Types of lgbt. LGBT movement

A couple of decades ago, the term LGBT was coined, which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender. The first three positions relate to a person's sexual orientation, the fourth - to his gender identity. The word "lesbian" comes from the name of the island of Lesbos, where the poet Sappho lived in ancient times. Since then, the name Lesbos has been a symbol of love between women. The word "gay" has two meanings: gay - "cheerful guy" and the abbreviation "good as you". Bisexual and transgender should be understood literally: a person with dual sexuality and a person changing gender (the latter is not entirely true; transgender people do not always change their physiological sex; they are often content with changing their image and documents).

Story

The term LGBT has existed since the consolidation of sexual and gender minorities into a single community. But the LGBT movement itself began earlier. It is generally considered to be the beginning of the Stonewall riot (June 1969), when gays for the first time in American history fought back against the police who carried out routine raids in clubs. The emancipation of the community continues to this day. This process is extremely difficult in states with a weakened economy and legal system, with a low level of education and a political regime close to totalitarian. In such countries, the authorities, in order to distract the population from economic and social problems, cultivate the image of an internal enemy, exploiting the age-old prejudices of people imposed by orthodox religions. The ideal “enemy” for ignorant people is LGBT, which means marginalization of the community and escalation of violence against its representatives.

Organizations

Every country has its own LGBT organization. There are several of them in Russia. There are also branches with a narrow purpose:

The Side-by-Side Film Festival has an educational mission;

The main function of the LGBT Christian Forum is to seek consensus between believing members of the community and orthodox church doctrine, which positions same-sex intimate relationships as a sin;

The organization "Coming Out" (Coming Out LGBT, which means openly recognizing one's orientation) provides members of the community with legal and psychological support.

Russian organizations:

- "LGBT Network" in St. Petersburg;

- "Rainbow Association" in Moscow;

- “Another View” in Komi;

Initiative groups in all major cities of Russia.

These organizations are multifunctional: their tasks include educational activities, support, and political struggle.

There is also an organization “Children-404”, focused on the psychological adaptation of homosexual teenagers, who were actually denied the right to exist by the legislation on information protection of minors.

The LGBT Network in St. Petersburg, the Rainbow Association in Moscow, etc. have an official LGBT website.

LGBT in the protest movement

There are many heterosexuals in the LGBT movement. In St. Petersburg there is the “Alliance of Heterosexuals for LGBT Equality,” consisting mainly of representatives of the majority. There are heterosexuals in the Moscow "Rainbow Association" and in groups in other cities. Russia is characterized by a general civic focus of LGBT activities, which means the movement is closely connected with the struggle against patriarchal gender chauvinism, as well as with other anti-fascist and democratic associations with both liberal and left-wing political platforms.

Even if someone does not know the decoding of LGBT, there are probably few people who do not at least approximately understand what this abbreviation means. In essence, this concept unites sexual minorities. Today, public opinion is divided into branches: some treat people with non-traditional sexual orientation normally or do not pay attention to them at all, while for others they cause nothing but anger. Therefore, for people who know what LGBT stands for, this concept evokes completely different emotions.

What is LGBT: transcript

LGBT is an acronym for four words. That is, the term consists of their first letters. LGBT is translated as follows:

• lesbians– women who prefer to create couples with representatives of the fairer sex;
• gays– men choosing a mate from the stronger sex;
• bisexuals– have sexual feelings towards members of the opposite and same sex;
• transgender people– identify themselves with the gender opposite to the one with which they were born.

Respectively,LGBThas the following translation from English: Lesbian, Gay,Bisexual,Transgender.

In a democratic state, every person has the right to their own opinion and self-expression. Previously, sexual minorities carefully hid their feelings and were embarrassed by them, but currently the situation has changed somewhat. More and more people are openly talking about their unconventional preferences. On the contrary, they even try to stand out from the crowd, literally shouting to the public that they are not like everyone else.

Origin of the acronym LGBT

The abbreviation LGBT arose at the end of the last century, or more precisely, in the 90s. Even earlier, there was the concept of LGB, which in the 80s meant the gay community. Then this term was not deciphered as it is now, and did not include several different sexual minorities.

On a note! Today among young people, LGBT is sometimes understood not only as people with a non-traditional sexual orientation, but also as all those who deviate from the sexual norm accepted in society.

The abbreviation LGBT has several modernized varieties:

• LGBTQ;
• LGBTQI;
• LGBTI;

In this case, each letter also denotes a certain type of sexual minority (intersex, asexual and other people with non-traditional behavior in terms of intimate relationships have been added).

