Language changes over time; so do acronyms.
The word “gay,” meaning “merry,” came into use in the 13th century, writes Alex Bollinger at LGBTQ Nation. It was 150 years before the word took on the homosexual meaning we know today, and by the 1980s, “gay” was used as an umbrella term for gay men and lesbians.
The rainbow community acronym started simply: LGB, then LGBT, but now can be anything from LGBTQQIAAP, 2SLGBTQQIA+, or LGBTQIA+.
Read more: What Is Gendered Language & What Are the Alternatives?
So, what exactly do the letters in LGBTQIA+ stand for?
There are differing opinions over some of the letters, so let’s start with the basics:
L stands for lesbian, women or nonbinary people who are attracted to women. Lesbians also refer to themselves as gay or as gay women.
G stands for gay, people (often men, but also people of any gender) attracted to members of the same sex.
B stands for bisexual, people attracted to those of their own gender and other genders.
T stands for transgender, people whose gender identity is different from their biological sex.
Q has two meanings: queer and questioning. Anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA+ can identify as queer; and anyone who is unsure about and exploring their sexuality or gender can identify as questioning.
I stands for intersex, an “umbrella term for variations in sex traits or reproductive anatomy,” according to InterAct. “These traits might not fit inside traditional conceptions of what male or female bodies look like. Intersex people are born with variations in their internal or external anatomy, hormones or chromosomes.”
A stands for asexual, aromantic or agender. Asexual is when a person has little to no sexual attraction to others, while aromantic is a lack of romantic attraction. Agender people are gender-neutral; they don’t see themselves as a man or a woman (or both), and so can be described as gender-free or genderless.
It also sometimes stands for ally, writes Bea Mitchell at PinkNews, being “a person who identifies as straight and cisgender but supports people in the LGBT+ community.”
Read more: 20 Leaders Weigh In: Powerful Thoughts on Gender Equality & Diversity
The evolution of the LGBT acronym
In some places, the LGBTQIA+ acronym has been even further expanded. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was made fun of when he referred to 2SLGBTQQIA+ in 2021 social media posts.
That acronym stands for “Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual,” and was used by Trudeau when honoring Indigenous people in Canada who are missing or murdered. “Two Spirit” (or 2S) refers to people, including some Indigenous North Americans, who identify as having both masculine and feminine spirits.
We asked Emma Smith, a licensed professional counselor, why the acronym keeps changing. She tells InHerSight that there are two reasons:
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Being more inclusive of people with diverse identities is important.
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Language changes and expands all the time.
“Lived experience has to come first though,” Smith explains, “which is why language is one or two steps behind where people are at in their lives and understanding of themselves.”
Read more: Are You Being Discriminated Against at Work? 10 Signs to Look Out For
The LGBT acronym was pretty well established by the early 1990s, with the “Q” for queer and questioning added about a decade later. After 2010, intersex and asexual and the plus sign were all added to include more identities.
And therein lies the challenge of an ever-expanding acronym: It may be more inclusive, but it can become unwieldy, and there’s a tension between being all-inclusive, but specific. There are even debates as to which letter should come first, and whether the acronym should be further changed as language around gender and sexuality continues to evolve.
Read more: Discrimination in the Workplace: 4 Types to Look Out For + Examples of Each
LGBTQIA+: discrimination and marginalization
Millions of adults identify as LGBT in the U.S., so issues of discrimination and marginalization affect many people and should be taken seriously. You’d think society would be more evolved, but even with changing attitudes, generational differences, increased visibility, and more education and awareness of all things LGBTQIA+, workplace discrimination still takes place.
Read more: Code-Switching: How Marginalized Employees Navigate Oppression at Work
How many people identify as LGBTQIA+?
A 2023 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA notes that 5.5 percent of U.S. adults (nearly 14 million people) identify as LGBT. More young people identify as LGBT than older folks: 15.2 percent of 18–24 year olds versus 1.8 percent of 65 and older.
Gallup says the percentage of U.S. adults who identify as something other than heterosexual is actually 7.1, and that some 21 percent of young adults born between 1997 and 2003 identify as LGBT. The authors of the study note that “with one in 10 millennials and one in five Gen Z members identifying as LGBT, the proportion of LGBT Americans should exceed 10% in the near future.”
Read more: Gender Discrimination at Work: How to Find It & Deal with It
For LGBTQIA+ employees, what does workplace discrimination look like?
Smith tells InHerSight that LGBTQ individuals face higher rates of workplace discrimination compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. She cites a 2021 report by the Williams Institute that found nearly half of LGBTQ workers have experienced unfair treatment at some point in their careers.
“Discrimination takes several forms including, harassment, denial of promotions, unequal pay, and wrongful termination,” Smith explains. The Williams report finds that 45 percent of LGBTQ employees report hearing negative or anti-LGBTQ remarks. “Transgender individuals often face more severe discrimination, such as being forced to use incorrect facilities or having their gender identity disregarded,” says Smith.
