Talk:LGBTQIA

see also Talk:LGBTTQQIAAP where many of the same questions/topics have been discussed

A in LGBTQIA

Usage of the term "ally" for A, even if often claimed by cis hetero allosexual people, is heavily critized from within the LGBTQIA+ community due to erasure of aromantic/asexual people, and due to appropriation of the movement by straight folks. Unfortunately, these "allies" often have a lot of power and can afford to silence community voices and enforce their agenda, and they do not care about the views from people of the LGBTQIA+ community. They seem to care more about their "allyship" status, while doing quite the contrary of being an ally, by erasing the existence of asexual/aromantic folks. Consider that most literature on lesbian issues have long been written by white hetero allosexual cis men. They distort history, but they have the power to do so, and have abused it, then claiming that their books are more important than the community voices themselves. It is similar now. --Mangostaniko (talk) 08:39, 29 June 2018 (UTC)

We are dictionary makers, and we document what words mean and how they have really been used in real books and by real speakers. We don't aim to change history or to push politics. Equinox ◑ 21:33, 29 June 2018 (UTC)

The only "erasure" I'm seeing here is a concerted attempt to erase the documented use of "A" for "allies" by deleting my citations. Oh well, knock yourselves out. Equinox ◑ 11:17, 9 September 2018 (UTC)

I can assure you I am not part of any concerted effort and only just now saw this discussion. You make a good point; maybe it should be in there but with usage notes saying that this is controversial. פֿינצטערניש (talk) 15:42, 9 September 2018 (UTC)

A in LGBTQIA+

A does not stand for ally. 159.205.22.184 09:47, 8 January 2022 (UTC)

Q does not stand for Queer

It makes no sense for the Q in LGBTQIA2 to stand for queer because it doesn’t… if you look up the definition it’s a divination from the normal… that’s fairly insulting actually… but if we aren’t going to go that far and we are using the term as it was originally adopted it would be the umbrella name for the LGBTQIA2 community as even in a hat understanding of the term LGBT ar all listed as types of queer individuals… therefore the Q standing for Queer is entirely redundant and unnecessary at all… except for the fact that that isn’t what it’s meant to stand for it stands for Questioning quite obviously as it’s meant to be supportive of people that inhabit and embrace those labels as well as those folks that questioning if they might be…. For me the LGBTQIA2 will always stand for: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual (/Gender), Questioning, Intersexual, Asexual (/Gender/Romantic) & Androgynous… as that’s really what it should truly be used to represent. 2603:6010:71F0:81B0:38F0:FDA6:90A4:EAE7 22:08, 11 February 2023 (UTC)

The short answer to all three of the sections on this page is that both meanings are well-attested. It seems like there's been a shift over time; earlier it was perhaps more common to expand Q & A to Questioning and Ally so queer people could attend LGBTQIA group meetings without explicitly outing themselves; now it's more common to use the acronym to refer only to queer people, not allies. But a wide array of acronyms (LGBTQ, LGBTQA, ...) and meanings thereof are attested. - -sche (discuss) 06:31, 12 February 2023 (UTC)

"divination"? I assume you mean "deviation". And how many more letters need to be added to this ridiculously long acronym before you're all happy that it covers everyone but heterosexuals? 86.113.177.66 09:12, 2 March 2023 (UTC)

The "A" in the acronym does not stand for ally

Cisgender and heterosexual people do not need to be included in every single community. Let queer and questioning people have this. You can be an ally to a community without being a part of it. And allowing "allies" to claim part of the acronym further contributes to the erasure for asexual and aromantic people. Especially when this article defines the "A" by placing "allied" before asexual, aromantic, agender... 2001:569:7E2C:CF00:7371:DB13:255F:27E8 23:05, 7 April 2023 (UTC)

Important to add proof of "allies"

This entry (like all LGBT "A" entries) is a target of a lot of vandals who want to erase the important history of "A" as allies in history, and replace it with "asexual". Let's fix it before it becomes a lost gap like Wikipedia "women in red" has to deal with, retroactively. Someone will sneer "oh you don't matter" and make it a joke: that's exactly why allies need representation and space for their bodies. Equinox ◑ 01:34, 18 August 2023 (UTC)