Acronyms and terms can get confusing, so here is a simplified look at the LGBTQ+ or expanded LGBTQIA+ acronym and some additional terms.
The + is an effort to be inclusive of other terms that may not fit under the various acronyms available and can include the following terms: Bigender, Demisexual, Gender Fluid, Genderqueer, Pansexual, and more.
A more detailed collection of terms can be found here.
There are many offensive terms used to describe the LGBTQ and should not be used. These can be found at the GLAAD Media Reference Guide.
‘LGBT’ is arguably the most common term to describe the collective lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. But some believe ‘LGBT’ and its expanded variations are too limiting and ineffective. Other umbrella terms that serve as alternatives to 'LGBTQ+' include:
There is no single umbrella term to encapsulate the diverse LGBTQ+ community and it is best practice to ask a person their preferred term before using any particular label.
He/him/his (Dillon ate his food because he was hungry
A gender neutral or gender inclusive pronoun is a pronoun which does not associate a gender with the individual who is being discussed. Some common gender neutral pronouns include:
They/them/theirs (Shea ate their food because they were hungry.) This is a pretty common gender-neutral pronoun and it can be used in the singular.
Ze/hir/hir (Tyler ate hir food because ze was hungry.) Ze is pronounced like “zee” can also be spelled zie or xe, and replaces she/he/they. Hir is pronounced like “here” and replaces her/hers/him/his/they/theirs.
Just my name please! (Ash ate Ash’s food because Ash was hungry) Some people prefer not to use pronouns at all, using their name as a pronoun instead.
Searching by Keyword
If you're searching for library materials about bears (i.e. a hairy, heavy-set, sometimes muscular, gay or bisexual man) and you're using the word "bears" in your keyword search, you may be finding more items referring to furry, forest animals than queer culture. That's because keyword searches use natural language to search for items. Natural language is the way we speak in everyday life, where context clues help us arrive at understanding. Natural language can be slippery and sometimes multiple meanings get in the way of successful searching.
Searching by Subject
Subject Headings can save you a lot of time and frustration by limiting to articles that are right on your topic. Subject headings are terms or phrases assigned to a resource that describe the content of that resource.
Most academic libraries use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) to describe what a book or article is generally about. For example, books about the animal bear would have the subject heading "Bears" whereas books about bears in a queer context would have the LCSH subject heading "Bears (Gay Culture)". The A-Z list on the bottom of this page features relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer topics.
Searching by Subject in OneSearch
Subject headings can be used to search for materials in OneSearch by first navigating to the Advanced Search section and then selecting “Subject” from the dropdown menu to the left of the search bar (see figure below).
Abused gay men
Abused lesbians
African American bisexual men
African American bisexuals
African American gay actors
African American gay men
African American gays
African American lesbians
African American transsexuals
Aged gay men
Aged lesbians
AIDS(Disease)
Androgyny
Asian American bisexuals
Asian American gays
Asian American lesbians
Astrology and homosexuality
Bears (Gay culture)
Bible and homosexuality
Bible--Gay interpretations
Bisexual college students
Bisexual feminism
Bisexual high school students
Bisexual librarians
Bisexual men
Bisexual men--United States
Bisexual parents
Bisexual students
Bisexual women
Bisexual youth
Bisexuality
Bisexuality in literature
Bisexuality in marriage
Bisexuality in motion pictures
Bisexuality on television
Bisexuality--Mythology
Bisexuality--Religious aspects (can sub-categorize further by denomination)
Bisexuals
Bisexuals' writings, (can sub-categorize further by nationality)
Buddhist gays
Butch/femme
Butch and femme (Lesbian culture)
Butch and femme (Lesbian culture) in motion pictures
Catholic gay men
Catholic gays
Children and homosexuality
Children of gay parents
Children of sexual minority parents
Children of transgender parents
Children of transsexual parents
Christian gays
Christian gay men
Christian transgender people
Christian transsexuals
Christian sexual minorities
Church work with African American gays
Church work with gays, (can sub-categorize further by denomination)
Civil unions
Closeted gays
Closeted gays in literature
Coming out (Sexual orientation)
Coming out (Sexual orientation) in literature
Coming out (Sexual orientation)--United States
Coming out (Sexual orientation)--Fiction
Coming out (Sexual orientation)--Religious aspects, (can sub-categorize further by denomination)
Conflict of laws--Same-sex marriage
Cuban American lesbians
Deaf gay men
Deaf gays
Drag balls
Etiquette for gay men
Etiquette for lesbians
Ex-gay movement
Female impersonators
Female-to-male transsexuals
Indian gays
Indian gays in literature
Indian lesbians
Indian sexual minorities
Internalized homophobia
Internalized homophobia in lesbians
Internet and bisexual men
Internet and gay men
Intersex athletes
Intersex children
Intersex military personnel
Intersex people
Intersexuality
Intersexuality in animals
Intersexuality in art
Intersexuality in children
Intersexuality in literature
Intersexuality--Mythology
Italian American gays
Italian American lesbians
Jewish gay men
Jewish gays
Jewish lesbians
Jewish transgender people
Jewish sexual minorities
Male homosexuality
Male homosexuality in art
Male homosexuality in literature
Male homosexuality in music
Male impersonators
Male impersonators in motion pictures
Male prostitution
Mexican American gays
Mexican American lesbians
Middle-aged gay men
Middle-aged gays
Middle-aged lesbians
Middle-aged sexual minorities
Minority gays
Minority gays in literature
Minority lesbians
Mormon gays
Motion pictures and gay men
Music by gay composers
Music by lesbian composers
Muslim gay men
National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Washington, D.C., 1979
National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Washington, D.C., 1987
National socialism and homosexuality
Older gay men
Older lesbians
Older sexual minorities
Older transsexuals
Ordination of gays
Ordination of lesbians
Outing (Sexual orientation)
Pacific Islander American bisexuals
Pacific Islander American gays
Pacific Islander American lesbians
Pacific Islander American sexual minorities
Parents of AIDS patients
Parents of gays
Parents of intersex children
Parents of sexual minority youth
Parents of transsexuals
Participation, Gay
Polari
Presbyterian gay men
Prostitution - History
Prostitution - Interviews
Prostitution - law and legislation
Prostitution in art
Prostitution in literature
Prostitution in motion pictures
Protestant gays
Police services for sexual minorities
Psychoanalysis and homosexuality
Puerto Rican lesbians
Queer theology
Queer theory