What term should I use?

Currently, the concepts of LGBT or LGBT+ are often used. The latter includes all sexual minorities. It is quite difficult to identify them in more detail, because today dozens of similar movements are known. Difficulties also arise with the fact that new sexual minorities periodically appear.

LGBT symbols

Like many other communities, representatives of gay people have their own symbols:

• pink triangle- an ancient sign that appeared during the reign of Nazi Germany, it was at this time that mass casualties appeared among homosexuals;
• rainbow flag– is a sign of unity, beauty and diversity of society, symbolizes pride and openness;
• lambda- a symbol of future social changes, a thirst for equal rights of citizens.

Thus, each symbol calls for equalizing the rights of sexual minorities, legalizing their movements, and also demands equal treatment in society.

LGBT activists

As in any community, in the movement of sexual minorities there is always a leader who is entrusted with the main active work. It is the leaders who perform important tasks that are related to the prosperity of the community and its recognition at the legislative level. This is very important for participants in the movement, since social adaptation and the ability to feel equal to other members of society depend on the solution of such problems.

LGBT activists also organize various events: flash mobs, parades and others. Such movements are formed to attract public attention and meet the demands of sexual minorities, in particular, political protection.

Pros and cons of LGBT

Every person has the right not only to self-expression, but also to their own opinion. Therefore, no one can force people to treat representatives of sexual minorities with understanding if they do not feel it.

The following are in favor of same-sex couples:

1. Sexual orientation is usually innate, so same-sex marriage can hardly be called something unnatural.
2. Same-sex couples experience the same emotions as heterosexual couples, as psychologists confirm.
3. Experts in the field of psychology in the United States have made an unusual statement: same-sex couples raise children more correctly and better than opposite-sex couples.

Undoubtedly, there are also arguments against LGBT people:

1. With same-sex parents, the child feels uncomfortable, embarrassed by his family and is often the object of ridicule from other children.
2. The relationships of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are not well understood.
3. The creation of same-sex marriage destroys the usual norms and beliefs that relate to relationships between women and men.

Despite the emergence of a large number of communities with the participation of sexual minorities, as well as an increase in the number of people who are loyal to them, many still perceive representatives of gay people with hostility.

Even under pressure from the public, some of whose representatives do their best to oppose the activities of LGBT communities, their members continue to defend their rights.

Discrimination against the LGBT community

Harassment for sexual minorities occurs from all sides and in different walks of life. They are often fired from their jobs as soon as their preferences are known. They try to exclude gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender students from the educational institution under any pretext.

Some states have laws prohibiting the dissemination of information about such people.

Examples of discrimination against LGBT people:

• gays and trans people are denied medical care in public hospitals;
• representatives of non-traditional sexual orientation usually have problems in educational institutions and at work (relationships with colleagues and classmates do not work out);
• there are many known cases of attacks and beatings of people from the LGBT community;
• it is not possible to officially register a same-sex marriage;
• The personal life of representatives of sexual minorities is often the subject of gossip and discussion.

Video

To be “in touch” with modern concepts and jargons, you need to become more familiar with their decodings: in particular, you should know what the word LGBT means. More on this in the next videos.

News and society

What does LGBT stand for? LGBT communities. What is LGBT?

Nowadays, every person can defend their rights. To do this, he only needs to join a community of interests (as one of the options) or common views on different things. There are many associations of people who strive to improve their lives or... prove a point. Communities of this type direct their activities to achieve certain results, goals, or to combat emerging problems.

Beyond specific communities, there is the concept of “movement.” It also consists of different groups of people who share common views on life or certain things. They strive to prove their point of view to the world and want to be heard. Among such groups are LGBT. Who it is, or rather what it is, is not known to everyone. So let's try to figure it out.

What is LGBT?

One thing is clear - this is an abbreviation. Among tens of thousands of different communities, there are many whose names consist of only a few letters. But what do they mean? For example, many are interested in what LGBT stands for. In simple words, this is a group of people united by their views and principles of life. They are often called gay communities. They include representatives of various communities, communication groups, movements, neighborhoods and organizations.

But why LGBT? The decoding is simple: a community of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people. All people who consider themselves to be part of this formation are united by common problems, interests and goals. In any case, LGBT representatives consider themselves full members of society, which they try to prove to others, since many do not recognize their views and way of life.

LGBT movement

In addition to the community of gays, lesbians and other representatives of sexual minorities, there is a special LGBT movement. It consists of the same people with non-traditional orientation, but they are actively involved in proving their rights and living as full-fledged individuals in today’s society.

