LGBTQ+ Identities Explained: Terms, Meanings and Glossary

LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning, with the plus sign covering identities not named in the acronym. The first three describe sexual orientation — who a person is attracted to. Transgender describes gender identity — who a person is. Keeping those two apart is the single most useful thing to understand, because almost every common misconception comes from collapsing them together.

Sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression

These are three separate things, and a person’s position on one says nothing about the others.

• Sexual orientation — who you are drawn to romantically or sexually. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual.
• Gender identity — your internal sense of your own gender. Man, woman, nonbinary, agender, genderfluid. Transgender describes anyone whose gender identity differs from the sex recorded at birth; cisgender describes anyone whose does not.
• Gender expression — how you present outwardly through clothing, voice, grooming and behaviour. Expression does not reliably indicate either identity or orientation.

This is why a trans man can be gay, straight or bisexual: his gender identity and his orientation are independent facts about him.

What each letter means

• L – Lesbian: a woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women.
• G – Gay: usually a man attracted to other men, though some women and nonbinary people use it too.
• B – Bisexual: a person attracted to more than one gender.
• T – Transgender: a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
• Q – Queer or Questioning: queer is a reclaimed umbrella term for non-heterosexual or non-cisgender identity, though not everyone is comfortable with it given its history as a slur. Questioning describes someone still working it out.

What the “+” covers

The plus sign stands in for everything the five letters leave out, including asexual and aromantic people, pansexual people, intersex people, nonbinary and genderqueer people, and Two-Spirit people. You will also see longer forms such as LGBTQIA+ that name some of these explicitly.

If you are questioning and want a structured, private starting point, our free LGBTQ+ test covers both orientation and gender identity in one short self-reflection tool.

LGBTQ+ glossary of terms

Listed alphabetically. Language in this area changes, and individual preference always outranks any glossary — if someone tells you which words they use for themselves, that is the answer.

• AFAB / AMAB — assigned female at birth, assigned male at birth. Neutral shorthand for the sex recorded on a birth certificate.
• Agender — identifying with no gender, or with the absence of gender.
• Ally — someone outside the community who actively supports LGBTQ+ people’s rights and dignity.
• Androgynous — a gender expression blending or balancing masculine and feminine characteristics.
• Aromantic — experiencing little or no romantic attraction. Aromantic people may still form deep, lasting bonds.
• Asexual (ace) — experiencing little or no sexual attraction. It is a spectrum, and many asexual people do experience romantic attraction.
• Bigender — identifying with two genders, simultaneously or alternately.
• Biphobia — prejudice against bisexual people, which occurs inside LGBTQ+ spaces as well as outside them.
• Butch — a masculine gender expression or identity, used particularly within lesbian and queer communities.
• Cisgender — having a gender identity matching the sex assigned at birth.
• Coming out — choosing to share your identity with others. It is not a single event, and it happens on the person’s own terms and timing.
• Deadnaming — using a trans person’s pre-transition name. It causes real harm and should be avoided even when referring to the past.
• Demisexual — experiencing sexual attraction only after forming a strong emotional bond.
• Femme — a feminine gender expression or identity, particularly within lesbian and queer communities.
• Gender — a person’s internal sense of being male, female, both, neither or something else. Distinct from biological sex.
• Gender dysphoria — distress arising from a mismatch between gender identity and assigned sex. It is a clinical diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR; being transgender is not itself a mental disorder.
• Gender expression — the outward presentation of gender through appearance, dress, voice and behaviour.
• Genderfluid — a gender identity that shifts over time.
• Gender nonconforming — not conforming to conventional expectations for one’s gender. Describes expression, not necessarily identity.
• Genderqueer — a gender identity outside conventional categories; often used interchangeably with nonbinary, though not by everyone.
• Heteronormativity — the assumption that being heterosexual and cisgender is the default.
• Intersex — born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical binary definitions of male or female. Intersex concerns biology; it is not a gender identity or an orientation.
• Nonbinary — a gender identity that is not exclusively male or female.
• Outing — revealing someone’s LGBTQ+ identity without their consent. Unlike coming out, it is not the person’s choice, and it can put them at risk.
• Pansexual — attraction to people regardless of gender.
• Queer — a broad reclaimed umbrella term. Widely embraced, but still experienced as a slur by some, particularly older people.
• Trans man / trans woman — a man assigned female at birth; a woman assigned male at birth. Note the space: “trans” is an adjective.
• Transition — the process of living in alignment with one’s gender. It may be social, legal, medical, or any combination, and no particular step is required to be valid.
• Two-Spirit — an umbrella term used by some Indigenous North American peoples for gender and sexual identities specific to their cultures. It is culturally particular and not used by people outside those communities.

