The phrase gay and lesbian became common after the sexual revolution in the 1960s. However, it was much later in the 1990s that the community expanded to include bisexual and transgender people and came to be known as LGBT. Over time, the community has expanded further to include other types of sexual orientation such as Queers, intersex, asexual, bigender etc.
LGBTQ stands for:
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The term LGBTQ was formed to emphasise the different types of sexual preferences and gender-based identities. People may identify with this community openly or in secret depending on the social norms and laws of the country they live in. Most people are often able to identify their sexuality in late teens while some may create gender-based identities much earlier in life as well.
LGBTQ may be used in reference to anyone who is non-heterosexual
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While some may argue that the term LGBTQ is not all encompassing, it may still be used to refer to any type of sexual behaviour or gender identification that is non-heterosexual. The order of these letters is not standardised and may be switched around to place more or less emphasis on a particular part of the community. In India it may also be used to refer to the third gender community, commonly known as hijra .
Variants of the term LGBTQ include
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As mentioned above the term LGBT is not all inclusive. There are many variants to this acronym. LGBTQ+ stands for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and related communities. GLBTA refers to Gay Lesbian Bi Trans Alternative and LGBT+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and related communities. Other acronyms that may be used to describe people from this community include I intersex, Q- questioning, A asexual, C- curious etc. The community is also commonly referred to as the rainbow or queer community.
Being part of the LGBT community is a punishable crime in some countries
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While gay marriages are now acceptable in some places, in others, being non-heterosexual can put a person behind bars. In countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, a homosexual can be put to death while in Bangladesh, they may be awarded life imprisonment. Countries like Singapore, UAE and Kuwait also criminalise homosexuality.
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