LGBTQ+

 TO DESCRIBES THE ROLE OF LGTBQ+

WHAT IS LGBTQIA+?

LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more. These terms are used to describe a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. See below for a more detailed definition of each term, from .

LESBIAN
GAY
BISEXUAL
TRANSGENDER
QUEER
QUESTIONING
INTERSEX
ASEXUAL
+PLUS

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

LESBIAN 

A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay or as gay women.

GAY 

The adjective describes people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex. Sometimes lesbian is the preferred term for women.

BISEXUAL 

A person who can form enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or more than one gender. People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual.

TRANSGENDER 

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. People under the transgender umbrella may describe themselves using one or more of a wide variety of terms— including transgender or nonbinary. Some transgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to bring their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. Some undergo surgery as well. But not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon physical appearance or medical procedures.

QUEER        

An adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual or straight. This umbrella term includes people who have nonbinary, gender-fluid, or gender nonconforming identities. Once considered a pejorative term, queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQIA+ people to describe themselves; however, it is not a universally accepted term even within the LGBTQIA+ community.

QUESTIONING

Sometimes, when the Q is seen at the end of LGBT, it can also mean questioning. This term describes someone who is questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.

INTERSEX 

An adjective used to describe a person with one or more innate sex characteristics, including genitals, internal reproductive organs, and chromosomes, that fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies. Do not confuse having an intersex trait with being transgender. Intersex people are assigned a sex at birth — either male or female — and that decision by medical providers and parents may not match the gender identity of the child. Not all intersex folks identify as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community.

ASEXUAL  

The adjective describes a person who does not experience sexual attraction. Sometimes shortened to “ace,” it is an umbrella term that can also include people who are demisexual, meaning they do experience some sexual attraction; graysexual, meaning those who may not fit the strictest definition of the word asexual; and aromantic, meaning they experience little to no romantic attraction and/or has little to no desire to form romantic relationships.

NONBINARY 

The adjective describes a person whose gender is not male or female and uses many different terms to describe themselves. Other terms include genderqueer, agender, bigender, genderfluid, and more. None of these terms mean exactly the same thing – but all speak to an experience of gender that is not simply male or female.

+ PLUS 

The ‘plus’ is used to signify all of the gender identities and sexual orientations that letters and words cannot yet fully describe.

 

Find more LGBTQ+ information and resources by visiting our resource center or by giving us a call at 212.620.7310.

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CONNECT WITH THE CENTERX Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons in the world of work: A learning guide Copyright © International Labour Organization 2022 First published 2022 Publications of the International Labour Office enjoy copyright under Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. Nevertheless, short excerpts from them may be reproduced without authorization, on condition that the source is indicated. For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to ILO Publishing (Rights and Licensing), International Labour Office, CH-1211 Geneva 22, Switzerland, or by email: rights@ilo.org. The International Labour Office welcomes such applications. Libraries, institutions and other users registered with a reproduction rights organization may make copies in accordance with the licences issued to them for this purpose. Visit www.ifrro.org to find the reproduction rights organization in your country. Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons in the world of work: A learning guide ISBN: 978-92-2-036726-1 (print); 978-92-2-036727-8 (PDF) Also available in French: Inclusion des personnes lesbiennes, gays, bisexuelles, transgenres, intersexes et queers (LGBTIQ+) dans le monde du travail - Guide d’apprentissage, ISBN: 9789220371497 (print); 9789220371503 (PDF) and Spanish: Inclusión de las personas lesbianas, gays, bisexuales, transgénero, intersexuales y queer (LGBTIQ+) en el mundo del trabajo: una guía de aprendizaje, ISBN: 9789220371510 (print); 9789220371527 (PDF) The designations employed in ILO publications, which are in conformity with United Nations practice, and the presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the International Labour Office concerning the legal status of any country, area or territory or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers. The responsibility for opinions expressed in signed articles, studies and other contributions rests solely with their authors, and publication does not constitute an endorsement by the International Labour Office of the opinions expressed in them. Reference to names of firms and commercial products and processes does not imply their endorsement by the International Labour Office, and any failure to mention a particular firm, commercial product or process is not a sign of disapproval. Information on ILO publications and digital products can be found at: www.ilo.org/publns. Printed in Switzerland X Inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) persons in the world of work: A learning guide LGBTIQ+ acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer. The plus sign represents people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics who identify using other terms. GAY men whose enduring romantic, emotional and/or physical attraction is to men; also, women who are attracted to other women. QUEER traditionally a negative term, it has been reclaimed by some people and is considered inclusive of a wide range of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions. It may be used as an umbrella term for people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), or as an alternative to the phrase “people with diverse SOGIESC” or the acronym LGBT. Queer is used by many people who feel they do not conform to a given society’s economic, social and political norms based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. INTERSEX people born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical definitions of male and female bodies. Intersex is an umbrella term used to describe a wide range of natural bodily variations. There are more than 40 intersex variations; experts estimate between 0.5 per cent and 1.7 per cent of the population is born with intersex traits. BISEXUAL person who has the capacity for romantic, emotional and/or physical attraction to people of more than one gender. TRANS/TRANSGENDER terms used by some people whose gender identity differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans, transgender and non-binary are umbrella terms representing a variety of words that describe an internal sense of gender that differs from the sex assigned at birth and/or the gender attributed to the individual by society, whether that individual identifies as a man, a woman, or in transition, simply “trans” or “transgender”, with another gender or with no gender.