Note on the terminology (Reading)

Through this e-learning course we will use the LGBTQI+ acronym most of the time. A lot of variations exist in this acronym that refer to sexual/romantic orientation and gender identity, and there can be different ideas and ideologies around what identities the acronym should contain and exclude. We decided that we will use a form of the acronym in which the biggest groups of persons of different sexual orientation and gender identity are signalled explicitly with a letter, and the plus stands for further groups. We have decided to involve the letter Q most of the time, despite queer being a broad umbrella term that includes a lot of individuals with varying levels of “passing” or conformity. Queer persons can live with very different levels of challenges and exclusion, some of them might experience much fewer difficulties and less oppression from the dominant culture than other oppressed groups. However, passing and apparent conformity can be a part of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans identities and expressions too. As you can see, this is a very complex topic tucked into a compact acronym. That is also why we will refer to sexually and gender diverse individuals with the term LGBTQI+ persons – we would like to signify the heterogeneity and complexities of these groups. The LGBTQI+ “community” consists of individuals with very different experiences and identities.