When we learned our A-B-C’s and 1-2-3’s as children, they were easy to commit to memory as they remained consistent throughout our lives. LGBTQ+, on the other hand, is an evolving abbreviation representing a diverse community through a variety of sexual and gender identities.

The terms ‘gay’ and ‘lesbian’ were popularized and became common lingo used through the 1960s-1970s, while bisexual and transgender communities struggled for inclusion. The term ‘gay’ used to be an umbrella-term that represented the queer community in the 1980s, but was replaced by ‘LGB.’ By the 1990s the ‘T’ was added to the acronym. While the first three letters (LGB) focus on sexual orientation (who you are attracted to), transgender refers to a person whose gender identity (sense of self) differs from their sex assigned at birth (1).

The abbreviation continued to grow as persecuted and erased groups were able to find their voices and communally create a sense of belonging. As more identities are added, individuals have started to see themselves represented on the spectrum (2).

Use the arrows to the left or right of the image block below to find common terms you should know to understand the diversity among queer communities: