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Hello, and welcome to another blog post by Joy! Today we are learning what the 2SLGBTQ+ acronym actually means, and other relevant terminology. If you feel confused about all the different terms used in the queer community, don’t fret. Here’s a handy little guide.
2SLGBTQ+ stands for 2 Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and the Q sometimes stands for Queer and sometimes for Questioning. Let’s go through this one by one.
First, let’s tackle sexuality, which is the LGB part of the acronym.
Sexuality: Someone's attraction to others. Includes romantic, sexual, emotional, aesthetic, and other forms of attraction.
Lesbian: A woman who feels romantic and/or sexual attraction towards women. Nonbinary people attracted to women may use this term as well.
Gay: A man who feels romantic and/or sexual attraction towards men. Nonbinary people attracted to men may use this term as well. Gay is also an umbrella term for the entire 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Bisexual: Romantic and/or sexual attraction towards more than one gender. Not necessarily to the same degree or in the same way.
Pansexual: Attraction to all people, regardless of sex or gender.
Asexual: Someone who may not experience sexual attraction at all, or experience little to no interest in sexual activity.
Queer: An umbrella term to describe anyone a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Previously used as a homophobic slur, this term has since been reclaimed by the community.
Questioning: Refers to anyone who may be questioning their gender and/or sexuality.
Next, let’s talk about gender, which is the 2S and T part of the acronym.
Sex: Classification assigned at birth. Based on physical anatomy and/or genetics. Can be male, female, intersex, or other.
Gender: Personal sense of gender is defined by the individual. Gender is on a spectrum, which includes male, female, neither, and others. Sex assigned at birth is NOT gender.
2 Spirit: An Indigenous identity that refers to someone who has both a masculine and feminine spirit. Note: only Indigenous people may use this term.
Transgender: Someone who does not identify fully with their assigned sex at birth. Transgender can refer to someone who identifies as male but is assigned female at birth, and vice versa. Transgender is an umbrella term, as people who identify as nonbinary may also identify as trans.
Nonbinary: Someone whose identity is not fully male or female. A nonbinary person may see themself in the middle of the gender spectrum, may reject gender outright, or feel that they shift on the gender spectrum. Nonbinary goes under the trans umbrella.
This concludes our Terminology 101 guide. Do you have any questions or comments? Comment below and let’s chat.
Citation: www.gaycenter.org/about/lgbtq/