The LGBT movement, whose acronym consists of the first letters of four words - lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, stands for equal rights of citizens, sexual freedom, tolerance, respect for human rights and, of course, the eradication of xenophobia and discrimination. In addition, the main goal of the participants is the integration of people with non-traditional orientation into society.

Community history

The history of the LGBT movement dates back to the Second World War. Yes, yes, oddly enough, but at a time when asking the question of how LGBT stood for was not only shameful, but even scary, a society of gay people already existed, and every day there were more and more supporters. People slowly gained courage and stopped being afraid of society's reaction to them.

In general, the history of society is divided into five long periods: pre-war, post-war, stonewall (gay liberation uprising), AIDS epidemic and modern. It was after the second stage of the formation of LGBT people that the ideology in society changed. The post-war period became the impetus for the formation of gay neighborhoods and bars.

Community symbols

The LGBT community is a formation that was formed by people who have the same views and interests, namely non-traditional orientation, which in our time is perceived in completely different ways. As the unusual organization developed, its own symbols appeared. These are special signs that have meaning and a unique origin. They help you navigate society and distinguish your like-minded people and supporters. Additionally, the symbolism demonstrates the pride and openness of the community. It is quite clear that it plays a special role for every gay person.

Signs that symbolize the LGBT community are the rainbow flag and the pink triangle. Of course, these are not all designations, but they are the most common.

Previously, during the Second World War, non-traditional orientation was considered a big crime, for which the government punished, a person was prosecuted by law. Homosexuals were forced to hide. The LGBT community as a public organization was founded by the US government in 1960, after which the lives of all sexual minorities have significantly improved.

Equality for sexual minorities!

"LGBT - what is it?" - many people ask, and after learning the decoding, they perceive such unions as something frivolous. In fact, the strength and agency of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community should not be underestimated. After all, it is thanks to him that all LGBT people can now enter into legal same-sex marriages, and no one has the right to condemn them for this.

Throughout the existence of the community, it tried to change legislation in favor of sexual minorities. After all, the main goal of LGBT people is to protect human rights and social adaptation. Let us note that this organization was once opposed by the anti-homosexual movement, which does not recognize LGBT people as equal members of society, or religion does not allow them to accept them.

In addition to the fact that sexual minorities fought for human rights, they all long dreamed of marrying each other. Previously this was unacceptable! In this regard, same-sex civil partnerships did not suit gays and lesbians; they needed official legitimation of relationships and a family. Even the possibility of adopting a child was not excluded. Ultimately, permission to enter into same-sex marriage was received by thousands of gay couples.

Right to Adoption

Not many people know what LGBT stands for, but that doesn't mean people shouldn't be interested in it. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgender people have fought and continue to defend their rights. And it’s not in vain. After all, after a lot of effort, they were finally allowed to enter into same-sex marriages. A little later, gay couples began to want to raise a child. Thus, another problem arose - adoption. LGBT people are seeking the right to have a child, and in some countries, members of sexual minorities can do this. The only problem is identifying the parent. Many social services do not understand how to register mom and dad as guardians when they are both female or male.

Activities of the LGBT community

It should be noted that LGBT (an abbreviation whose meaning is now clear to you) is successfully engaged in social activities. The community organizes various events, including original film festivals, competitions, concerts, sports competitions, photo exhibitions and flash mobs, theatrical performances, etc. The purpose of these events is the adaptation of people with non-traditional orientation. A special feature of the event is its educational nature. It should be noted that LGBT people publish magazines, books, and also appear on television and radio. Community representatives provide amazing psychological, legal, medical and other types of support and assistance to their like-minded people.

Cancellation of bans on professions

Now you know what LGBT is. Note that this formation is often mentioned in connection with social activities. Surprisingly, there were times when gay people were prohibited from working in certain positions. For example, they could not serve in the army, be a teacher or a doctor. Today, most of these prohibitions have been lifted, and all this has been achieved by a community created by representatives of sexual minorities. Of course, what LGBT stands for is known only to those people who are interested in this issue. In other cases, they prefer to remain silent about such formations.

Lifting bans on donation

When asking the question of what LGBT is, a person with a traditional orientation wants to receive a normal, satisfying answer. But not everyone “likes” reality and the whole truth contained in deciphering this concept. Thus, there were times when lesbians and gays were prohibited from becoming donors. Their blood was considered “dirty”, unworthy of an ordinary person. It is quite natural that sexual minorities were extremely offended by this attitude, and they began to fight injustice. However, today there are still countries that continue to prohibit homosexuals from donating blood and organs.

