Most people by now are aware of the acronym LGBT and what it stands for. However, the acronym is constantly expanding in the gay community as people try and get to grips with the colourful array of sexualities that make up the human race. The most extensive version of the acronym I have come across is: LGBTQIASPK, and the first time I came across it I had no idea what half the letters stood for. Searching the web did not help much as there seems to be no comprehensive guide that I could find explaining what each letter stood for and represented. This was frustrating as I was attempting to find out as much as possible about a community I knew very little about and yet the information was not readily available. This explains, to a small extent, the ignorance surrounding the LGBT community.I went on to research the letters individually and decided I would do my bit to dispel the ignorance surrounding the acronym. I intend this to be the first of a series of posts where I will tackle each letter individually in depth.
For now, here is an overview of what each letter stands for:
L: Lesbian - a woman who loves/is attracted to other women
G: Gay - a man who loves/is attracted to other men
B: Bisexual - a person who loves/is attracted to both genders
T: Transgender - a person whose gender identity does not match the one they were assigned at birth
Q: Queer/Questioning -these labels allows for people who are unsure of their sexuality or simply do not want to define themselves in terms of the other letters
I: Intersex - A person whose gender is ambiguous at birth
A: Asexual- Someone who is not sexually attracted to anyone
S: Self Sexual - A cheeky addition by Betty Dodson and Carlin Ross: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Conys9LiGHg
P: Pansexual - a person who loves/is attracted to all genders
K: Kink - a controversial addition referring to people who engage in sexual activities that are not considered 'conventional'
Written by Ellen
Picture Credit: Ellen
I would definitely disagree with the inclusion of kinks as its definitely a distinct issue, for numerous reasons obviously but predomimantly because 1. A kink is a preference which can easily change wheras you cannot change full stop with your gender identity or sexuality and 2. No-one is abused or murdered because of their kink. But as you said its a controversial additon. Great article otherwise!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you, I wouldn't include it if I created the acronym/ had any say but I thought it was important to "demystify" all the letters that sometimes feature. I think some people might argue that kink is more than a preference but you are right in that it is not as fundamental to someone's identity as the others. I think there is also another issue with kink in that there is debate as to whether its an appropriate thing to be engaging in considering the trauma people go through when they have real experiences of sexual violence. I'm hoping to elaborate on that when I address kink in its own aritcel :) (I might be opening up a can of worms) :)
ReplyDelete