LGBTQ+ Definitions & Resources
If you feel that you or a friend are being harassed or bullied, tell someone! Campus administrators are required to investigate allegations of bullying immediately. Please see your counselor, assistant principal, teacher, school resource officer or other trusted adult for assistance.
LGBTQ+ is an initialism that means:
L/Lesbian G/Gay B/Bisexual T/Transgender Q/Queer or Questioning
LGBTQ+ is the more commonly used term in the community; possibly because it is more user friendly! You may also hear the terms “Queer Community” or “Rainbow Community” used to describe LGBTQ2+ people. This initialism and the various terms are always evolving so don’t try to memorize the list. The most important thing is to be respectful and use the terms that people prefer.
Definitions:
Lesbian
A lesbian is a female homosexual: a female who experiences romantic love or sexual attraction to other females.
Gay
Gay is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. Gay is often used to describe homosexual males but lesbians may also be referred to as gay.
Bisexual
Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction or sexual behavior toward both males and females, or romantic or sexual attraction to people of any sex or gender identity; this latter aspect is sometimes termed pansexuality.
Transgender
Transgender is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. It is sometimes abbreviated to Trans.
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities that are not heterosexual or cisgender. Queer was originally used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires but, beginning in the late-1980s, queer scholars and activists began to reclaim the word.
Questioning
The questioning of one’s gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation, or all three is a process of exploration by people who may be unsure, still exploring, and concerned about applying a social label to themselves for various reasons.