The acronym LGBTQ feels as old as time. We use it constantly as the primary catch-all phrase for members of the queer community. First popularized in the 80s, the term has been expanded to cover new identities as they become accepted into the queer community. What started as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) has been updated in recent years to LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual). While most of us are aware of these recent changes to the acronym very few of us know about the very first edit.
Defining Queerness
The term "gay" to define homosexual men wasn't popularized until the late 1800s/early 1900s. Before that, many different words carried certain queer connotations but were not explicitly recognized.
Labels for lesbians and queer women actually have a much longer linguistic history: the terms "lesbian" and "Sapphic" date all the way back to the early eighteenth century.
When the acronym first appeared, the order was "GLBT" not "LGBT." The order reflected the reality of the time--gay male rights took center stage while the needs of the rest of the community were largely ignored.
So why the change?
Lesbians to the Front
Moving the “L” to the front of the "LGBTQ” was a deliberate choice to honor lesbian bravery and altruism. While the feminist agenda of the 80s and 90s played a role in the shift, the primary reason for the change had to do with AIDS epidemic.
When the AIDS epidemic struck, lesbians stepped up in solidarity to care for victims and donate blood--forming groups like the San Diego "Blood Sisters" to organize massive blood drives. At the time, even hospital staff were too scared to go into the same room as AIDS victims.
Lesbians filled the hospitals. They became the primary caretakers of victims when others refused.
Mending the Rift
By supporting gay men in their time of need, lesbians forged a bond between gay men and lesbians--communities that had historically been at odds.
Sexism was common within the queer community. Lesbians were very much overlooked by gay rights movements and typically weren't even welcome in gay spaces. And yet lesbians stepped up to protect and care for AIDS victims against all odds.
A gay man living in San Francisco during the HIV outbreak describes the gay communities surprise at the sudden wave of lesbian support:
“Suddenly, the hospitals were full of lesbians who were volunteering. Volunteering to go into those rooms and help my friends who were dying. I remember being so moved by them because gay men hadn't been too kind to lesbians. We'd call them 'fish' and make fun of the butch dykes in the bars – and yet, there they were.”
The TLDR
Lesbians stepped up in solidarity and support during the AIDS epidemic when no one else would. In doing so, they also helped mend the rift that historically existed between gay men and lesbians. Moving the “L” to the front of the”LGBTQ” was a deliberate choice to honor their bravery and altruism. Let's go lesbians!!
Sources:
→ https://theforeword.org/832/editorials/the-l-in-lgbt-and-why-order-matters/
→https://www.daphealth.org/history-hides-in-the-initials-we-use-for-the-lesbian-gay-and-transgender-communities/
→https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=AIDS_and_San_Francisco%E2%80%99s_Queer_Community
→https://curvemagmovie.com/we-salute-the-lesbian-blood-sisters/
→https://www.bowiecreators.com/article/lesbians-and-gays-a-one-way-alliance
→https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/28/lesbians-lesbian-visibility-week-lisa-power/