Common misconceptions

Myth: sexual orientation and gender identity are the same thing.
They are separate. Orientation is who you are attracted to; identity is who you are. A trans person can hold any orientation.

Myth: being LGBTQ+ is a phase.
These identities are stable and real. Some people’s understanding of themselves develops over time, which is not the same as the identity being temporary.

Myth: being LGBTQ+ is a mental illness.
It is not. Homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual in 1973. Gender dysphoria — the distress that can accompany a mismatch between identity and assigned sex — is a diagnosis; being transgender is not.

Myth: bisexual people are “really” gay or straight.
Bisexuality is a stable orientation in its own right, not a transitional stage or a form of indecision.

LGBTQ+ identity and mental health

LGBTQ+ people report higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts than their heterosexual and cisgender peers, and the disparity is largest for transgender and nonbinary people, particularly young people.

The research explanation for this is the minority stress model: the difference is driven by the chronic burden of stigma, discrimination, rejection, concealment and the anticipation of hostility — not by LGBTQ+ identity itself. This distinction is not a technicality. It means the risk factors are social and modifiable, and it is why family acceptance, affirming environments and access to supportive community are repeatedly found to be protective.

If you are struggling, that struggle is a reasonable response to a hostile environment rather than evidence that something is wrong with who you are — and it is still worth getting support for.

Why pronouns and language matter

• Use the pronouns a person tells you they use. If you do not know, “they” is a safe default until you do.
• Asking is fine, and better than guessing: “What pronouns do you use?” Offering your own first makes it easier.
• If you get it wrong, correct yourself briefly and move on. A drawn-out apology puts the other person in the position of reassuring you.
• Do not out someone. Knowing a person’s identity does not give you permission to share it.

How to be a better ally

• Listen more than you explain, and accept correction without defensiveness.
• Speak up when someone else is not in the room — that is where most prejudice operates.
• Do not make assumptions about anyone’s identity, partner or pronouns.
• Support LGBTQ+ organisations and inclusive spaces materially, not only verbally.
• Keep learning. Terminology shifts, and getting it wrong occasionally is not a reason to stop trying.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity?

Sexual orientation is who you are attracted to. Gender identity is your own internal sense of your gender. They are independent: a transgender person may be straight, gay, bisexual, asexual or anything else.

Are bisexual and pansexual the same thing?

They overlap but are not identical. Bisexual means attracted to more than one gender. Pansexual means attracted to people regardless of gender. Some people use both; which word someone chooses is personal.

Is being nonbinary a new idea?

No. The English term is relatively recent, but gender categories beyond male and female have been recognised across many cultures and long periods of history. What is new is the vocabulary, not the existence of the people.

Can someone be both transgender and gay, lesbian or bisexual?

Yes. Gender identity and sexual orientation are separate. A trans man attracted to men is a gay man; a trans woman attracted to women is a lesbian.

What does questioning mean?

That someone is still exploring their orientation or gender identity. It is a legitimate position to occupy for as long as needed, and it does not have to resolve into a fixed label.

Is being LGBTQ+ a mental health condition?

No. Homosexuality was removed from the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual in 1973, and being transgender is not classified as a mental disorder. Gender dysphoria — the distress that can arise from a mismatch between identity and assigned sex — is a diagnosis, and it describes distress rather than identity.

Explore your identity

• LGBTQ+ test — orientation and gender identity in one self-reflection tool.
• Kinsey scale test — where you fall on the orientation spectrum.
• Asexuality spectrum test
• Bisexual quiz · Pansexual quiz
• Gay test · Lesbian test · Am I straight?
• Gender dysphoria test
• Coming out readiness test
• Safest countries for LGBTQ travellers

Support and further reading

• The Trevor Project — crisis support and resources for LGBTQ+ young people.
• Human Rights Campaign glossary
• PFLAG — support for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
• The Center — community resources.