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LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Many variants [a] of the initialism are used, such as those incorporating questioning, intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. [1] [2] The group is generally conceived as broadly encompassing all individuals who are part of a sexual or gender minority.
LGBTQ people express a broad array of sexual and gender minority identities. The alternative umbrella gender, sexual, and romantic minorities is sometimes used for this group. [3] [4]
Groups that blend into the larger LGBTQ population include:
Common variations of the initialism include LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, and LGBTQIA+.
LGBTQ people may participate in the LGBTQ community, which may be defined by shared LGBTQ culture, by shared geography (such as gay villages), or by participation in LGBTQ-focused organizations. The LGBTQ community includes elements such as LGBTQ social movements (including LGBTQ rights organizations), LGBTQ student groups in schools and universities, and LGBTQ-affirming religious groups. LGBTQ activists and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to heterosexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, sexualism, and other conformist pressures that exist in the larger society. Not all LGBTQ people consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.[ citation needed ]
LGBTQ culture varies widely by geography and the identity of the participants. Elements common to cultures of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people include:
Not all LGBTQ people identify with LGBTQ culture; this may be due to geographic distance, unawareness of the subculture's existence, fear of social stigma or a preference for remaining unidentified with sexuality- or gender-based subcultures or communities. The Queercore and Gay Shame movements critique what they see as the commercialization and self-imposed "ghettoization" of LGBTQ culture. [8] [9]
The history of LGBTQ people dates back to the first recorded instances of same-sex love and diverse gender identities and sexualities in cultures around the world. In many cultures this history has involved marginalization and persecution, such that these histories have only in recent decades been pursued and interwoven into more mainstream historical narratives.
In 1994, the annual observance of LGBT History Month began in the United States, and it has since been picked up in other countries. This observance involves highlighting the history of the people, LGBTQ rights and related civil rights movements. It is observed during October in the United States, to include National Coming Out Day on October 11. [10] In the United Kingdom it has been observed during February since 2005: Section 28, which had prohibited local authorities from "promoting" homosexuality was repealed in England and Wales in 2003, while the same legislation (named Section 2a in the Scottish legislation) was repealed by the Scottish parliament in 2000. [11] [12] A celebrated achievement in LGBTQ history occurred when Queen Beatrix signed a law making Netherlands the first country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001, [13] and another when Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote in 2015.
The legal rights held by LGBTQ people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—ranging from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. [14] [15] An example of such protections are legal prohibitions against incitement to hatred and violence against LGBTQ people. [16]
Laws that affect LGBTQ people include:
Even in jurisdictions with strong protections for LGBTQ rights, they may still be subject to discrimination against LGBTQ people.
Discrimination against LGBTQ people can manifest in legal, institutional, and social forms. [17] : 1 This includes discrimination directed specifically at lesbians, at homosexuals more broadly, at gay men, at bisexuals, at transgender people, at asexual people, at intersex people, and at non-binary people.
Opposition to LGBTQ rights exists worldwide. While laws are "a necessary foundation to achieve equality ... protections under the law are not sufficient to eliminate prejudice", and "social equality is not synonymous with equality under the law", according to Ilan Meyer. [18] According to a study by the European Parliament's internal policy body in 2012: "To resolve the vast majority of problems faced by LGBTI people, individuals, society, organisations and authorities must stop regarding their differences as factors which require differential treatment. While this seems self evident, such shifts in attitude cannot be achieved through one-off, short term action, nor through legislation alone. ... in some areas a change of views of some groups may simply not be possible." [19]
Some countries practice censorship of LGBTQ issues. [20]
Social divides exist over the social acceptance of LGBTQ people, including societal attitudes toward homosexuality. [21] [22] [23]
LGBTQ movements are social movements that advocate for the inclusion, recognition, and rights of LGBTQ people. These movements work to secure legal rights, or enact broader social changes aimed at advancing equality and inclusion. [24] [25] In addition, LGBTQ movements and communities work to advance LGBTQ culture. [26] [27]
LGBTQ people may face disparities in access to care, targeted public health interventions, and the impact of stigma on physical and mental well-being. [17] : 2 The psychology of LGBTQ people covers aspects such as identity development including the coming out process, parenting and family practices and support for LGBTQ individuals.
'The amount of attention that has been given to debates over L.G.B.T. issues in the last year is another sign of how deeply American society remains divided over L.G.B.T. issues,' said George Chauncey, a Yale University professor of 20th-century United States history and lesbian and gay history, ...
Every country is different, but on the whole, advances in LGBTQ rights have been driven by sustained advocacy campaigns that made use of institutional pathways for reform in democratic or democratizing environments. Many countries that transitioned from authoritarian to democratic rule, such as Brazil and South Africa, adopted constitutions that embraced international human rights standards and protections for marginalized groups, enabling LGBTQ activists to challenge discriminatory laws through litigation or legislative lobbying.
The award program's organizers say it's the only such program in the United Kingdom specifically dedicated to LGBTQ culture.
... GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Terry Beswick hailed the board's vote in support of its creation. 'For many people around the world, San Francisco's Castro neighborhood is known as the center of the queer universe and has played a pivotal role in the advancement of LGBTQ culture and political power....
