participation in LGBTQ-focused organizations. The LGBTQ community includes elements such as LGBTQ social movements (including LGBTQ rights organizations), LGBTQ student groups in schools and universities, and LGBTQ-affirming religious groups. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and other conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. Not all LGBTQ people consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.[citation needed]
Culture
LGBTQ culture varies widely by geography and the identity of the participants. Elements common to cultures of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people include:
- Pride movements, including pride parades
- Events such as the Gay Games and Southern Decadence
- LGBTQ media and works by LGBTQ artists, including the queer art movement
- LGBTQ-owned businesses, particularly those that cater specifically to the LGBTQ community
Not all LGBTQ people identify with LGBTQ culture; this may be due to geographic distance, unawareness of the subculture's existence, fear of social stigma or a preference for remaining unidentified with sexuality- or gender-based subcultures or communities. The Queercore and Gay Shame movements critique what they see as the commercialization and self-imposed "ghettoization" of LGBTQ culture.[11][12]
History
The history of LGBTQ people dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and diverse gender identities and sexualities in cultures around the world. In many cultures this history has involved marginalization and persecution, such that these histories have only in recent decades been pursued and interwoven into more mainstream historical narratives.
In 1994, the annual observance of LGBT History Month began in the United States, and it has since been picked up in other countries. This observance involves highlighting the history of the people, LGBTQ rights and related civil rights movements. It is observed during October in the United States, to include National Coming Out Day on October 11.[13] In the United Kingdom it has been observed during February since 2005: Section 28, which had prohibited local authorities from "promoting" homosexuality was repealed in England and Wales in 2003, while the same legislation (named Section 2a in the Scottish legislation) was repealed by the Scottish parliament in 2000.[14][15] A celebrated achievement in LGBTQ history occurred when Queen Beatrix signed a law making Netherlands the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001,[16] and another when Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2015.
Rights
The legal rights held by LGBTQ people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—ranging from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.[17][18] An example of such protections are legal prohibitions against incitement to hatred and violence against LGBTQ people.[19]
Laws that affect LGBTQ people include:
- legal recognition of same-sex marriage
- laws concerning same-sex parenting, including same-sex adoption
- anti-discrimination laws in employment, housing, education, public accommodations
- hate crime laws imposing enhanced criminal penalties for prejudice-motivated violence against LGBTQ people
- bathroom bills affecting access to sex-segregated facilities by transgender people
- sodomy laws that penalize consensual same-sex sexual activity
- laws concerning access to gender-affirming surgery and gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy
- legal recognition and accommodation of the affirmed gender
Even in jurisdictions with strong protections for LGBTQ rights, they may still be subject to discrimination against LGBTQ people.
Discrimination
Discrimination against LGBTQ people can manifest in legal, institutional, and social forms.[20]: 1 This includes discrimination directed specifically at lesbians, at homosexuals more broadly, at gay men, at bisexuals, at transgender people, at asexual people, at intersex people, and at non-binary people.
Opposition to LGBTQ rights exists worldwide. While laws are "a necessary foundation to achieve equality ... protections under the law are not sufficient to eliminate prejudice", and "social equality is not synonymous with equality under the law", according to Ilan Meyer.[21] According to a study by the European Parliament's internal policy body in 2012: "To resolve the vast majority of problems faced by LGBTI people, individuals, society, organisations and authorities must stop regarding their differences as factors which require differential treatment. While this seems self evident, such shifts in attitude cannot be achieved through one-off, short term action, nor through legislation alone. ... in some areas a change of views of some groups may simply not be possible."[22]
Some countries practice censorship of LGBTQ issues.[23]
Social divides exist over the social acceptance of LGBTQ people, including societal attitudes toward homosexuality.[24][25][26]
Movements
LGBTQ movements are social movements that advocate for the inclusion, recognition, and rights of LGBTQ people. These movements work to secure legal rights, or enact broader social changes aimed at advancing equality and inclusion.[27][28] In addition, LGBTQ movements and communities work to advance LGBTQ culture.[29][30]
Health
LGBTQ people may face disparities in access to care, targeted public health interventions, and the impact of stigma on physical and mental well-being.[20]: 2 The psychology of LGBTQ people covers aspects such as identity development including the coming out process, parenting and family practices and support for LGBTQ individuals.
By country
- LGBTQ people in Australia
- LGBTQ people in Brazil
- LGBTQ people in Canada
- LGBTQ people in Chile
- LGBTQ people in Colombia
- LGBTQ people in the Dominican Republic
- LGBTQ people in Guatemala
- LGBTQ people in Mexico
- LGBTQ people in New Zealand
- LGBTQ people in Thailand
- LGBTQ people in the United Kingdom
- LGBTQ people in the United States
Specific LGBTQ people
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "Definition of LGBTQ". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 20 September 2025.
