Abbreviations
The LGBTQ+ movement is rapidly producing new acronyms—for identities, for care, and for who does or does not belong. Below is an overview of the 61 acronyms circulating within the gender spectrum, with the meaning of each acronym and a critical commentary.
Umbrella Acronyms
The alphabet soup itself—from three letters to increasingly longer combinations.
LGB
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual.
LGBT
LGB with T for transgender.
LGBTQ
LGBT with Q for queer or questioning.
LGBTQ+
LGBTQ with a plus for everything else that goes with it.
LGBTQI
LGBTQ with I for intersex.
LGBTQIA
LGBTQI with an A for asexual, aromantic, or ally.
LGBTQIA+
LGBTQIA with a plus.
LGBTQIAP+
With P for pansexual or polyamorous.
LGBTQQIP2SAA
Twelve-letter variant with two Qs and 2S.
2SLGBTQ+
Canadian variant with Two-Spirit at the beginning.
QUILTBAG
Acronym alternative: Queer, Undecided, Intersex, Lesbian, Trans, Bisexual, Asexual, Gay.
MOGAI
Marginalized Orientations, Gender Alignments, and Intersex.
GSRM
Gender, Sexual, and Romantic Minorities.
SAGA
Sexuality and Gender Acceptance.
SOGIESC
UN term: orientation, identity, expression, and sex characteristics.
Identity abbreviations
Short codes people use to label themselves—or others.
AFAB
Assigned Female At Birth.
AMAB
Assigned Male at Birth.
CAFAB
Coercively Assigned Female at Birth.
CAMAB
Coercively Assigned Male at Birth.
AGAB
Assigned Gender at Birth.
ASAB
Assigned Sex at Birth.
FTM
Female to Male — woman to man.
MTF
Male to Female — male to female.
TGW
Transgender Woman — a modern variant of MTF.
TGM
Transgender Man — modern FTM variant.
NB
Non-binary.
Enby
Phonetic pronunciation of NB.
GNC
Gender Non-Conforming.
TGNC
Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming.
CIS
Cisgender — not trans.
CISHET
Cisgender and heterosexual.
TIM
Trans-Identified Male — critical term.
TIF
Trans-Identified Female — critical term.
Medical and healthcare abbreviations
What clinicians and activists use to describe transition care.
HRT
Hormone Replacement Therapy.
GAHT
Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy.
SRS
Sex Reassignment Surgery.
GRS
Gender Reassignment Surgery.
GCS
Gender Confirmation Surgery.
GAS
Gender-Affirming Surgery — umbrella term.
GAC
Gender-Affirming Care.
FFS
Facial Feminization Surgery.
VFS
Voice Feminization Surgery.
GnRHa
Puberty blockers (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone analog).
GD
Gender Dysphoria — current DSM diagnosis.
GID
Gender Identity Disorder — former DSM-IV diagnosis.
DSD
Disorders/Differences of Sex Development.
ROGD
Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria.
AGP
Autogynephilia — a paraphilia, not an identity.
HSTS
Homosexual Transsexual (Blanchard typology).
DIY HRT
Buying hormones on one’s own outside the healthcare system.
Political and activist acronyms
Terms from the debate itself, ranging from slurs to self-identifiers.
Legal abbreviations
Legal instruments for legal gender reassignment.
Clinics and organizations
Institutions and foundations where the battle for healthcare and policy is being fought.