The acronym LGBTQIA+ is one you’ve probably seen around before. Perhaps you’re one of the letters in this mix or perhaps you’re wondering what the acronym even stands for. LGBTQIA+ is an umbrella term that brings together marginalised sexualities and genders including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual and many more, hence the use of the plus symbol.
From its humble beginnings in Western culture as LGB in the mid-to-late 1980s, to LGBT in the 1990s, the acronym has come a long way in acknowledging and including marginalised groups. However, there has been backlash about the abbreviation, more often than not from people outside of the LGBTQIA+ community.
One such. “When launching the magazine, I had to make a decision about what terminology to use. I went with LGBTIQ, which is increasingly the default. For many years, it was LGBT, but including queer people who might not identify as gay or bi is so important.”
