What Does LGBTQ+ Stand For?

LGBTQ+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer or Questioning — with the plus sign covering everyone else who doesn't fit neatly into those five letters.

That's the short answer. Here's what each part actually means.

Breaking Down Each Letter

L — Lesbian

A woman who's romantically, emotionally, or sexually attracted to other women.

G — Gay

Most often used to describe a man attracted to other men, though it's also used more broadly by some women and non-binary people to describe same-gender attraction.

B — Bisexual

Attraction to more than one gender. This doesn't mean equal attraction to everyone, and it's its own stable orientation — not a phase or a stop on the way to somewhere else.

T — Transgender

Someone whose gender identity doesn't match the sex they were assigned at birth. This is about gender, not attraction — a transgender person can be straight, gay, bisexual, or anything else.

Q — Queer or Questioning

Queer is a reclaimed umbrella term for anyone whose orientation or gender identity falls outside straight and cisgender. Questioning describes someone actively exploring their orientation or gender identity.

+ — Everyone Else

The plus sign stands in for every identity that doesn't fit into those five letters — pansexual, asexual, non-binary, intersex, and more. You'll also see longer versions of the acronym:

1. LGBTQIA+ adds Intersex and Asexual
2. LGBTQIA2S+ adds Two-Spirit, a term specific to some Indigenous North American cultures

If you want the full list of identities under that plus sign explained properly, our complete guide to LGBTQ+ identities covers each one in depth.

Why the Acronym Keeps Getting Longer

It's not getting more complicated for the sake of it — it's getting more accurate. Each letter exists because people needed language that actually matched their experience, and that process isn't finished. The acronym you see today is really just the current snapshot of an ongoing conversation, not a final, locked-in list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LGBTQ and LGBTQ+ the same thing? Mostly, yes. LGBTQ+ is just a more inclusive way of writing it — the plus sign makes clear the acronym covers more identities than just the first five letters, without having to list every single one every time.

What's the difference between LGBTQ and LGBTQIA+? LGBTQIA+ is a longer version that explicitly adds Intersex and Asexual. Both acronyms are trying to describe the same broad community — LGBTQIA+ is just more specific about which identities are named outright.

Why is "Q" used for both queer and questioning? Both meanings are in common use, and context usually makes it clear which one's intended. Some people identify as queer as a settled identity label; others use "questioning" to describe actively exploring who they are. Neither is wrong.

Does the acronym ever get shorter? Not really — it tends to grow as language becomes more precise, not shrink. Older or shorter versions (like just "LGBT") still show up, usually just as a shorthand, not because anyone's being deliberately excluded.

Want to meet people across the whole spectrum this acronym represents? AffirmSpace is where you can start.