What Is LGBTQ: Causes & Tests of LGBTQIA

What is LGBTQ?

LGBTQ is an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. It is a broad term used for those people whose gender identity or sexual orientation is not cisgender and heterosexual.  

• Lesbian refers to a woman who loves and attract to other women.
• Gay refers to a man who likes, loves and attracts other men.
• Bisexual refers to someone who likes, loves and interests in both women and men.
• Transgender refers to those whose gender identity does not match the sex of a man or woman at birth.
• Queer is an umbrella term used for people who do not identify as cisgender. It is used for the LGBTQ community.

Initially, LGBTQ had faced lots of problems due to violence and discrimination, but they fought for their rights, acceptance and equality. In the present world, there is a strong community of LGBTQ in each country.

 In 2105, the supreme court of the USA passed a law of same-sex marriage in the right of the LGBTQ community. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ are protected from discrimination, violence under federal law. These are just two examples of progress that have been made for the rights of LGBTQ community.

But instead of Supreme Court law, still, LGBTQ people are suffering from discrimination in employment, healthcare, housing, schools and functions. There is a need for tireless hard work to provide justice and equality to LGBTQ people.  

It is very crucial to be united with LGBTQ community and fight for their rights because in this world any person deserves respect irrespective of their sexual orientation, cost and religion. You can do this by:

• Getting knowledge about LGBTQ people and their history.
• Helping LGBTQ businesses and organizations.
• Stand for the rights of the LGBTQ community
• Use inclusive pronouns for LGBTQ people
• Provide a safe space for LGBTQ community.

What does LGBTQIA stand for?

LGBTQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. It is a general term used for people whose sexual orientation or gender identity is not cisgender.

The term intersex is used for those people whose sex characteristics don’t fit the typical definition of female and male. They are born with gonads that are not female or male.

 The asexual term is used for those people who do not experience sexual attraction to anyone. They have romantic feelings but they are not interested to have sex with men and women.

LGBTQ month

All over the world, LGBTQ communities celebrate the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan, New York City and the fight for LGBTQ rights.

In 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn (a gay bar in Greenwich Village). At that time the raid of police was common. But at this time the patrons of Stonewall Inn started fighting against police for the rights of LGBTQ people. The riots continued for six days and marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States.

The Stonewall Inn riots inspired other LGBTQ+ people and they started fighting for their rights and equality which led to major changes in the USA.

There are innumerable ways to celebrate pride month. You can attend the festive, pride parade, or donate to LGBTQ+ organizations or simply wear the green colors rainbow in support of LGBTQ+ people.

LGBTQ tests

On the internet lots of different LGBTQ tests are available through which you can determine your gender identity. These tests are important for those who are questioning their gender identity or sexuality.

Remember the results of these tests are not definitive because you can only know your true gender identity and sexual orientation.

The common and most popular LGBTQ tests include:

The Kinsey Scale

The Kinsey scale was developed by Alfred Kinsey in the 1940s. This scale measures sexual orientation on a scale of 0-6.

• 0 =  would be exclusively heterosexual
• 1 = would be mostly heterosexual
• 2 =  would be predominantly heterosexual and incidentally homosexual
• 3 = would be equally heterosexual and homosexual
• 4 = would be predominantly homosexual and incidentally heterosexual
• 5 = would be mostly homosexual
• 6 = would be exclusively homosexual  

The Klein Sexual Orientation Grid (KSOG)

This test was developed by Fritz Klein in 1985. It is a more accurate and detailed test than the Kinsey scale.

The KSOG has 7 axes, each of which is rated on a scale of 1-7.

These axes include:

• Present Sexual Orientation: What is your current sexual orientation?
• Past Sexual Orientation: what was your past sexual orientation?
• Present Sexual Behavior: How do you usually engage in sexual activity with people of the same sex?
• Past Sexual Behavior: How was your past sexual engagement with people of the same sex?
• Present Romantic Attraction: Do you have a romantic attraction to people of the same sex?
• Past Romantic Attraction: Were you in the past romantically attracted to people of the same sex?
• Sexual Identity: How do you identify your sexual orientation?

The Genderbread Person

This is a simple visual tool that helps people to know various aspects of gender identity. The Genderbread person is a six-pointed figure scale and each point represents a different aspect of gender.

 These points are:

• Gender identity
• Gender expression
• Gender role
• Sexual orientation
• Romantic orientation
• Sex assigned during birth

The PFLAG Gender Identity Questionnaire

The PFLAG Gender Identity Questionnaire is a simple tool that is designed for parents and guardians of transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. This tool helps the parents and guardians to know the gender identity of their child.

It is just 20 questions survey that covers a range of topics such as:

• Gender identity and expression
• History of gender
• Child social and emotional well being
• Parents’ or guardians’ own thinking about gender identity

Keep these additional tips in your mind for taking an LGBTQ test:

• When you are attending the LGBTQ test then be honest with yourself about your gender identity and sexual orientation.
• There is no need to finish the test in a short time. Just take your time and think about each question deeply.
• When you don’t understand any question then ask someone. Don’t feel shy to ask questions from experts, trusted adults, or mental healthcare providers.

Note: these tests are just made to help you understand your gender identity and sexual orientation but the results of these tests are not 100% true. Only you can know your true gender identity and sexual orientation.

What are the causes of LGBTQ?

The exact causes of LGBTQ are not yet fully understood, but lots of factors may play a key role. Some of the common factors include:

Genetics

There is a lot of evidence that tells that genetic makeup plays an important role in gender identity and sexual orientation. For instance, studies found that identical twins are more likely to share the same sexual orientation than fraternal twins.  

Hormones

It also plays an important role in gender identity and sexual orientation. For example, recent studies have found that a baby is born gay when the baby is exposed to high levels of testosterone in the womb.

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Environment

The environment may also play a crucial role in gender identity and sexual orientation. For instance, studies have found that children are open about their gender identity and sexual orientation when they are raised in a supportive and accepting environment.  

Note: there is no single factor responsible for LGBTQ but several factors collectively cause LGBTQ.  Sexual orientation and gender identity can be influenced by several factors. LGBTQ is not a choice because no one wants to be gay, lesbian, transgender or queer.

Summary

LGBTQ is a broad term used for those people whose sexual orientation or gender identity is not cisgender and heterosexual. The LGBTQ people have faced lots of discrimination and violence throughout history. These people had fought continuously for equality and acceptance, and there is a fast-growing movement for LGBTQ rights around the globe especially in the USA.

LGBTQ community celebrates the month of June in several ways such as attending Pride parades or festivals.

There are lots of LGBTQ tests available for the determination of gender identity and sexual orientation such as the Kinsey scale and Genderbread person.

Ans The term LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. It is an umbrella term used for people whose gender identity and sexual orientation is not cisgender.

Cisgender means that the gender identity of a person matches the sex he/she was assigned at birth.

Heterosexual means that an individual is attracted to people of the opposite sex. For example, the male is interested in women and the woman is interested in man.

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