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LGBTQIA+ GLOSSARY


LGBTQIA+ GLOSSARY

A project by

Words, just like the people they describe, can be imperfect, incomplete, and
complicated. They can be messy AF. But, when wielded correctly, they can also
help us define ourselves, understand the world around us, and find our chosen
family.

That’s why it’s important to understand the origin, evolution, and current usage
of words before you add them to your vocab. We built the LGBTQIA+ Language and
Media Literacy Program to be more than a glossary, though at its simplest, it
can function that way. It’s a way to understand the LGBTQIA+ community, and
hopefully, it will transform the way journalists — and all of us — write and
talk about LGBTQIA+ people.

This glossary is meant to be a living, evolving, and adapting resource, just
like the 100 terms we’ve included. Using Google Trends searches, we can start to
understand how the words in this dictionary fall in and out of the popular
lexicon.

Go to the glossary
Or keep scrolling to see some of the Google Trends highlights


HOMOSEXUAL

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TRANSEXUAL

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ASEXUAL

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NON-BINARY

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We can see waning search popularity for older and sometimes offensive terms like
“homosexual” and “transsexual” and increased search for a growing spectrum of
sexual and gender identities like “asexual” and “non-binary.”


IN THE CLOSET

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COMING OUT

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We can see opposite trends in searches for “in the closet” and “coming out.”
LGBTQIA+ people are not new, but increasingly they are beginning to feel safe
about living authentically. According to a recent Gallup poll, “One in six
adults in Generation Z identifies as LGBT.”


QUEER

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We can see how searches for “queer” dipped as the term transformed from a
derogatory word weaponized by bullies, the police, and even the government, to a
term that’s being reclaimed by the LGBTQIA+ community to unite and empower.


THROWING SHADE

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And we can see how terms that originated in LGBTQIA+ spaces like “throwing
shade” have been adopted (and even sometimes misappropriated) into mainstream
pop culture.


PRIDE

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Thanks to the efforts of queer and trans people on the forefront of the
liberation movement, things are better now than they have ever been — but they
are still fragile. We hope this glossary helps people use LGBTQIA+ terminology
respectfully and accurately. The LGBTQIA+ community needs us to show up (and
search) more than just during “pride” month.


DISCLAIMER

Though the researchers involved with this project do identify as queer and have
personal experience with many of these terms, our approach reflects our
individual education and training as queer linguists and researchers. The
definitions provided here are meant to serve as starting points, as identity
terms are intensely personal. We prioritized community voices and resources as
we researched, but we present this glossary with the expectation that others
will have different experiences and understandings of these terms. We do our
best to provide the current and historical usages for each term and, where
possible, the origins. We also provide links to further resources in many of the
entries.

A warning of sorts: this glossary does contain some words that are considered
offensive and/or appropriative in certain contexts.

While it's not our goal here to tell people what language they are or are not
allowed to use, please pay attention to the historical, social, and community
contexts of these words. Some words, especially those that have been (or are
currently being) reclaimed by members of the LGBTQIA+ community, are considered
offensive in many (if not most) contexts. Many of the included terms also
originated from and are still used by communities that continue to be
marginalized within LGBTQIA+ spaces. These terms often carry with them elements
and experiences of identity, oppression, and resistance that may make it
inappropriate for them to be used by those in more privileged social positions.
Please keep these things in mind while reading and feel empowered to do further
research to learn more.

Go to the glossary