Understanding LGBTxxxxxxx... Terms

[Neo Deist]

I have to admit, I am at a loss here, because it seems every month a new letter is added to the acronym for those of an alternative lifestyle. I seriously think people are over complicating this issue in order to have their own personal label. From what I know and/or looked up:

Gay - being sexually attracted to the same gender. Usually understood as a label for men, but it can refer to women as well.

Lesbian - being sexually attracted to the same gender as a female.

Bisexual - being sexually attracted to both genders, regardless of your gender.

Trans - being born one gender but identifying as the other.

Queer - an umbrella term for self affirmation within the LGBT community.

Intersex - Someone is born a certain gender but their reproductive organs are from the opposite gender.

Asexual - not sexually attracted to either gender.

Pansexual - being attracted to someone regardless of their gender, defined as liking the individual, not their sexuality.

So we are up to LGBTQIAP....

 

[Neo Deist]

A few of my thoughts on these labels:

1. Lesbian - you are just a gay female. Why the need for a different label?
2. Bisexual - you are gay as well, but will have sex with the opposite gender.
3. Queer - it still means gay.
4. Intersex - another name for transgender.
5. Pansexual - another name for bisexual.

I am not trying to be offensive, but I saw an article that talked about the LGBT community but it was something like LGBTQIAP, and I was like "what the hell does all that mean?" Three of the last four I had to look up. But why the need to have a huge acronym of labels to identify your sexuality?

 

[Kirran]

Intersex isn't transgender. An intersex person is someone who is biologically neither male nor female, regardless of gender.

Pansexual is not bisexual because there are people who aren't men or women.

Bisexual people aren't gay, because being gay is about exclusive attraction to the same sex/gender.

I agree the acronym gets a bit out of hand. I like the term queer as a catch-all, and failing that terms like MOGII (marginalised orientations, gender identities and intersex) or GSM (gender and sexual minorities).

 

[Jumi]

Intersex are people just born with parts of both genders who doctors can't say if they are born male or female. They are not the same as transgender.

 

[oldbadger]

I have to admit, I am at a loss here, because it seems every month a new letter is added to the acronym for those of an alternative lifestyle. I seriously think people are over complicating this issue in order to have their own personal label. From what I know and/or looked up:

Gay - being sexually attracted to the same gender. Usually understood as a label for men, but it can refer to women as well.

Lesbian - being sexually attracted to the same gender as a female.

Bisexual - being sexually attracted to both genders, regardless of your gender.

Trans - being born one gender but identifying as the other.

Queer - an umbrella term for self affirmation within the LGBT community.

Intersex - Someone is born a certain gender but their reproductive organs are from the opposite gender.

Asexual - not sexually attracted to either gender.

Pansexual - being attracted to someone regardless of their gender, defined as liking the individual, not their sexuality.

So we are up to LGBTQIAP....

I reckon that's a good definition from you.
But I still don't grasp the modern meaning of 'queer'.

Any help?

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Noting some lack of differentiation between sex and gender here that could be causing some confusion. Sex is physical identifiers of male and female such as chromosomal and gonadal sex. Gender is how the brain interprets male and female or other genders, either broadly as a social construct or psychologically as masculanized or feminized brain and body-brain connection.

For example, bisexual and pansexual aren't the same thing because bisexual can be attracted to both sexes where pansexual can be attracted to all sexes AND genders as well as genderless, intersex, etc.

Also intersex is a term that used to coincide with hermaphrodite, a presence of both sexes in some capacity. As well as ambiguous or no sex organs. Trans, on the other hand, is a conflict between sex and gender identity.

 

[Kirran]

Noting some lack of differentiation between sex and gender here that could be causing some confusion. Sex is physical identifiers of male and female such as chromosomal and gonadal sex. Gender is how the brain interprets male and female, either broadly as a social construct or psychologically as masculanized or feminized brain and body-brain connection.

Or otherwise.

I'm nonbinary!

 

[Deathbydefault]

I am not trying to be offensive, but I saw an article that talked about the LGBT community but it was something like LGBTQIAP, and I was like "what the hell does all that mean?" Three of the last four I had to look up. But why the need to have a huge acronym of labels to identify your sexuality?

I only sort of get it.
Getting bent out of shape over labels works both ways, apparently.

You'll sometimes see something like "non-binary genderqueer" and wonder why you bother to look up the definition.
I guess this is just some sort of phase for society, it'll probably sort itself out pretty soon.

Edit: Changed "titles" to "labels" and fixed the length of a sentence.

 

[oldbadger]

But why the need to have a huge acronym of labels to identify your sexuality?

............ in the same way as you, calling yourself a NEO Deist?

I mean.... what's wrong with just 'DEIST'?

..... answer your question?

 

[Laika]

A few of my thoughts on these labels:

1. Lesbian - you are just a gay female. Why the need for a different label?
2. Bisexual - you are gay as well, but will have sex with the opposite gender.
3. Queer - it still means gay.
4. Intersex - another name for transgender.
5. Pansexual - another name for bisexual.

I am not trying to be offensive, but I saw an article that talked about the LGBT community but it was something like LGBTQIAP, and I was like "what the hell does all that mean?" Three of the last four I had to look up. But why the need to have a huge acronym of labels to identify your sexuality?

The labels are not important. Its what we do with them and how we respond to the issues surronding them that really measures the value of our behaviour.

Too often other people's misfortunes as used as an excuse for outrage to conceal a desire for superiority and vanity. The difficulty is in trying to see through this and not let these people deny our capacity to be of value and to help others even if we may have made mistakes or were prejudiced in the past.

