Meaning & use
LGBTQ
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a noun
Relating to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer.
Grammar: Used before a noun: LGBTQ rights, an LGBTQ student group. It is not used as a countable noun.
Patterns
- LGBTQ people
- the LGBTQ community
- LGBTQ rights
The city holds an LGBTQ pride parade every June.
She joined an LGBTQ support group at her university.
The company updated its policy to protect LGBTQ employees.
Common combinations
- the LGBTQ community
- Local businesses donated money to the LGBTQ community center.
- LGBTQ rights
- The court case became a landmark for LGBTQ rights.
- LGBTQ youth
- The shelter offers free counseling to LGBTQ youth.
- LGBTQ pride
- Flags filled the street during LGBTQ pride month.
Synonyms and how they differ
- LGBT
- The shorter form leaves out queer; both are common, but LGBTQ is often preferred today as more inclusive.
- queer
- A broad term some people use for themselves, but it can be offensive when used by outsiders, so avoid it unless you know the person uses it.
Word family
- LGBT abbreviation
- The shorter initialism without the Q.
- LGBTQIA abbreviation
- A longer, more inclusive initialism adding intersex and asexual.
Commonly confused: LGBTQ or gay?
LGBTQ vs gay
Gay refers specifically to attraction to the same sex, while LGBTQ is an umbrella term covering many identities.
Practice
Which sentence uses LGBTQ correctly?
Choose one answer.
LGBTQ works as an adjective before a noun, as in 'an LGBTQ youth group'. The other options wrongly treat it as a countable noun, which is not standard.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “LGBTQ”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.