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LGBTQ+ Wiki — terminology, identities & history

A plain-language reference covering identities, orientation, gender, pronouns, flags, global history, and the Rwandan context. Written respectfully for everyone — whether you are LGBTQ+, questioning, an ally, a healthcare worker, or simply curious.

What is LGBTQ+?

LGBTQ+ is an umbrella term that groups people whose sexual orientation, romantic orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics fall outside the cisgender, heterosexual majority. It is not a single community — it is a coalition of overlapping communities with shared experiences of being different from the cultural default, and shared interests in safety, dignity, and equal access to healthcare.

Three concepts are useful to keep separate from the start:

Sex characteristics — the biological traits (chromosomes, hormones, anatomy) you are born with. Most people are male or female; some are intersex.
Gender identity — your inner sense of being a woman, a man, both, neither, or something else.
Sexual / romantic orientation — who you are attracted to (sexually, romantically, or both).

These three are independent: a trans woman can be lesbian, straight, bisexual, asexual, or anything else. An intersex person can have any gender identity and any orientation. Gender expression (how you present — clothes, voice, hair) is yet another axis.

The acronym explained

You will see many variants: LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQIA+, LGBTQQIP2SAA, 2SLGBTQ+. Each letter represents a distinct community. The "+" exists precisely because identities outside these letters also belong.

Lesbian

Women attracted to women.

Gay

Same-gender attraction; commonly used by men.

Bisexual

Attraction to more than one gender.

Transgender

Gender identity differs from sex assigned at birth.

Queer / Questioning

Umbrella term, or actively exploring.

Intersex

Born with non-typical sex characteristics.

Asexual / Aromantic / Agender

Little or no sexual/romantic attraction, or no gender.

And more

Pansexual, demisexual, two-spirit, non-binary, and others.

Spectrum vs binary

Many cultures teach gender and sexuality as two boxes — male/female, straight/gay. Modern science and lived experience show both are spectrums with many points, not switches.

A common teaching tool is the Genderbread person, which separates four independent dimensions:

Gender Identity

Your internal sense of self — woman, man, both, neither, fluid.

Gender Expression

How you outwardly present — clothing, voice, mannerisms, body language.

Biological Sex

Physical traits — chromosomes, hormones, primary and secondary sex characteristics.

Attraction

Romantic and sexual attraction, each on its own spectrum and direction.

Pronouns — a practical guide

Pronouns are how we refer to someone in the third person. Using the right pronouns is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to show respect.

Subject	Object	Possessive	Example
she	her	hers	She brought her bag; it is hers.
he	him	his	He brought his bag; it is his.
they	them	theirs	They brought their bag; it is theirs.
ze	zir	zirs	Ze brought zir bag; it is zirs.

Introduce yourself with your pronouns.
Ask, don't assume — "What pronouns do you use?"
If you make a mistake, briefly correct and continue.
Use the person's correct name and pronouns even when they're not in the room.

Avoid

Asking "what are your preferred pronouns?" — they aren't a preference.
Long apologies that center your discomfort.
Using "it" for a person unless they explicitly use it for themselves.
Outing someone by sharing their pronouns without consent.

Flags & symbols

Pride flags are visual shorthand for community, history, and identity. Each one was deliberately designed.

Rainbow (Pride)

1978 · Gilbert Baker

The original pride flag. Each color carried meaning — red (life), orange (healing), yellow (sunlight), green (nature), blue (harmony), violet (spirit).

Progress Pride

2018 · Daniel Quasar

Adds a chevron of black, brown, light blue, pink and white — centring trans people and queer people of color.

Trans Pride

1999 · Monica Helms

Light blue and pink (traditional gender colors) with white in the middle for those who are non-binary, transitioning, or intersex.

Bisexual

1998 · Michael Page

Pink (same-gender attraction), blue (different-gender attraction), purple (overlap).

Lesbian (Sunset)

2018 · Emily Gwen

Orange-to-pink stripes representing community, independence, womanhood, and serenity.

