LGBTQIA

Or LGBTIQA

adjective

1. pertaining collectively to people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or those questioning their gender identity orsexual orientation ), intersex, and asexual (or their allies).

noun

1. Usually LGBTQIAs, LGBTQIA's a person in this group.

Word History and Origins

Origin of LGBTQIA¹

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

“I don’t know why that became the thing that gets me the most angry. I think it’s because it’s so intersectional that it overlaps with everything from climate change to LGBTQIA+ issues.”

From Los Angeles Times

Nick Fulton is a freelance journalist based in Washington, D.C., who covers politics and LGBTQIA+ issues.

From Salon

The council said the decision was "purely from a health and safety standpoint" and it stood in "full support of the LGBTQIA+ community".

From BBC

As Davis works with her clients, her hands might be gentle, but she’s also fierce about her politics and support of the LGBTQIA+ community.

From Los Angeles Times

“When laws are vague, they are ripe for profiling,” Sharp-Collins said, “and I’m truly worried about Black, brown and the LGBTQIA+ individuals being overly policed and targeted for their mere presence in the area without them actually doing anything criminal.”

From Los Angeles Times

When To Use

What does LGBTQIA mean?

LGBTQIA is a term that collectively represents people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or those questioning their gender identity or sexual orientation), intersex, and asexual.An alternate letter order is LGBTIQA. Terms like LGBTQIA are sometimes used in a way in which the A is said to include or stand for Allies—cisgender and heterosexual people who support the people represented by the other letters. For example, an event may be labeled in a way that welcomes such allies. However, terms like LGBTQIA exist as a label for a community for those who have been marginalized and discriminated against due to their gender or sexual identity, so many don’t consider allies to be part of the abbreviation.There are many longer variations of LGBTQIA that include letters representing those who identify in different ways, such as those who identify as pansexual, transsexual, intergender, aromantic, nonbinary, and two-spirit. Common and more limited terms include LGBT and LGBTQ. Sometimes, a plus sign is added after the letters to represent any pertinent groups not represented by a letter. There is no consensus about which term is best, and others are commonly used or have been proposed.All of these terms are most commonly used as adjectives, as in LGBTQIA rights or the LGBTQIA community.Less commonly, such terms may be used as a noun to refer to a person who’s part of that community. When used this way, it’s typically used in the plural, as in This anti-discrimination law is a victory for all LGBTQIAs.Example: June is Pride Month, and it’s for the entire LGBTQIA community.