What does ace stand for in lgbtq

Struggling to understand the LGBTQIA+ meaning of the acronym? You’re not alone. 

For many people who are recent to the LGBTQIA+ group, this acronym can look confusing or overwhelming. 

If you are new, welcome! We’re so glad you’re here with us today. 

And if you aren’t new to the community, but are curious to learn more about how the collective has changed over the years, we’re delighted you’ve joined us today, too. 

The way the LGBTQIA+ group interacts – both with each other and with the world around us – is constantly altering. We strive to involve everyone and to build everyone feel seen and understood. 

What Does LGBTQIA+ Mean?

For many years, the umbrella term “gay” was used to describe the community. 

Now, many people worry about how to come out, but coming out before the 1970s wasn’t even an option, as many states illegalized what they called “homosexuality” or “sodomy.” There was also no acronym at all, restricting the inclusivity of our community.

Once an acronym appeared, all versions of it began with “L” – for an important reason. 

In the early days of the gay rights movement, the lesbian community often felt dismissed or

What does 'asexual' mean? Exploring the interpretation of the 'A' in LGBTQIA

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 7.6% of U.S. adults self-identify as lesbian, same-sex attracted, bisexual, transgender or something other than heterosexual. In the last 11 years, this has increased by 4.1 percentage points.

Today, over 20% of Gen Z adults – those between the ages of 18 to 26 – detect as part of the LGBTQ+ group, Gallup reports. The rising numbers reach in part due to "larger community changing" with people feeling more relaxed sharing their identities, experts previously told USA TODAY.

Maybe you've seen or heard terms used to describe someone's identity. You might have a buddy or family who identifies as "asexual," but were unsure of the exact definition. Fret not, we've got you covered.

What does the 'A' in LGBTQIA for?

The 'A' in LGBTQIA stands for "asexual."

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

"LGBTQ" is an acronym. Over the last few decades, new letters possess been added to the lineup. 

Each letter in LGBTQ means:

  • L: Lesbian
  • G: Gay
  • B: Bisexual
  • T: Transgender (differs from the rest of the acronym as it relates to gender and not sexual identity)
  • Q: Added to the acr

    Ace Inclusivity

    Download Activity View as Google Doc Copy to my Google Drive

    Facilitator Framing

    • This can lecture study verbatim, however, we’d inspire you to review it, make notes, and utilize it as a instruction rather than a script.

    Goals & Learning Outcomes

    • To educate participants about sexuality and to dispel myths and misunderstandings about asexuality
    • To highlight asexuality as a sexual orientation and as a spectrum of many different sexual orientations
    • To allow for questions about asexuality and asexual individuals

    Process Steps

    1. Introduce the topic of asexuality and give a short lecture.
    2. Open up the discussion to approve for any questions about what was said during the lecture and to inquire about participants’ personal understanding and experience with asexuality.

    Sample Lecture

    Asexuality is a sexual orientation that we don’t often hear discussed or talked about. To start off let’s describe asexuality.

    Asexuality or entity asexual is when someone experiences a low or lack of sexual attraction to other individuals. They may experience romantic attraction to other individuals but likely experience limited or no sexual attraction to

    Understanding the Asexual Community

    What Does It Mean to be Asexual?

    Asexual, often called “ace” for short, refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual exercise with others. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may life no, little or conditional sexual attraction.

    While the exact number is unknown, numerous sources suggest that there are hundreds of thousands of asexual people in the United States.

    To understand the asexual community, it is also important to be familiar with the following definitions:

    • Allosexual - The antonym of asexual. People who experience sexual attraction are called allosexual.

    • Gray asexual - Also called graysexual or gray ace, gray asexual refers to a gray area between asexuality and allosexuality. As part of the asexual spectrum, people who are gray ace may rarely experience sexual attraction or only trial sexual attraction under certain circumstances.

    • Demisexual - Part of the asexual spectrum, a person who is demisexual only experiences sexual attraction when they have a close emotional bond with someone.

    What Challenges do Asexual People Face?



    what does ace stand for in lgbtq

    Glossary of Terms: LGBTQ

    Definitions were drafted in collaboration with other U.S.-based LGBTQ society organizations and leaders. Notice acknowledgements section.

    Additional terms and definitions about gender identity and gender utterance, transgender people, and nonbinary people are available in the Transgender Glossary. 

    Are we missing a term or is a definition outdated? Email press@glaad.org

    *NOTE:  Ask people what terms they apply to describe their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression before assigning them a label. Outside of acronyms, these terms should only be capitalized when used at the beginning of a sentence.
     

    LGBTQ
    Acronym for sapphic, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. The Q generally stands for queer when LGBTQ organizations, leaders, and media use the acronym. In settings offering endorse for youth, it can also stand for questioning. LGBT and LGBTQ+ are also used, with the + added in recognition of all non-straight, non-cisgender identities. (See Transgender Glossary ) Both are acceptable, as are other versions of this acronym. The term “gay community” should be avoided, as it does not accuratel