Non-binary

2014 · Kye Rowan

Yellow (outside the binary), white (many genders), purple (mix), black (no gender).

Asexual

2010 · AVEN community

Black, gray, white and purple — representing asexuality, gray-asexuality, allies and community.

Pansexual

2010

Pink, yellow, blue — attraction across the gender spectrum.

Intersex

2013 · Morgan Carpenter

Yellow with a purple circle — chosen as non-gendered colors representing wholeness.

History & timeline

LGBTQ+ people have always existed — across cultures, centuries and continents. Below are some pivotal moments. This is a starting point, not the full story.

Pre-colonial Africa
Diverse gender and sexuality
Many African societies, including pre-colonial communities in the Great Lakes region, recognized non-heterosexual relationships and gender-variant roles. Records of king Mwanga II of Buganda and the ikihindu/ikimaze terms in Kinyarwanda show this history was not 'imported'.
1860s
Term 'homosexual' coined
Karl-Maria Kertbeny used the word in arguments against criminalization in Prussia.
1897
First LGBTQ+ rights organization
Magnus Hirschfeld founded the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee in Berlin.
1950s–60s
Homophile movement
Mattachine Society and Daughters of Bilitis advocated quietly for civil rights in the US.
June 1969
Stonewall Uprising
After a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York, trans women of color including Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera helped lead nights of resistance — sparking the modern Pride movement.
1973
Homosexuality removed from DSM
The American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental illness.
1981
AIDS epidemic begins
Devastates LGBTQ+ communities globally. Activist groups like ACT UP transform medicine, advocacy, and patient rights.
1990
WHO removes homosexuality from ICD
Recognized internationally as not a disease. Marked annually as IDAHOBIT (May 17).
2001
First marriage equality (Netherlands)
Followed over the next 20 years by 30+ countries.
2014
South Africa landmark
Remains the only African country with constitutional protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation (since 1996) and full marriage equality.
2019
WHO removes 'transgender' from mental disorders
Reclassified under sexual health in ICD-11.
Today
Ongoing
Over 60 countries still criminalize same-sex relationships. Rwanda does NOT criminalize same-sex activity, but legal recognition (marriage, anti-discrimination law) does not yet exist.

LGBTQ+ in Rwanda — context

Rwanda is one of the few African countries where same-sex sexual activity between consenting adults is not criminalized. The Penal Code does not prohibit it, and Rwanda has declined to support international resolutions criminalizing homosexuality.

At the same time, there is currently no legal recognition of same-sex relationships, no specific anti-discrimination protection based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and no legal pathway for changing gender markers on national ID. Social stigma exists, especially in family and religious settings.

In healthcare, the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) recognizes "key populations" — including men who have sex with men and trans people — and runs targeted HIV prevention, testing and treatment services. Civil-society organisations such as HDI (Health Development Initiative)and AMSOPT operate friendly clinics and mental-health programs in Kigali and selected provinces.

Mutuelle de Santé covers most general healthcare for those enrolled. PrEP and HIV treatment are free at designated public facilities regardless of insurance status.

Safety first. Information on this site is educational. Use judgment about where and with whom you discuss your identity. The "Get Support" page lists crisis hotlines (912, 3512, 114) and affirming services.

Law & rights — global snapshot

Decriminalization

Around 130 countries do not criminalize same-sex activity. Over 60 still do, with penalties ranging from fines to death in a small number of jurisdictions.

Marriage equality

30+ countries — across the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and South Africa — recognize same-sex marriage. Many more recognize civil partnerships.

Anti-discrimination

Strongest in the EU, parts of the Americas, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Coverage in workplace, housing, healthcare, and education varies widely.

Legal gender recognition

Some countries allow self-declaration of gender on ID; others require surgery, sterilization or court orders. A few recognize a third gender option.

Adoption & parenting

Joint adoption by same-sex couples is legal in 30+ countries. Recognition of trans parents on birth certificates remains uneven.

Conversion practice bans

A growing number of countries (Malta, Germany, France, Canada, Mexico and others) ban so-called 'conversion therapy'.

