LGBT

I am sometimes asked what does "LGBT" mean.  It is a common enough acronym but is not always used correctly.  The term "LGBT" can be used as either an exclusive identity to refer only to lesbian, gay, bi, and trans individuals or as an inclusive elision for "LGBTQIA".  If there is a chance for ambiguity between these two usages then the elided acronym of "LGBT" should be spelled as "LGBT+" or "LGBT*" instead.  The meaning of the full acronym "LGBTQIA" is as follows.

The last letter "A" is the most important letter in the acronym.  "Allied" means anyone (including nonminority individuals) who supports equal rights for everyone regardless of what their gender or sexual identities are.  "Et al" means "and others" which allows the acronym to be fully inclusive.*  There are hundreds of different human gender and sexual identities so it is impossible to have an acronym letter for everyone without a 26-letter English alphabet soup.**  For example, "LGBTQIA" doesn't have a "P" for pansexual individuals but they are still included under the "A" for "et al".

While "LGBT" is the more commonly used acronym, the shorter and preferred acronym for academic use is "GSM" meaning "gender and sexual minorities".  "GSM" is identical to "LGBTQIA" with the exception that it excludes any individuals who are not gender or sexual minorities.