So, we looked at what LGBT is. Who they are and what goals they are pursuing have also been clarified. The main task of this community today is to eradicate negative attitudes towards people who are different from the majority.

To begin with, a small remark. Writing about sensitive topics in some sense is always not easy; it is easy to stumble upon negative comments and harsh criticism. I always warn on the first lines of my articles: this is only my opinion and experience. And I, as a rule, look at life from a very positive side!

It’s easy to talk about what the Statue of Liberty looks like from the ferry, or how you feel when you first find yourself in Times Square. Finding the right words to tell a story about a huge group of people is not an easy task.

I have a large number of straight friends, as well as gays and lesbians; after moving to the USA, even several transgender people appeared. They live completely different lives, have different attitudes towards family life, and eat different cuisines. Some of them are single, some have been in a couple for more than 5 years, some live in my hometown, and some I only see on Skype. One thing unites them - they are all incredible people!

All people are terribly similar: two legs, two arms, almost everyone has a head on their shoulders. There are good ones and there are bad ones, these concepts were also invented by people themselves, and which of them belongs to which group is still a question. Most of all in our life I hate the word “stereotype” or “script”. The life of a good boy or girl must necessarily develop according to the classic/stereotypical scenario, and if deviations are observed, then the boy or girl quickly goes from good to bad, sometimes without knowing it.

I will never understand why in Russian society, if you are gay, you automatically fall into the category of bad people, you lose part of your close circle, you can be fired from your job or severely beaten.

In the life of the LGBT community, there is the concept of coming out - this is the process of voluntarily recognizing one’s sexual orientation and belonging to the LGBT community, which can be literally translated as “coming out of the closet.” Why many gays and lesbians live “in the closet” and what happens if they come out of it is an old topic, but, in my opinion, very relevant.

In itself, dividing people into social groups seems like a good and reasonable idea. This makes it easier to find like-minded people and find answers to life’s questions among “your own.” The other side of the coin is the acceptance of these groups by society.

I long ago determined for myself that it is high time to “come out of the closet” not for those who consider themselves to be part of the LGBT community, but for all those who do not accept this community to one degree or another. Over the past fifteen years, the world around us has changed a lot, has stepped forward in many ways, and falling behind is not the best option.

Many large organizations have long hung the LGBT Friendly flag on their buildings and websites; a huge number of people are tolerant of various social groups that seem different from them. They are doing a great job, supporting as best they can those who have already had a hard time.

How is life different for people belonging to the LGBT community, besides choosing a sexual partner? If you want to be honest, nothing.

Over a cup of coffee with a dozen of my straight friends, I compiled a list of questions that were asked most often. Some seemed funny and life-like to me.

Family orders

Everyone plays a role in life: in childhood we are sweet daughters and beloved sons, now someone plays the role of a mother or a newly-made husband. What role are you now responsible for? Does the role of your husband change to that of your wife if he, for example, prepares dinner or performs part of your (socially accepted) duties? Hardly. The picture of the family world of homosexual couples is identical, the actors are the same. Without agreeing, one partner is responsible for the comfort in the house, and the second for calm and protection.

My colleague suggested that people from the “same planet” understand each other more easily and better. This is probably true. But, having observed the couples, I was seriously surprised how the temperament and attitude of the opposite sex are sometimes clearly expressed in a girl or a man. Completely harmonious, by the way.

Children

Straight people are very lucky, gays and lesbians have it not so easy. Sperm banks and adopted children come into play.

At some point, many of us want and are ready to devote ourselves to children, homosexual couples are no exception, I know two lesbian couples with children. Their kids are no different from their peers whose parents are straight. They are social, healthy mentally and physically, they have exactly the same amount of warmth and love as in ordinary children.

Just like in classic couples, there are those who do not (yet) think about children.

Loyalty

As one of my acquaintances told me: “there is a myth among straight people that gays and lesbians maintain only open relationships and often change sexual partners.” The fundamental word here is myth.

In my close circle there are 5 married couples, 3 of which are homosexual and have been living in a civil marriage for more than 5, or even 8 years. These families deserve respect; their relationships will be the envy of many straight newlyweds.

In some way, they fought for their love.

Sex

The attitude towards sex does not depend on the choice of a partner - isn’t this obvious?

I was sincerely surprised by the opinion that sex for the LGBT community means absolutely nothing. If you prefer, for example, running to swimming, does this affect your life beliefs and, even more so, your attitude towards sex?