Myths vs facts

Myth: Being LGBTQ+ is a Western import.

Fact: Same-sex relationships and gender variance are documented in every region of the world for thousands of years — including in pre-colonial Africa. What was 'imported' was the criminalization of these identities through colonial law.

Myth: Sexual orientation is a choice.

Fact: Major medical and psychological associations agree it is not a choice. People discover their orientation; they do not pick it.

Myth: Being trans is a new trend.

Fact: Trans and gender-variant people are documented across cultures and centuries — from hijra in South Asia to two-spirit people in Indigenous North America.

Myth: Children can be 'turned' LGBTQ+.

Fact: There is no evidence that exposure or affirming education changes orientation or gender identity. It does help LGBTQ+ kids feel safer and reduces suicide risk.

Myth: HIV is a 'gay disease'.

Fact: HIV affects people of all orientations. Globally most new infections are among heterosexual people. Stigma is what makes some communities more vulnerable to it.

Myth: Bisexual people are confused or 'just a phase'.

Fact: Bisexuality is a stable, lifelong orientation for many people. Identity exploration is normal at any age and doesn't invalidate the result.

Full glossary

Search and filter 27 terms. Click any term to expand the full definition.

Lesbian

Orientation

A woman who is romantically/sexually attracted to other women.

Used by many women — cisgender and transgender — whose enduring attraction is toward other women. Some non-binary people who feel a connection to womanhood also use the term. The word comes from the Greek island of Lesbos, home of the ancient poet Sappho.

Gay

Orientation

Attracted to people of the same gender; often used by men, but also as an umbrella term.

Historically applied broadly to same-sex attraction. Today it is most commonly used by men attracted to men, but many women, non-binary people, and the wider community also self-identify as gay. It is generally preferred over the older clinical term 'homosexual'.

Bisexual (Bi)

Orientation

Attracted to people of more than one gender.

Bi people experience attraction to two or more genders. Attraction does not have to be equal, simultaneous, or expressed in relationships to be valid. Bi people face 'bi erasure' — being assumed gay when partnered with the same gender or straight when partnered with a different gender.

Pansexual

Orientation

Attraction to people regardless of gender.

Pansexual people are attracted to others independently of gender identity. Some pan people describe gender as 'not a deciding factor' in their attraction. The term overlaps with bisexuality for many; the distinction is personal and identity-based.

Asexual (Ace)

Orientation

Little or no sexual attraction to others.

Asexuality is a spectrum. Some ace people still want romantic relationships (see 'Romantic orientation'); others do not. Sub-identities include demisexual (attraction only after a strong emotional bond) and graysexual (rare/weak attraction). Ace people can be of any gender or romantic orientation.

Aromantic (Aro)

Orientation

Little or no romantic attraction to others.

Aro people may still feel sexual attraction, deep friendship, or other forms of connection. Aromantic and asexual are independent — a person can be one, both, or neither.

Queer

Identity

An umbrella term for non-heterosexual or non-cisgender identities.

Once a slur, 'queer' has been reclaimed by many in the community as a flexible, political, and inclusive label. Not everyone is comfortable with it — especially older generations — so use it for yourself or when invited.

Questioning

Identity

Exploring one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

A valid identity in itself. Questioning is a process, not a problem to be 'solved' on a deadline. Affirming spaces and trusted peers help.

Cisgender (Cis)

Gender

A person whose gender matches the sex assigned at birth.

If you were assigned female at birth and identify as a woman, you are a cis woman. 'Cis' is a neutral descriptor (Latin for 'on this side of'), the counterpart to 'trans' ('on the other side of').

Transgender (Trans)

Gender

A person whose gender differs from the sex assigned at birth.

Trans is an umbrella that includes trans women, trans men, and many non-binary people. Being trans is about identity, not appearance, surgery, or hormones — those are personal choices, not requirements.

Non-binary (Enby)

Gender

Gender identity that is not exclusively man or woman.

Non-binary people may feel they are both, neither, between, or beyond the binary. Sub-identities include agender (no gender), genderfluid (changing over time), and bigender (two genders). Many non-binary people use 'they/them' pronouns, but not all.

