The language around the LGBTQ+ community and its history is as storied and transformative as the people that compose it. In the early days of cataloging, many of the terms we use today were not around or available–or the terms didn’t hold the same meaning as they do now. For example, you may discover subject headings in our catalog that use the term “Gay” to refer to anyone who isn’t heterosexual. Now, we have a multitude of terms to fit a wide range of identities, and are able to describe records with more nuance and understanding. Part of this project is updating our subject headings to ensure we’re cataloging works with the proper specificity and respect. Below, you'll find a brief glossary of some commonly used terms regarding the LGBTQ+ community, as well as examples of some of the subject headings we amended as part of this project.
LGBTQ+
The acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Queer. You may have seen variations on this acronym before, with additional letters representing Asexual, Intersex, Two-Spirit, Questioning, and others. Here, the + works to encompass the many different identities that fall under the queer umbrella.
Queer
A term used by those who wish to reject specific labels regarding their sexual and/or romantic orientation, or specific labels regarding gender or gender presentation. Though some people within the community believe the word to be a slur, the term was reclaimed by the queer community in the 1980s.
Trans
A term describing a person’s gender identity that does not necessarily align with their assigned sex at birth. Trans people may or may not choose to alter their body through hormones or/and surgery. “Trans” can sometimes be used as an umbrella term for people who transcend normative gender identities or expressions, including people who are genderqueer, gender diverse, and/or gender expansive.
Gender dysphoria
This term is used to describe when a person experiences discomfort or distress due to a mismatch between the sex they were assigned at birth and the gender with which they identify.
Gender expression
How a person chooses to outwardly express their gender. A person who does not conform to societal expectations of gender presentation, however, does not necessarily identify as someone who is trans.
Intersectionality
Coined by American civil rights activist and professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, intersectionality refers to the overlap in identities or communities to which a person aligns themselves, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, class, ability, and others, which could contribute to discrimination.
For more definitions, feel free to explore the following glossaries: Stonewall, Human Rights Campaign, or PFLAG.
To see examples of previous Library of Congress Subject Headings, and to understand our reasoning behind changing them, here are a few of the subject headings we’ve added in our system:
PREVIOUS: Deaf gays
NEW: LGBTQ+ Deaf people
The language of community has changed from “gays” to “LGBTQ+”, and we updated this subject heading to reflect the change.
PREVIOUS: Outing (sexual orientation)
NEW: Outing (LGBTQ+ culture)
There’s more to being outed–having parts of your personal identity revealed to others without your consent–than sexual orientation. This new subject heading allows space for nuance and greater understanding.
PREVIOUS: Sex change
NEW: Transitioning (Gender)
As mainstream culture grapples with and grows to understand the complexity of gender, so too does our cataloging language change. Changing our language to “Transitioning (Gender)” allows a more accurate perspective on the fluidity of gender, and the various ways people transition beyond the medical and outdated “sex change”.