The LGBT community, like the whole world, includes completely different people, and many of them have developed quite strict beliefs about the family and sexual side of life.

The hardest thing

Unfortunately, in Russia society not only does not accept LGBT people. This group is ostracized and humiliated. The state is against gays and lesbians.

And some of those gays, whose happiness was once destroyed by the attitude of loved ones or groups of homophobes, cannot stand it mentally.

If you tell a person every day that he is a fool, he will become one. If every day they tell you that you are a disgrace to your family and you need to be treated, you will hate everything around you and at least once you will say: “Why am I not like everyone else?”

Many of us know how painful it is for us to lose loved ones, how difficult it is to restore a broken heart. But few straight couples and singles know what it's like to live someone else's life.

It’s also difficult for those surrounded by happy, straight couples who subtly hint: it’s time for you to get married. And you, willy-nilly, look for a partner of the opposite sex, remaining unhappy, often living someone else’s life.

Choice

Why did you become gay is, in my opinion, the stupidest question 🙂 Why were you born a boy? 🙂

I don't know the true answer. The only thing I am sure of is that this is not a disease, as they thought in Soviet times.

My personal opinion is that every person in adolescence makes his own choice, falls in love or feels interested in someone. And this choice is laid down from birth. Blaming the fact that a child is homosexual, a bad father or an unfortunate environment, in my opinion, is the wrong decision. I've heard many stories, and they are all different. And if you are gay or lesbian or transgender, this does not always mean that your family was not happy enough.

Another interesting assumption, as my friend says. We are all straight until the moment X. This phrase suggests that everyone is bisexual by nature. Perhaps I will agree with this :)

Appearance

As it turns out, there is a certain well-established opinion that if a family consists of two girls, then one of them should look and dress like a man, or almost. I don’t know if this myth applies to male couples.

Undoubtedly, taking on a certain role in the family, the partner may look more reserved and casual. Or vice versa - feminine and romantic. But we should not forget that this is still the love of two women or men in their classical presentation.

I once had a chance to attend a gay parade in London. Any girl would bite her elbows at the sight of those gays and would envy the chic appearance of the girls performing in the lesbian group.

Russia/America

No one here will be surprised by a same-sex family. I was lucky enough to attend Christmas dinner with the landlady of my apartment in New York. You should have seen my eyes when, passing through the room, she introduced me to her brothers and sisters, at the same time introducing me to my sisters' wives and brothers' boyfriends. This country is fundamentally different in its attitude towards minorities when compared with Russia.

Gay friends explained it to me this way: this is freedom of action, basic safety, openness and goodwill of people. Here the LGBT community has equal rights with everyone. All my life I will be surprised and upset that somewhere some people are respected, while others are beaten with sticks.

MARRIAGE

In Russia, homosexual couples can only exist within their own home; they do not have the right to legalize their relationship. It would seem that there is no big problem. But everyone forgets about emergencies, when your loved one suddenly ends up in the hospital, or something else happens. At this moment you are nobody, you have no right to get into his room or be responsible for him. Official MARRIAGE gives many privileges and rights in such situations.

In America, LGBT people can register their MARRIAGE by standing in line with other couples.

Help

This block is for those who worry about their children and don’t understand them, but really want to. For those who are afraid to open up to their loved ones and talk about belonging to the LGBT community.

There are secret LGBT support groups in every city in Russia; they are not so difficult to find. I was at such a meeting once. There you can meet completely different people, the only thing that unites them is that they want to support their loved ones or need help themselves. No one will judge you, you will hear many personal stories and many lived moments. And you will never be alone!

Intersex people also have to fight for acceptance. Photo: depositphotos

The abbreviation LGBT in connection with the Orlando gay club has been actively used in the press over the past few days, but few people know that there is also an abbreviation with an “i” at the end - LGBTI. It stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex.

Approximately one in every 2,000 people is born with abnormal reproductive/sexual anatomy or a chromosome pattern that is not completely male or female. Such a person is called intersex because he can feel like both a man and a woman.

In many parts of the world, intersex people reportedly struggle for recognition, equality and human rights, just like lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people.

Although intersex people are not as rare (almost the same frequency as red-haired people), their condition is not obvious to others, and they themselves sometimes do not realize that they are intersex until puberty.

Because intersex people are born with unique biological characteristics, they cannot be identified with transgender people—people who perceive their original gender identity as foreign.

The paradox is that many intersex people undergo surgery and hormone therapy against their will, while transgender people often unsuccessfully achieve the same for themselves.

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