What is Lesbian and Gay?
Definitions
Lesbian: Lesbian is commonly used to describe people who identify as women or feminine of center, whose attractions are to some other women. Some nonbinary people who were assigned female at birth use this term to describe their attraction to women, despite not identifying or not solely identifying as women.
Gay: A sexual orientation toward people of the same gender. It can also be used by a man who is sexually or romantically attracted to other men.
(Source: https://rcsgd.sa.ucsb.edu/resources/lgbtqia-informational-resources/lgbtqia-glossary)
Concepts of Lesbian and Gay
American concepts of Lesbian and Gay communities vary depending on generations, per the Gallup survey but also on the individual’s cultural framework.
Resources
The following items provide some insights.
Articles:
Two Spirit: Our Story Does Not Begin or End With Binaries
Queer Latino podcast ‘De Pueblo, Católico y Gay’ aims to fight LGBTQ stigma
Videos:
What Do All The Initials Mean? (7m)
Two Spirits, One Dance For Native American Artist (1m50s)
When Black Lives Matter Meets Gay Pride (7m9s)
What's It Like To Be Latino And Gay? (3m29s)
Inside The World Of Being Machismo And Gay In Latino Culture (5m54s)
Tracing The Evolution Of Asian-Pacific Islander LGBTQ Nightlife Spaces (7m29s)
As you engage with the resources above, we invite you to reflect:
Why are younger Americans more likely to identify “other than heterosexual”?
From the two articles, what are some common themes? Are some things different?
What are some of your key “takeaways”? Like Binary concepts of gender (Male, Female) versus fluid view of gender?
What insights did you get from the intersectionality of LGBTQ+ identities with other identities?
How will you use your new knowledge to help make ANR more inclusive?
Want to keep learning? Check out these additional LGBTQ+ resources.