Gender Non-Conforming (GNC)

Expression

Expressing gender outside conventional norms.

GNC describes presentation (clothes, hair, mannerisms), not necessarily identity. A cis woman with a shaved head and masculine clothing is GNC; so is a trans man who wears makeup. GNC people of any identity can face discrimination based on how they look.

Intersex

Gender

Born with sex characteristics that don't fit typical male/female categories.

Intersex is about biology — chromosomes, hormones, anatomy. About 1.7% of people are intersex, comparable to the proportion of people with red hair. Intersex is independent of sexual orientation or gender identity. Many intersex advocates oppose non-consensual childhood surgeries.

AFAB / AMAB

Gender

Assigned Female / Male At Birth.

Neutral descriptors used mostly in medical or trans contexts to refer to the sex marker placed on someone's birth records. Avoid using these as identity labels for someone unless they use them.

Gender Dysphoria

Health

Distress caused by a mismatch between gender identity and assigned sex.

Dysphoria can be social (being misgendered), physical (body features), or both. Not every trans person experiences dysphoria, and dysphoria is not required to be trans. Affirming care — social, medical, or surgical — significantly improves mental health outcomes.

Gender Euphoria

Health

Joy and rightness from being seen as one's true gender.

The positive counterpart to dysphoria — the feeling when correct pronouns, clothing, a chosen name, or affirming care simply feels right. A growing focus in trans-affirming healthcare.

Transition

Health

The process of aligning one's life with one's gender.

Transition can include social steps (name, pronouns, clothing), legal steps (ID changes), and medical steps (hormones, surgeries). It is not a single event and looks different for every person. No step is mandatory.

Coming Out

Concept

Sharing one's identity with others.

Not a one-time event — most LGBTQ+ people 'come out' repeatedly throughout life: to family, friends, doctors, employers. Safety should always come first, especially in contexts where being out carries legal or social risk.

Outing

Concept

Disclosing someone else's identity without their consent.

Outing someone — even with good intentions — can endanger their safety, employment, housing, or family relationships. Always let people share their own story.

Pronouns

Concept

The words used to refer to someone (she/he/they).

Sharing your pronouns (e.g., 'I use she/her') normalizes the practice and signals safety. If you make a mistake, briefly correct yourself and move on — long apologies center the speaker, not the person misgendered.

Dead-naming

Concept

Using a trans person's pre-transition name.

Even unintentionally, dead-naming can cause real harm. Use the person's current name in all contexts, including when speaking about their past, unless they explicitly say otherwise.

Allyship

Concept

Active, ongoing support for LGBTQ+ people by those outside the community.

Allyship is a practice, not a label you give yourself. It includes listening, learning, calling out harm, and using one's privilege to make space — especially in healthcare, education, and family settings.

Heteronormativity

Concept

The assumption that being straight and cis is the default.

Shows up in forms that only have 'husband/wife' fields, doctors who assume birth control needs based on a partner's gender, or media that erases queer lives. Combating it makes services safer for everyone.

Internalized Homophobia / Transphobia

Concept

When LGBTQ+ people absorb negative messages about themselves.

Growing up surrounded by stigma can lead to shame, self-rejection, or harm toward other community members. Therapy with an affirming counselor and connection with peers help.

Minority Stress

Health

Chronic stress from facing stigma and discrimination.

Documented driver of higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in LGBTQ+ populations — caused by environment, NOT identity. Affirming care, community, and policy change reduce minority stress.

Conversion 'Therapy'

Rights

Discredited practices claiming to change orientation or gender identity.

Condemned by every major medical association worldwide. It does not work and causes lasting harm including depression, PTSD, and suicide. Increasingly banned by law in many countries.

Key Populations

Health

Public-health term for groups disproportionately affected by HIV.

Includes men who have sex with men (MSM), sex workers, people who inject drugs, and trans people. In Rwanda, RBC programs and partners like HDI provide key-population-friendly services including PrEP, testing, and condoms.

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