If you understand there is a problem and want to help out, thats fine. Ultimately thats more important than collecting or memorising labels as if they are the trading cards kids collect nowdays for footballers or pokemon. I'm bisexual and I admit I don't fully understand transgender issues but none the less I can relate to the anxiety, fear and depression and trying to find oneself- so using that experience I try to help out and just be nice to people when I can.

 

[Kirran]

I remember a while ago seeing a young British person speaking to Barack Obama, and coming out to him as nonbinary. At the time I didn't really understand much of why this was important, but it was very clear that what they were saying was very important to them, and it was very difficult for them to say. That was enough for them to get my whole-hearted support.

 

[Neo Deist]

............ in the same way as you, calling yourself a NEO Deist?

I mean.... what's wrong with just 'DEIST'?

..... answer your question?

That is off topic. Refer to the Deism DIR.

Besides, the name "Deist" was already taken on RF. Otherwise...

 

[columbus]

A few of my thoughts on these labels:

1. Lesbian - you are just a gay female. Why the need for a different label?
2. Bisexual - you are gay as well, but will have sex with the opposite gender.
3. Queer - it still means gay.
4. Intersex - another name for transgender.
5. Pansexual - another name for bisexual.

I am not trying to be offensive, but I saw an article that talked about the LGBT community but it was something like LGBTQIAP, and I was like "what the hell does all that mean?" Three of the last four I had to look up. But why the need to have a huge acronym of labels to identify your sexuality?

One very difficult thing for white bread straight people to grasp is this:
When you have grown up abnormal, in some gender related way, marginalization is ingrained in your psyche. You Always feel alone, abandoned and (if you're lucky) ignored. All too often, usually even, you're abused in ways both subtle and overt.
Especially by religious people, and they dominate the social landscape in most places. They feel the need and entitlement to go on and on and on and ON about their beliefs! It just never ends.
So when we find out that we aren't alone and don't just have to put up with abuse by ignorant people whose ethics are based on violent and primitive Scriptures, like the Bible, sometimes people respond with a bit of extremism themselves. Such as wanting to be recognized with precision.
Especially Christians, but straight people in general, need to just get used to dealing with the aftereffects of homophobia. Because we aren't going to just shut up any more to spare your feelings. And some of us take an active delight in turning the tables and putting homophobic bakeries out of business just because we can.
Tom

 

[Skwim]

I reckon that's a good definition from you.
But I still don't grasp the modern meaning of 'queer'.

Any help?

From the Urban Dictionary

queer
queer: Originally pejorative for gay, now being reclaimed by some gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons as a self-affirming umbrella term. Caution: still extremely offensive when used as an epithet.


.​

 

[Neo Deist]

Intersex are people just born with parts of both genders who doctors can't say if they are born male or female. They are not the same as transgender.

Ok, that is called hermaphrodite. Did we really need to invent a new word?

 

[oldbadger]

That is off topic. Refer to the Deism DIR.

Wrong!
You're talking about labels, and the need for them!

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Ok, that is called hermaphrodite. Did we really need to invent a new word?

Hermaphrodite is a deprecated term no longer used in medicine, and besides intersex includes hermaphrodite and people with ambiguous or no sexual organs, Hermaphrodite did not.

 

[lovesong]

I think we should just stick to LGBT. It's simple, easy to say, everyone knows it, just leave it be.

Bisexual - you are gay as well, but will have sex with the opposite gender.

No, no. This is only true for some bi people. Some bi people are primarily into the same sex but are also ok with the opposite, like you said, but for some people it's the other way around, and for others the attraction is equal. I fall into the "other way around" group, meaning I'm primarily into guys but I'll have sex with women and occasionally find myself crushing on one. I'm closer to straight than gay by a long shot but I'm still bi.

 

[Augustus]

Ok, that is called hermaphrodite. Did we really need to invent a new word?

As was noted, not the same thing.

It's not always particularly clear cut either. You've probably seen issues in women's sports where there is controversy over the sex of the female athlete.

This often is the result of hyperandrogenism resulting from an intersex condition but the woman would not be what used to be called a 'hermaphrodite'.

This is controversial because many intersex females have significant advantages due to high levels of androgens leading to other competitors claiming they have an unfair advantage. There is no scientifically objective 'cut off point' of exactly where someone starts being intersex as opposed to not being intersex though.

Previous methods to ensure fair competition used to use a simple maximum testosterone level and women with higher levels had to take medication to control this. More recently they removed the restriction, which was again controversial as it led to some athletes having enormous performance gains.

It's a major question in sporting ethics at the moment though.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

A few of my thoughts on these labels:

1. Lesbian - you are just a gay female. Why the need for a different label?
2. Bisexual - you are gay as well, but will have sex with the opposite gender.
3. Queer - it still means gay.
4. Intersex - another name for transgender.
5. Pansexual - another name for bisexual.

I am not trying to be offensive, but I saw an article that talked about the LGBT community but it was something like LGBTQIAP, and I was like "what the hell does all that mean?" Three of the last four I had to look up. But why the need to have a huge acronym of labels to identify your sexuality?

1. Lesbians have an identity separate from gay men. The word has a lot of cultural meaning, and they have the right to it.
2. Bisexuals aren't gay. Wtf. That's just a stupid thing to say.
3. No. I'm queer, but not gay. Queer is a more politicized and intentionally vague term. Queer - Wikipedia
4. No, they're not the same.
5. No, they're not the same.

Wow, you really don't know what you're talking about.