What Is LGBT?
LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and along with heterosexual they describe people's sexual orientation or gender identity. These terms are explained in more detail here.
Lesbian
A lesbian woman is one who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to women. Many lesbians prefer to be called lesbian rather than gay.
Gay
A gay man is one who is romantically, sexually and/or emotionally attracted to men. The word gay can be used to refer generally to lesbian, gay and bisexual people but many women prefer to be called lesbian. Most gay people don't like to be referred to as homosexual because of the negative historical associations with the word and because the word gay better reflects their
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Sexual orientation also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviours, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions. Three sexual orientations are commonly recognised - heterosexual, homosexual (gay and lesbian) and bisexual.
Homophobia
Homophobia refers to fear of or prejudice and discrimination against lesbian, gay and bisexual people. It is also the dislike of same-sex attraction and love or the hatred of people who have those feelings. The term was first used in the 1970s and is more associated with ignorance, prejudice and stereotyping than with the physiological reactions usually attributed to a ‘phobia'. While homophobic comments or attitudes are often unintentional, they can cause hurt and offence to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
Transphobia
Transphobia refers to fear of or prejudice and discrimination against people who are transgender or who are perceived to transgress norms of gender, gender identity or gender expression. While transphobic comments or attitudes are often unintentional, they can cause hurt and offence to transgender people.
Definitions adapted from More Than a Phase (Pobal, 2006), For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation (APA, 2008) and Answers to Your Questions About Transgender Individuals and Gender Identity (APA,
Attempting suicide is an epidemic in the United States; especially when 41% of transgender individuals have attempted suicide compared 1.6% of the general population (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). Due to this, the question of whether or not transgender youth have a harder, more straining adolescence than their cisgender counterparts rises. Although adolescence can be hard on everyone, experiences such as a school environment, puberty, laws that guarantee protection, family and social acceptance of transgender youth are harder than those of their cisgender counterparts (harder does not necessarily mean correlate with strenuous, the use of harder is aiming more towards different, costly, and possibly more confusing). The revolution for transgender lives is just beginning, change is happening. But in order for change to occur, adequate information on the material needs to be discussed and terminology must be defined and questions must be answered. Questions such as: what do the terms transgender and cisgender actually mean? Why is it important to know the difference between the two terms? What is the difference between transsexual and transgender?
Sexual orientation is “the clear, persistent desire of a person for affiliation with one sex rather than the other”, otherwise known as sexual preference. (http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com) Prejudice against lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexuals (otherwise known as LGBT people) remain widespread in American society. LGBT people have always been a target for discrimination. Like other forms of prejudice, this discrimination is based on a hostile attitude toward a specific group and in this case minority. The current strides in the controversy of the legalization of the same sex marriage is a prime example of this discrimination. Sexual orientation prejudice
LGBTQ, short for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer is an acronym used to designate a community of people whose sexual or gender identities can create shared political and social concerns. The LGBTQ acronym does not encompass everybody and different organizations may use less or more letters. The LGBTQ Community is a group of diverse people united for one cause: to fight for equal rights so that people of the community are not segregated from the rest of the society. Not only does this community contain LGBTQ people, it also has members that are heterosexual who support LGBTQ community’s beliefs.
Let's start off with the basics. LGBT stands for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. On average, in a 2016 poll, 23% of the American population is either gay or lesbian which is 2% less than a poll in 2011 and
Many people have heard of the acronym LGBTQ but do not necessarily understand what it stands for. The acronym LGBTQ represents the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning or queer. The group highly unrecognized in the LGBTQ community is “questioning” or “queer”. This group of people are still unsure of their sexual orientation which may cause confusion in weather they can be classified to be in the LGBTQ community. Queer is known for a offensive term that has only recently been used to show pride about being in the LGBTQ community by the younger generation. Although it has been a symbol of pride it still can be considered very offensive. However, we hear of the acronyms LGBTQ their is also another group called “The Alphabet Soup”. This consists of two “A's” which stands for asexual, an individual who do not experience any sexual attraction, and the other “A” stands for allies or people that are straight but support the LGBTQ community.Their is also a "T" and that represents inter sex people or people who were born with anatomy that does not really fit
Gays/lesbians are people who prefer same sex relationships. During the time period or even before then, gays weren’t widely accepted. A lot of people didn’t accept gays therefore men had to hide their insecurities every time in fear that they’d be ostracized. Because of the baby boomers, support of gays right increased throughout the years as their biggest reason was because they now know someone who is gay or lesbian, closely followed by a belief that they have become more open to the idea or because they have gotten older.
