An Umbrella Term To Unite All LGBTQIAP+

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Life would be great without labels but here we are.

I have probably said several times that I hate labels. And I do. But even though I wish for a day when labels are meaningless, that day will take a while to come.

My suggestion? Let’s make labels work right.

Why we need an umbrella term

  1. Our community has been struggling with inclusion since the first of us came to light. More inclusive terminology is a great step forward.
  2. We need a term that can’t be used while excluding some of us. We cannot allow individuals like TERFs spreading hate among us.
  3. A single uniting term will expand our community to
    include all those who do not identify as L, G, B, T (or the ever-expanding list of terms including Queer, Pansexual, Intersex, Asexual etc). We need to connect the dots and draw lines with all gender and sexuality minorities. We owe it to them but we owe it to ourselves first. Focusing on our differences will only lead us backward. Together we are stronger. Let’s not give in to our innate sense of not-fitting-in; it will only tear us apart.

Some of your opinions

I’m mostly ok with Queer being a catch-all term. However, I think it’s important that people still understand what part they represent. Considering power and privilege within a society, a gay, white, masculine tall male will have a completely different experience than someone who is trans person of color… so much so that I have a hard time even considering them under the same category. — Derrick Dark

Queer works for me (having studied the term.) But I know that there are people who find it TOO offensive and hurtful and aren’t at the point yet where they can take control of the word. — @kenmooney

Unfortunately, queer has traumatic implications for some LGBTQ+ folks and they don’t want it to be applied to them. I think we could come up with a blanket term, but it’d be quite difficult. — Patrick Gabbett @NightinGem

There will always be outliers/dissenters, but I’m okay with the term queer and I sense that the majority of LGBTQ+ generally agree. I think it could be the best hope we have for an umbrella term (if there’s any hope at all). Many in our community bristle at using a historically derogatory term to identify themselves, and many feel awkward about having their sexual orientation lumped in with self-gender identification, but c’est la vie. One question — would the queer community/leaders/publicists publicly start requesting that non-queer people call us queer instead of L,G,B,T? I don’t know how comfortable I am with straight people using the word queer ubiquitously. — Kevin Eslinger

I like queer as an inclusive word for anyone outside the mainstream but I also like thinking it’s okay that we don’t have one word that covers us all. Labels include while simultaneously exclude — Anonymous

GSM (Gender and Sexuality Minority) — Anonymous

Likely the word “queer” is or would have been the best term. However, I solely identify as gay and do not identify with the blanket ‘LGBTQ+’ term given that it lumps together all groups and subcultures — with the only common denominator being that they are not cis heterosexual. This is both silly and illogical because it generates a false appearance of “community” where none exists. It is difficult enough on getting gays and lesbians to join forces, let alone gays and every other sub-category on that spectrum. It may be more helpful to avoid labels and focus on the problematics as purely cultural, social and legal nuts to be cracked. Nuts, there I said it. — Anonymous

Queer is a word I see as ‘different’ and none of us are the norm. A term like this is steeped in history and probably has some negative connotations but is something that in my opinion could be enbraced and used to unite all sides who are ‘not the norm’ — Anonymous

See the list with all the answers

(My) suggestion for the term*

GSM, Gender & Sexuality Minority

*I had no idea or solution to a more inclusive terminology but it came from an anonymous reader. I researched about and thought it could work.

This blog has no specific agenda. I choose questions related to that I want to hear your opinions about. I write lightheartedly and don’t claim to know the truth.