Which one do you prefer, LGBTQIA+ or GSRM?
LGBTQIA+
+Recognisable
+???
-Cumbersome
-Some groups are relegated to the “+”
GSRM
+Includes everyone
+Not cumbersome
-New
-Not familiar
OK I am biased but I do want to know why people still use the long one when we could be using the short one?
“LGBT” as a shorthand is less cumbersome and more familiar / has inertia, but always feels like you’re missing people out. I don’t mind GSRM but this is the first I’m seeing it - I think the inertia LGBTQ+ has might well cause people to prefer it.
Fundamentally we just want people to know what we mean, and sometimes terms that are less accurate but more familiar actually achieve that better than the inverse.
Edit to add: I’m finding the “M” for “Minority” more problematic now that I think about it. I’m not convinced that this is hugely accurate - it feels like something rooted in a “cishet is the norm” thought process.
I agree that LGBT is less cumbersome, but inclusivity is such an important principle in this space that I think it is prudent to have an acronym which embodies this value. Regarding the “cishet is the norm” idea, I would disagree. Strictly speaking, it is accurate to say that LGBT are in the minority, but personally I’m not married to GSRM. If GSRD (Gender, Sexual and Romantic Diversities) or something is preferable, then I would not complain if that became the prominent shorthand. I just think LGBT is… Flawed. We could do better I think.