Blog Title: Understanding the LGBTQIA+ Community: A Guide to Each Letter and Flag

Pride Month is here, but our support for the LGBTQIA+ community should be every day. It's essential to understand the diversity and complexity of the community, and the best way to start is to learn the meaning behind each letter and flag.

Today, we're going to dive deep into the world of LGBTQIA+ and explore what each letter represents, what each flag looks like, what the colours represent, and how long they have been around. With this guide, we hope to promote inclusivity and understanding of the LGBTQIA+ community. We know that with there being so many different communities within Pride celebrations it can be easy to get lost or overwhelmed. While we here at ParkAnd can certainly use our own experiences in the community and knowledge to help lay down the fundamentals. As always we’re provided links to our sources and additional resources for those interested in learning more. Take what you will from this article and remember: At the end of the day, who is anyone else to tell you how to express yourself or tell you who you are?

We’ll start with the basic and most known letters of LGBTQIA+. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Allies, and more. Each letter represents different identities within the LGBTQIA+ community. Most of us know that ‘L’ stands for Lesbian refers to women who are attracted to other women, while the ‘G’ or Gay is commonly used to describe men who are attracted to other men, and that ‘B’ or, Bisexual describes individuals who are attracted to both men and women. While the ‘A’ only partially stands for Ally; the first focus of the ‘A’ is Asexual. Allies are not only welcome but supported and fully encouraged within the community. Allies are individuals who support the LGBTQIA+ community despite not identifying as LGBTQIA+ themselves. Allies are and will always be a critical piece needed in the equation of equality.

Now, let’s get to some of those lesser-known letters. ‘T’ stands for Transgender. Transgender, or Trans, is used as a term for individuals who identify as a gender that does not align with the biological sex they held at birth. While recently getting some serious time in the press, Transgender people have always existed while being one of the most misunderstood members of the lgbt+ community. Thanks to science and more studies being done in the last century we now know that being trans is very real, and multifactorial, this means that there are biological, emotional and environmental factors that contribute to a person feeling as though they are trapped in the wrong body. While there have been many studies done on prenatal hormonal ranges, biological and psychological studies also strongly indicate that this is a real issue people have been facing for centuries. Some of the earliest recorded trans members date back to 300 BCE Greece. Later this week we will be diving deep and taking a look at this community, its history, the issues they face and how all of us can help in the fight against their political and ideological persecution.

‘Q’s, Queer or Questioning refers to individuals who don't identify themselves as heterosexual or cisgender, or who are unsure about their sexuality or gender identity. There are many reasons someone might choose to identify as Queer, a few of those reasons could be: those who know they’re not straight but aren’t sure where they fit under the umbrella, feel like they fit in multiple spaces, or simply prefer not to have a depicting label.

Intersex describes people born with a body that doesn't fit typical male or female categories. Intersex births rarely happen, this is when there is a biological difference between the outer sexual organs and the physical anatomy on the inside of the body or genes of the child. An example of this is when a person has an extra sex chromosome, so, XXY instead of XY (bio-male) or XX (bio-female) and therefore may have the genital appearance of a female but can exhibit an overgrown or very large clitoris that can become erect. In some cases, intersexual development isn’t always obvious at birth, some don’t show diagnosable symptoms until they go through puberty or are found to be infertile. Curious? You can find out more here.

Asexual or Ase refers to individuals who do not experience sexual attraction. Being Ase is different from being celibate as it is not a choice. Some who are Ase may experience attraction differently than those who are sexually attracted to others such as through emotional bonds, aesthetic attraction, intellectual attraction or through sensual touch such as cuddling with someone they care about. You can think of Ase as people who find fulfilment in platonic relationships rather than physical ones.

Now, let's talk about the flags in the LGBTQIA+ community. As of now, there are more than 20 flags, the most recognisable, namely the traditional Rainbow flag has a colour scheme that was designed by Gilbert Baker in 1978, with each stripe representing different things. Red represents life, orange represents healing, yellow represents sunlight, green represents nature, blue represents harmony, and violet represents spirit. The other original five flags are the Bisexual flag, the Transgender flag, the Non-Binary flag, the Asexual flag, and the Pansexual flag. Each flag has different colours and represents different aspects of the community. The Rainbow flag is perhaps the most well-known flag in the LGBTQIA+ community. As a universal symbol of the LGBTQIA+ community, the traditional umbrella pride flag has six colours: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Over time there have been new, more inclusive flags added by the community as it has grown (you may have noticed in most recent years the addition of the Progress and Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flags). The Transgender flag was designed by Monica Hellström in 1999. It has three colours: blue, white, and pink. The blue colour represents the traditional colour for boys, white for those who are transitioning, and pink for the traditional colour for girls. There are many identities represented within the LGBTQIA+ community and even more flags. Understanding the meaning behind each letter and flag can go a long way in promoting inclusivity and acceptance for all individuals, regardless of their sexuality or gender identity. As an ally, education is essential to the community and standing up against discrimination and prejudice. Let's continue to celebrate individuality, diversity, and love, not just in Pride Month but every day. Remember that everyone deserves a place where they feel loved and accepted, no matter who they are.