Source
r/lgbt•
CanadianAnthro

Is there a consensus that "LGBT" is an inclusive enough acronym?

Hi everyone,

I am attempting to start my thesis however I have reached an indecision about which acronym to use throughout it. There is a ton of variation in all fields of research and I'm kind of lost.

I feel like LGBT is the standard and gets the point across... but LGBTQ is also frequently used... but so is LGBTQ+... However, LGBTI is the legal language used most often in my source material...Also the community organizations in my area use mostly LGBT2SQ+ (two-spirited) because we have a large indigenous population here. I think you get the point.

Does anybody here have experience with LGBT-based research that could better inform me on appropriate acronym choices? Help!

Posted Oct 27, 2019, 5:54 PM UTC

723
elliemcdTrans Woman/Ace•

There's probably no consensus. There's also GSRM which is probably more inclusive but rarely used compared to the variations of LGBTQ+.

14
MusPraeclarusconfused•

I like the idea of the term. In practice, it has the disadvantage of not being recognizable. LGBT[...], with any number of letters following it, is at least understandable to a decent percentage of people.

3
CanadianAnthroOP•

Oh I like that! Personally I've never really seen it used before, so I had to google it lol

1
porcupineporridge•

I think ultimately you need to decide on one acronym you’re going to use and justify that choice within your thesis. Personally, I’d simply say LGBT+ and justify that the plus represents emerging elements of the community and culturally specific elements such as the two spirited that you mentioned or the third gender recognised in the Indian subcontinent.

7
CanadianAnthroOP•

Yeah, this is how I am probably leaning... just pick one with proper justification. Thanks!

3
porcupineporridge•

No worries. Best of luck with your thesis :)

2
Snoozykola•

I dunno but wouldn't be "Queer" just enough? We wouldn't need arguments like "The full term is LGBT" "No, it is LGBTQQIAIHCIGXZDYOUFYPUFX+" or something. Queer. Is. Actually. Enough.

4
WHBARIT70s:bi: Bi-bi-baby•

Queer has been used as a slur for a long time, though it is being reclaimed/has been reclaimed. Still, a lot of people, especially older folks, might feel uncomfortable with being called it. Add to that that more and more people are using it instead of genderqueer, giving it a connotation of gender instead of sexuality... So no, queer isn't enough and might be considered offensive by some...

6
Snoozykola•

I never looked at it like this, thanks

2
WHBARIT70s:bi: Bi-bi-baby•

No problem! Language changes all the time, it can be very confusing 😅

1
RedSnoFlake•

Especially in the context of academic research in which the subjects of the study are LGBT+ people.

1
cake_lover_420:ace: Ace as Cake•

I'm asexual and I don't really feel included in "queer". Even LGBT (without a + or anything) feels more inclusive to me. This might be due to my own (wrong) perception of the word but to me it's a bad choice.

2
CanadianAnthroOP•

While I know some authors actually do prefer queer (and so do a lot of LGBT persons), its historical connotations make it uncomfortable for some people. Which is understandable. That is why I would personally steer away from it as an umbrella term.

1
JinkyRainGray Aro!•

Queer is a tricky term. It strongly suggests "Strangely Different / willful non-conformist / unrepentant outsider". When used by heteronormative conformists, it's powerfully negative. Used as a self-affirming identity it's positive.

With it being easier than ever for LGBT to live completely mainstream lives, many/most don't see themselves under the 'queer' umbrella because they aren't seen as (and don't see themselves as)"different/non-conformist/outsiders" anymore. And they don't want to.

But some do. They don't want to be "just like straight people but with a same-sex partner", they want something else that doesn't fit into mainstream culture as neatly. So identifying as 'queer' is positive a thing for them, and deserves respect as it's own distinct hue in our spectrum of diversity.

1
VampireStereotype*•

That word is a hateful slur.

0
youseedee92:bi: :ace: •

Some people are reclaiming it and prefer to use it to describe themselves, especially if their sexual orientation would be really complicated to explain otherwise. But it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.

4
Spicy_Alien_Cocaine_:bi: Bi-bi-bi•

IMO the + and the Q (either one or both) are all inclusive. If you are queer but not specifically L or G or B or T then that’s covered in the Q or the +

3
MusPraeclarusconfused•

I feel like LGBT is the standard and gets the point across... but LGBTQ is also frequently used... but so is LGBTQ+... However, LGBTI is the legal language used most often in my source material...Also the community organizations in my area use mostly LGBT2SQ+ (two-spirited) because we have a large indigenous population here. I think you get the point.

Sounds to me like you've answered your own question, at least interpreted literally. This isn't what a consensus looks like.

As far as being "inclusive enough", the acronym LGBT, taken at face value, doesn't include categories like asexual and intersex, since those don't really fit in the category of L, G, B, or T. (While identities like non-binary may or may not be viewed as a subset of trans; etc.) So it's not hard to see why someone wouldn't consider them inclusive enough.

Including a Q and/or + can be seen as a solution to this; but clearly there's not a complete agreement.

2
Saiph0:nb-pan: Non Binary Pan-cakes•

There’s GSRM which isn’t as well known but i tend to use LGBT+/LGBTQ+ since I think the “+” makes it obvious enough that I’m referring to or including the other identities in the community as well.

2
sanitarium-sanctuary:rainbow-ace: Ace as a Rainbow•

I believe (though it sounds stupid) that we should just change the acronym to one word. Something like PRIDE (in all caps) or maybe queer? I dont really know but it seems that as long as we keep adding itll be harder to be inclusive without sounding kinda stupid

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loveisjustchemicals:pan: Pan-cakes for Dinner!•

No. Add a + and it’s slightly more so.

2
Milesio:bi: Bi-bi-bi•

I think lgbt+ should do, but Lgbt is definitely more inclusive to the most basic sexualities than just t for gender, also asexuality is often overlooked so maybe lgbtia+

1
missinglawndart•

I would use LGBTI+, it makes it seem more academic and it is inclusive. Although, I have heard in the past, idk how accurate it is, so correct me if I’m wrong, some intersex people do not feel like they are part of the lgbt community. They view it more as a medical condition, but then again I’m not intersex so don’t view me as the be all end all voice for them, because I’ve heard that the opposite is true as well (that they are lgbt) Tl;dr- LGBTI+ would work best, but I would ask an intersex person first.

1