Gay and lesbian symbols
LGBTQ+ Terms
The following is a list of LGBTQ+ inclusive terms.
A
Agender
A person who identifies as having no gender.
Ally
A non-LGBTQ person wo shows endorse for LGBTQ people and advocates for equality in a variety of ways.
Androgyne/androgynous
Identifying and/or presenting as neither distinguishably masculine nor feminine.
Asexual
A person who experiences minuscule or no sexual attraction to others. Asexuality is not the same as celibacy.
Assigned Sex at Birth
The sex (male or female) assigned to a toddler at birth, most often based on the child’s external anatomy. Commonly referred to as birth sex, natal sex, biological sex, or sex.
B
Biphobia
The fear or hatred of and discrimination against bisexuals. Biphobia is alternative from homophobia or transphobia in that is seen within the LGBT society as well as in general society.
Bisexual
A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender or gender persona though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the identical degree.
C
Cisgender (cis)
A person whose gender culture aligns with those typically associated with the
LGBT Symbols
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, and Ally (sometimes also Asexual)
Rainbow Flag
Use of the rainbow colored flag to symbolize parade goes back to 1978 at a San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. Crafted by Gilbert Baker, the colors in the flag represent the diversity of the community and have come to represent LGBTQIA pride everywhere in the earth it is displayed.
Inverted Triangles
Use of inverted triangles as a symbol of gay pride began to be widespread in the preliminary 1970s Gay Liberation Movement. It was adopted to remember that homosexuals were forced to wear a pink triangle in the Nazi Concentration Camps of Society War II. Since the pink triangle has been generally a gay male symbol, a pink triangle in a black circle, or simply a black triangle, is sometimes used by lesbians.
Lambda
Lambda, the Greek letter “L”, has been used since the adv 1970s to denote LGBTQ identity festival, possibly because “L” stand for Liberation. Some people think It may also refer to queer love in ancient Greek culture.
Labrys
This axe, called a labrys, was adopted from matriarchal societies to symbolize the strength and c
Read more about our LGBT Working Group
Pride is always something to shout about. Picnics, parades and festivals will get place throughout June and over the summer months, a colour explosion of progressive pride flags and fashion marking the occasion. This year however there’s an extra reason to celebrate, with 2022 marking fifty years since the first UK Self-acceptance march in London in 1972. An outward and common celebration of Queer rights, Pride is about being noticeable, celebrating and reflecting on the achievements and challenges faced by the society over the years.
This public display of identity and cherish is now an annual event in the summer calendar, but such overt visibility hasn’t always been possible, or legal, or sound. At a moment when public perspective towards the collective was overwhelmingly unfriendly and the legal system declared their love as criminal behaviour, many Diverse people hid their identity in plain sight through symbolism and coding. A grassroots set of ‘secret symbols’ was developed, subtle enough to go relatively unnoticed by those who would explore to cause injure but instantly recognised within the society. A design language created by and for LGBTQ+ people,
The LGBTQI+ community has created their own language of colours and symbols. In this guest blog Gillian Murphy, Curator for Equality, Rights and Citizenship at LSE Library, explores the symbols created through protest, logo competitions, resistance, and community. LGBT+ History Month is celebrated each February in the UK.
LGBTQI+ symbols and their meanings
“Well, of course, a symbol can mean anything you wish it to mean.” Come Together, Issue 12, 1971.
The use of symbols and colours is an vital way for groups to convey messages, communicate with others, and to assemble a visual identity. During the 1970s, LGBTQI+ people were encouraged to reach out and, in doing this, they often wore badges with distinctive symbols, reinforcing the belief that no longer would they be invisible. This blog looks at some of the symbols that can be found in LGBTQI+ collections.
The gender symbols for male and female are traditionally derived from astrological signs and mythological meanings representing Mars (god of war with shield and spear) and Venus (mirror of Venus, goddess of love and beauty) respectively.
From the first issues of Come Together, the short-lived newspaper produce