What is behind the +?

It’s time we found out.

For a few years, organisations have been adding letters to an ever-expanding set of initials. They usually also add a ‘+’. However no-one can tell us what the + is meant to represent. So national affiliates of LGB International are writing to organisations in their countries to ask what they understand the '+' in LGBTQIA+ to represent. We are interested in the '+' people their organisations claim to be working to support - what are their characteristics, and on what basis do they face discrimination?

It is already unhelpful that our community's views and interests are routinely conflated with various identities through use of the acronym "LGBTIQA+". Sexual orientation, differences of sex development, queer identities and gender identity share no common ground and, in practice, many proponents of this acronym hold views that are directly at odds with same-sex attraction. To be linked to undefined groups who may fall under the '+' is a further and more serious concern.

We can think of no other context in which a group named in an official is left entirely undefined. We would welcome clarification of exactly who falls under the '+', what characteristics they share, and on what evidential basis they are grouped alongside lesbians, gay men and bisexual people in legislation, anti-discrimination frameworks and public policy.

Among many others, we are writing to the Danish government, the German Senate Department for Labour and Social Affairs, the Colombian sexual rights NGO, the British and Australian medical associations and the University of Zurich. We are writing to United Nations and the European Union.

While we wait for some answers, join us on social media to ask other organisations what is behind the +.