LGBT is an initialism that stands for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender". In use since the late 1980s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for marginalized sexualities and gender identities.[1] LGBT is an adaptation of LGB, which began to replace the term gay (or gay and lesbian), in reference to the broader LGBT community beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s.[2] When not inclusive of transgender people, the shorter LGB is still used.[3][4]
It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.[5] A popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.[6] Another popular variation, LGBTQ+, adds a plus sign in order to represent other identities not perceived to be included in LGBTQ. Many further variations of the acronym exist, such as LGBT+ (simplified to encompass the Q concept within the plus sign), LGBTQIA+ (adding intersex, and asexual/aromantic), and 2SLGBTQ+ (adding two-spirit for a term specific to Indigenous North Americans). The LGBT label is not universally agreed to by everyone that it is generally intended to include.[7]