- ^ "Definition of LGBTQIA". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ CDC (19 December 2024). "Terminology". Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "LGBTQ+ – Stanford Med Education". mededucation.stanford.edu. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ "Sexual and gender minority – Stanford Med Education". mededucation.stanford.edu. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
- ^ Choudhuri, Devika Dibya; Curley, Kate (20 September 2019), "Multiplicity of LGBTQ+ Identities, Intersections, and Complexities", Rethinking LGBTQIA Students and Collegiate Contexts, Routledge, pp. 3–16, doi:10.4324/9780429447297-1, ISBN 978-0-429-44729-7, S2CID 210355997, archived from the original on 23 March 2023, retrieved 9 June 2021
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Lapointe, Alicia (2016), Rodriguez, Nelson M.; Martino, Wayne J.; Ingrey, Jennifer C.; Brockenbrough, Edward (eds.), "Postgay", Critical Concepts in Queer Studies and Education: An International Guide for the Twenty-First Century, Queer Studies and Education, New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, pp. 205–218, doi:10.1057/978-1-137-55425-3_21, ISBN 978-1-137-55425-3, archived from the original on 23 March 2023, retrieved 9 June 2021
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link) - ^ Julia Goicochea (16 August 2017). "Why New York City Is a Major Destination for LGBT Travelers". The Culture Trip. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ Eli Rosenberg (24 June 2016). "Stonewall Inn Named National Monument, a First for the Gay Rights Movement". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- ^ "Workforce Diversity The Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark National Register Number: 99000562". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ du Pleissis, Michael; Chapman, Kathleen (February 1997). "Queercore: The distinct identities of subculture". College Literature. ISSN 0093-3139. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2007 – via Find Articles.
- ^ "Gay Shame: A Celebration of Resistance". gayshamesf.org. Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
- ^ "LGBT History Month Resources". GLSEN. 9 October 2001. Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ^ "Local Government Act 2003 (c. 26) – Statute Law Database". Statutelaw.gov.uk. 27 May 2011. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2013.
- ^ Local Government Act 1988 (c. 9) (Archived November 22, 2005, at the Wayback Machine), section 28. Accessed July 1, 2006 on opsi.gov.uk.
- ^ Homosexuality and the Law: A Dictionary. Abc-Clio. 2001. ISBN 9781576072677.
- ^ Angelo, Paul J.; Bocci, Dominic (29 January 2021). "The Changing Landscape of Global LGBTQ+ Rights". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "The Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People". American Civil Liberties Union. 11 March 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Gaggioli Gasteyger, Gloria; Kilibarda, Pavle (21 August 2025). "The Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred and Violence on the Basis of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity". Equality and Non-Discrimination. Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. pp. 84–131. ISBN 978-2-9701458-4-4.
- ^ a b Ramos, Natalia; Burgess, Alexis; Ollen, Elizabeth (2023). "The Current Status of Sociopolitical and Legal Issues Faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning Youth". Adolescent Psychiatry (Hilversum, Netherlands). 12 (3): 180–195. doi:10.2174/2210676611666211105120645. ISSN 2210-6766. PMC 10104455. PMID 37064428.
- ^ Meyer, Ilan H. (August 2016). "The Elusive Promise of LGBT Equality". American Journal of Public Health. 106 (8): 1356–1358. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303221. PMC 4940645. PMID 27400347.
- ^ Leigh, Vanessa; Altan, Levent; Long, Jordan; Paradis, Evelyne (2012). Towards an EU Roadmap for Equality on Grounds of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (Report). Brussels: Directorate-General for Internal Policies, Policy Department C – Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs, European Parliament. IPOL-LIBE_ET(2012)462482. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
- ^ Rehman, Javaid; Polymenopoulou, Eleni (10 October 2012). "Is Green a Part of the Rainbow? Sharia, Homosexuality and LGBT Rights in the Muslim World". Fordham International Law Journal. Social Science Research Network. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ Suls, Rob (4 October 2016). "Deep divides between, within parties on public debates about LGBT issues". Pew Research Center. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Kramer, Sarah (20 May 2011). "'Coming Out': Gay Teenagers, in Their Own Words". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
'The amount of attention that has been given to debates over L.G.B.T. issues in the last year is another sign of how deeply American society remains divided over L.G.B.T. issues,' said George Chauncey, a Yale University professor of 20th-century United States history and lesbian and gay history, ...
- ^ Rivers, Brendan (20 June 2025). "Religious liberty law illustrates Georgia's evolving discourse on LGBTQ issues". Atlanta: WABE. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Morris, Bonnie J. (16 March 2023). "A brief history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements". American Psychological Association. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Shaw, Ari (17 July 2025). "The Global Threat to LGBTQ Rights". Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
Every country is different, but on the whole, advances in LGBTQ rights have been driven by sustained advocacy campaigns that made use of institutional pathways for reform in democratic or democratizing environments. Many countries that transitioned from authoritarian to democratic rule, such as Brazil and South Africa, adopted constitutions that embraced international human rights standards and protections for marginalized groups, enabling LGBTQ activists to challenge discriminatory laws through litigation or legislative lobbying.
- ^ Anderson, Porter (15 November 2022). "In England, the Polari Prize Names Its 2022 Winners". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
The award program's organizers say it's the only such program in the United Kingdom specifically dedicated to LGBTQ culture.
- ^ Bajko, Matthew S. (25 June 2019). "SF to make Castro an LGBTQ district". Bay Area Reporter. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
... GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Terry Beswick hailed the board's vote in support of its creation. 'For many people around the world, San Francisco's Castro neighborhood is known as the center of the queer universe and has played a pivotal role in the advancement of LGBTQ culture and political power....