Workplace discrimination can lead to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression among LGBTQ employees. The constant fear of being outed or harassed can create a hostile work environment, impacting employees’ overall mental health and job performance.
Read more: LGBTQ-Friendly Companies: 11 Key Contributors to Inclusive Cultures
Mental health concerns
It’s not just overt discrimination that’s harmful. The cumulative impact of microaggressions cannot be ignored either, Smith notes. These subtle, often unintentional discriminatory comments or behaviors can erode an individual’s self-esteem and sense of belonging over time. She sees the mental health outcomes in her practice, which include anxiety, depression, and even posttraumatic stress.
Read more: How to Create a Culture of Accountability in the Workplace
What about protection under the law?
There are legal protections in place. The most sweeping is the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2020 ruling that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Unfortunately, the Equality Act, a bill that would make gender identity and sexual orientation a protected class under Federal Civil Rights law, was never passed by the U.S. Senate.
Read more: Intersectionality: Defining the Term & How It Shows Up in the Workplace
The Human Rights Campaign actually declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ Americans in 2023 “following an unprecedented and dangerous spike in anti-LGBTQ+ legislative assaults sweeping state houses.” The nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization writes that “more than 75 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been signed into law this year alone, more than doubling last year’s number, which was previously the worst year on record.”
In the meantime, enforcement of legal protections that do exist is inconsistent. Exacerbating the problem is that many LGBTQ individuals are unaware of their rights, and may be hesitant to report problematic behavior for fear of retaliation.
Read more: A Quick Guide to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC): Everything You Need to Know
So what can people who identify as LGBTQIA+ do?
Know your rights. “Federal laws against sex and disability discrimination make it illegal to fire, refuse to hire, harass, or otherwise discriminate against you because of your gender identity, gender transition, sex assigned at birth, or transgender status,” writes the team at Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE). They cite “the landmark Supreme Court case Bostock v. Clayton County, decided on June 15, 2020, [which] clarified that federal law prohibits anti-transgender discrimination in employment.”
While federal law prohibits employment discrimination based on sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, some states, cities, and counties have passed additional protections. The Movement Advancement Project (MAP) is a great resource you can use to see what the employment nondiscrimination laws are in your area.
Read more: What Is an Equal Employment Opportunity Statement?
If you belong to a union, check whether the contract sets out LGBTQIA+-inclusive policies in its contracts. This is important “because the enforcement and interpretation of these laws (not to mention the laws themselves) are under serious, organized threat,” write Amy Livingston and Sarah Lazare at In These Times. “More protections are always better, including protections in a union contract.”
And if you work at a business with 15 or more employees, you can file charges against your employer with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC enforces the nation's federal employment nondiscrimination laws, issuing documents like Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace. This is useful if you’re experiencing or witnessing actions that you think are discriminatory, but you’re not sure. Under the section “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity,” you can read examples of behaviors deemed to be harassing conduct.
Read more: How to Hold Space for Your Coworkers (& Why You Should)
Take heart from success stories
Things are changing. In addition to the Bostock win, significant for LGBTQ+ workers, there have been other positive forward-facing changes.
For instance, in response to discrimination cases, corporate policy changes have taken place. About half of Fortune 500 companies now provide benefits for LGBTQ+ domestic partners, and nearly two-thirds offer trans-inclusive healthcare coverage, write Diana Ellsworth and fellow authors at McKinsey.
Corporate leadership itself is changing too. According to an Out Leadership report, “2023 saw a significant increase in Nasdaq companies that now have LGBTQ+ inclusive diversity board policies: A 1,556% increase.” Founder and CEO of Out Leadership, Todd G. Sears, notes that “today, 112 companies in the Fortune 500 include LGBTQ+ as a metric in their board diversity policies. From 2 [nine years ago] to 112 is great progress, but we still have 388 companies to go.” He reminds us: “What isn’t measured doesn’t count.”
Read more: Ask a Recruiter: How Do I Know if a Company Is Living Out Its Values?
There are individual court victories that can create legal precedents, too. North Carolina teacher of the year Lonnie Billard won his sex discrimination case against the school that wrongfully fired him after Billard announced his impending marriage (to a man) on social media. “U.S. District Judge Max Cogburn ruled…that Charlotte Catholic High School and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Charlotte violated Lonnie Billard’s federal protections against sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,” reported The Associated Press in 2021.
It’s good to know that President Joe Biden’s White House is a champion for LGBTQ+ people. As with C-suite officers, the nation’s leaders need to lead by example too. The Human Rights Campaign has a page following Biden’s pro-LGBTQ timeline, “from protecting people from discrimination to addressing the epidemic of violence against trans people to ensuring a safe future for LGBTQ+ youth.”