Homosexuality is defined or characterized as attraction towards the same gender either male or female. It came from the Greek language, where “homo” means the same or similar, hence referring to the attraction between two beings of the same sex. Homosexuality is also referred as a clinical term. Most male homosexuals generally prefer to be called "gay men" and most homosexual women generally prefer to be called "lesbians." Homosexuality is one of the three main categories of sexual orientation, alongside bisexual and heterosexual. The longstanding consensus of the behavioral and social sciences and the health and mental health professions is that homosexuality is an example of normal and positive variation in human sexual
LGBTQ+ is an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and more referring to the people categorized by not having heteroxexual and cisngender actions or identificantion. As opposed to having a romantic preference to sex, gender identification is what a person chooses to identify as, instead of it being decided by their sex. Currently, countries and law makers are currently blocking the same rights as heterosexual and cisgender people regarding civil, political, social, and economical stand points.
The acronym LGBT has expanded over time to include other identities, becoming LGBTQ+. Whereas heterosexuality means that a person is attracted to the opposite sex, homosexuality mean that one is attracted to the same sex. Bisexuality means that one is attracted to both men and women; however the attraction is not always fifty-fifty; in fact, one can like one gender
“Sexual Orientation The preferred term used when referring to an individuals’ physical and/or emotional attraction to the same and/or opposite gender. Sexual orientation describes how people locate themselves on the spectrum of attraction. Someone who feels a significant attraction to both sexes is said to
Various studies recognize a deficit of information related to lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults with even less information related to transgender individuals (Muller & Hartman, 1998; Ryan, Russell, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2010; Tharinger & Wells, 2000). LGBT individuals seeking social support from others to gain understanding of themselves and their own development may become discouraged in their endeavors. Many family members and medical professionals lack sufficient knowledge in sexual orientation and/or identity development, believing LGBT identification as a result of external influences or just a “phase”
Sexual orientation is the preferred term used when referring to an individual's physical and or emotional attraction to the same and or opposite sex. Heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual and pansexual are all sexual orientations. An individual's gender identity and expression is distinct from their sexual orientation. Throughout life as the individual explores the world around them, they are shaped by the unique experiences and influences that are imparted upon them. All people experience life subjectively therefore there is no monolithic way of viewing or defining one’s sexual identity, however, there are particular experiences that may shape and develop specific characteristics or tendencies that a group of people may share. Andrew
Sexual orientation labels used by monosexual people include: Gay: generally refers to a man who is attracted to men. Sometimes refers to all people who are attracted to people of the same sex; sometimes "homosexual" is used for this also, although this label is seen by many today as a medical term that should be retired from common use. Lesbian: a woman who is attracted to women. Sometimes also or alternately "same gender-loving woman" or "woman loving woman." Straight: a man who is exclusively attracted to women or a woman who is exclusively attracted to men; also sometimes generally used to refer to people whose sexualities are societally normative. Alternately referred to as “heterosexual.” Polysexual Sexual Orientations Some people are attracted to members of multiple genders. Sexual orientation labels used by polysexual people include: Bisexual: attracted to people of one's own gender and people of other gender(s). Often referred to as "bi." See Bisexuality 101 to learn more. Pansexual: attracted to people regardless of gender. Sometimes also or alternately "omnisexual." Queer: similar to pansexual, queer can be an identity label meaning that a person is attracted to people of many genders;
Sexual orientation is something that people hear about daily in the news, media, and daily lives of others, especially when it comes to the field of psychology and the nature versus nurture debate. For being as commonly debated and discussed as it is, there are many questions that come along with it: what is sexual orientation, how do people know their sexual orientation, what causes homosexuality, is it normal, is it possible to change, and can wanting LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, youth to change lead to suicide?
‘Gay’ mostly refers to men who are primarily attracted to other men, emotional and sexually, but can be used to describe both men and women who have a same-sex attraction (beyondblue, 2013).