Your Opinion: Single-word label would mean more than LGBTQ

Dear Editor

Although some might find Mr. Lahmeyer's LTE on June 13th offensive, it did bring up some very good questions that need to be answered.

As to why LGBTQ is used instead of just gay? There are several reasons. One of which is the trend that people have of Lumping things together that don't quite fit or because they want to make the word "gay" more negative. For example including pedophiles under the label.

Since "gay" is mostly used to indicate homosexual men bisexuals don't like using it because they don't see themselves as homosexual and this also leaves Lesbians out. Transgender people don't consider themselves gay either. The biggest reason, I think, is the new social concept that states if you don't directly specify an individual group then you are being exclusive and discriminating, so therefore each group must be indicated in order to feel included.

In some articles the list of letters can become quite long boarding on insanity. So far I have seen it go up to LGBTQIAPK: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexual, Asexual, Pansexual and Polygamous, and Kinkiness. Also note that depending on the number of letters, the letter "Q" stands for different groups. In the smaller LGBTQ the "Q" stands for Questioning while in the larger grouping it stands for Queer.

While I can understand the origin and sentiment behind the idea of inclusiveness, I do agree with Mr. Lahmeyer that it is finally boarding on the line of absurdity. The question I don't have an answer to is "What makes these individual groups a community since they want to be separately identified?" I think it would be better to have one word, one label which encompasses the heart of what it means to be LGBTQ. It would mean more to people than just a bunch of letters.

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