The power of language to shape our perceptions of other people is immense.  Precise use of terms in regards to gender and sexual orientation can have a significant impact on demystifying many of the misperceptions associated with these concepts.  However, the vocabulary of both continues to evolve, and there is not universal agreement about the definitions of many terms.  Click the link below for some working definitions and examples of frequently used (and misused) terms as a starting point for dialogue and understanding. https://www.pflag.org/glossary.

On May 22, 2018, Gallup.com reported the following:

In U.S., Estimate of LGBT Population Rises to 4.5%

Highlights:

• Rise in LGBT identification mostly among millennials
• LGBT identification is lower among older generations
• 5.1% of women identify as LGBT, compared with 3.9% of men

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The percentage of American adults identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) increased to 4.5% in 2017, up from 4.1% in 2016 and 3.5% in 2012 when Gallup began tracking the measure. The latest estimate is based on over 340,000 interviews conducted as part of Gallup’s daily tracking in 2017.

Gallup’s LGBT estimates are based on those respondents who say “yes” when asked, “Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender?” Extrapolation to the latest census estimate of adults 18 and older in the U.S. suggests that more than 11 million adults identify as LGBT in the country today.

Read the full article here:  https://news.gallup.com/poll/234863/estimate-lgbt-population-rises.aspx

No, questioning is just that–an exploration of one’s gender and/or sexual identity.

Please note “questioning” does not mean “bisexual” or vice versa.

Many LGBTQ+ minors get kicked out of their family homes when they come out to their parents or legal guardians, often making them homeless.

In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, it is illegal for parents to kick their minor children out of their homes, leaving them homeless.

If an LGBTQ+ minor is kicked out and becomes homeless, they can contact their local police department or the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

• Annapolis Police Department LGBTQ Liaison Page
• Anne Arundel County Homeless Shelters

Click here to learn more about the various LGBTQIA+ Pride Flags.

For more insight and understanding. please review these articles:

• “Gender Pronouns,” University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee LGBT Resource Center.
• “Beyond ‘he’ and ‘she’: The rise of non-binary pronouns,” BBC
• “‘Ze’ or ‘They’? A Guide to Using Gender-Neutral Pronouns,” The Atlantic Citylab
• It’s OK To Use “They” To Describe One Person: Here’s Why

Click here to learn more about the various LGBTQIA+ Pride Flags.

Click the link below to learn GLAAD’s transgender terminology.

https://www.glaad.org/reference/transgender

Also, check out this link:

https://www.trans-missie.com/en/information/about-transgender/

If you are one of these, to be gay means you are attracted to the same gender identity as yourself.  Conversely, it means you are not attracted to a different gender.

The answer is different for every person of these identities–some use it as an umbrella term and some base the name of their sexuality on the sex they were assigned.

MSM or M4M is a term for men who have sex with men, but who do not identify their sexual orientation.

Similar or related terms include, but are not limited to, the following:

• DL or Down Low is a lifestyle predominately practiced by young, urban Black men who have sex with other men and women, yet do not identify as gay or bisexual. (Study published in the Journal of Bisexuality).

 

• Bromance reflects the need to be emotionally close to another person, but without the need to be commited to a romantic relationship. Erikson described the psychosocial developmental stage faced in young adulthood as Intimacy vs. Isolation. He focused more on the role that romantic relationships played in life during this period, but as this new Millennial Gen playbook has illustrated, a wife and kids can wait — close male friends are able to provide the intimate connections and emotional support that are needed.  (“Bromance and Tribe Identity,” Psychology Today)

No, bisexuality is a true sexual identity. The label “bisexual” is often replaced by the more modern “pansexual.”

Please note “bisexual” does not mean “questioning” or vice versa.

Click here to learn more about the various LGBTQIA+ Pride Flags.

What is difference between AIDS and HIV?

AIDS is a condition. While HIV is a virus that may cause an infection, AIDS (which is short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a condition. Contracting HIV can lead to the development of AIDS. AIDS, or stage 3 HIV, develops when HIV has caused serious damage to the immune system.

HIV is a Virus

HIV is a virus that can lead to immune system deterioration. The term “HIV” stands for human immunodeficiency virus. The name describes the virus: Only humans can contract it, and it attacks the immune system. As a result, the immune system is unable to work as effectively as it should.

Our immune systems can completely clear many viruses our bodies, but that’s not the case with HIV. Medications can control HIV very successfully by interrupting its viral life cycle, however.

AIDS is a Condition

While HIV is a virus that may cause an infection, AIDS (which is short for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) is a condition. Contracting HIV can lead to the development of AIDS.

AIDS, or stage 3 HIV, develops when HIV has caused serious damage to the immune system. It is a complex condition with symptoms that vary from person to person. Symptoms of stage 3 HIV are related to the infections a person may develop as a result of having a damaged immune system that can’t fight them as well. Known collectively as opportunistic infections, they include tuberculosis, pneumonia, and others.

Certain types of cancer become more likely when an immune system works less effectively as well.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy can prevent stage 3 HIV from developing.

HIV doesn’t always progress to stage 3

HIV is a virus, and AIDS is the condition the virus may cause. An HIV infection doesn’t necessarily progress to stage 3. In fact, many people with HIV live for years without developing AIDS. Thanks to advances in treatment, a person living with HIV can expect to live a near-normal life span.

While a person can have an HIV infection without having AIDS, anyone diagnosed with AIDS has already contracted HIV. Because there is no cure, the HIV infection never goes away, even if AIDS never develops.

Clich here to read the full article:  https://www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/hiv-vs-aids

Apr 26, 2018

Many LGBTQ+ minors get kicked out of their family homes when they come out to their parents or legal guardians, often making them homeless.

In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, it is illegal for parents to kick their minor children out of their homes, leaving them homeless.

If an LGBTQ+ minor is kicked out and becomes homeless, they can contact their local police department or the Anne Arundel County Police Department.

• Annapolis Police Department LGBTQ Liaison Page
• Anne Arundel County Homeless Shelters