The LGBTQIA+ community is one of the most diverse and inclusive communities in the world. It is a community that is comprised of individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, and many other gender identities collectively. This post is designed to take a deeper look into these different identities and how they interact with the rest of the world. Each subdivision of the LGBTQIA+ has a flag to help denote individuals and show their pride for which gender identity they utilize.
LESBIAN 
The lesbian gender identity refers to a woman (both biologically or self-identified), who has a significant attraction to members of the same gender and or others who also identify as lesbian.
GAY 
Gay is an adjective referring to those with a physical, emotional, or romantic attraction to people of the same gender. This phrase is typically associated with gay men, however unfortunately in more recent years has grown more frequent in society’s everyday lingo to be used against this community as a whole.
BISEXUAL 
Bisexuality refers to the sexual, emotional, or physical attraction toward both males and or females.
TRANSGENDER 
Transgender individuals are those whose gender identity does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. This can include individuals who identify as male, female, or non-binary, among other possibilities.
QUEER 🏳️🌈
Queer and often referred to as non-binary individuals are those who do not identify as exclusively male or female. There are many umbrella terms under “queer” with which individuals may choose to identify as. This includes genderqueer, genderfluid, agender, and many others. Non-binary individuals often face many challenges in our current society due to the current organization around the gender binary. Due to this lack of acceptance, these individuals often struggle to find acceptance in the world around them from family, friends, and various communities they engage with.
INTERSEX 
Intersex is another gender identity within this community and it is unfortunately often misunderstood by outsiders. Intersex individuals are born with physical sex characteristics that do not fit typical male or female classifications. Intersex individuals may identify as male, female, or non-binary. Intersex individuals may experience more significant roadblocks in their day-to-day with medical care, self-identity, as well as relationships.
ASEXUAL 
Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction to others. This can frequently mean that these individuals have little to no interest in sexual activities with others.
… and sometimes ALLY 
An ally is someone who may not use a gender identity outlined in the LGBTQIA+ community, however, these individuals are those who provide support to those who are members of the community. These individuals are supportive of LGBTQIA+ members even when the rest of society is not.
+
The + at the end of the LGBTQIA acronym ensures that all identities beyond the ones outlined are included and represented. There are so many gender identities I did not directly touch upon, but these are all extremely valid and deserve a place in that wonderful community.
Regardless of an individual’s gender identity, members of the LGBTQIA+ community face significant challenges in their day-to-day life. These individuals are frequently discriminated against, marginalized, and too often receive violent threats. It is so important for members within this community and allies to stand as one and provide as much support to one another as possible.
Great blog post, Leah! The way you outlined what each letter and symbol represent is very informative, especially queer and “+”. It can be very hard for individuals to navigate the world and communities and feeling like there isn’t anywhere they belong can be very challenging and upsetting. That is why it is important to look into these terms, especially queer and “+”. Just as you said, “There are so many gender identities I did not directly touch upon, but these are all extremely valid and deserve a place in that wonderful community.” Overall, great information and insight!
This was such a great explanation of the LGBTQIA+ community! I feel that sometimes it is hard to keep track of all the different ways people identify themselves, and although I fully support everyone choosing to identify themselves in any way they please, I never have the intention of misgendering or offending anyone, which is why this is a good guide to understand what term means what. I have a gay step brother and will share with him that I now know definitions of all different types of forms of identification, I’m sure he’ll be proud of me. Thank you for sharing, your explanations made it super helpful! And I love that you added “ally” in there, as I agree that as a support system of this community, they are a part of this community.