What are the LGBTQIA+ Pride Flags?
Click here to learn more about the various LGBTQIA+ Pride Flags.
FAQ Tag: Sexual Identity
What is MSM or M4M? What is On the DL? What is a Bromance? Are They the Same?
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)
How many people say they are LGBT?
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
Won’t bisexuals just decide to be straight when the going gets tough?
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.
Doesn’t “questioning” just mean in denial?
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.
If you are transgender, agender, gender fluid, or gender neutral, what does it mean to be gay?
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.