In honor of Pride Month, our colleagues in Los Angeles share some AP Stylebook tips for communicating around LGBTQ issues:
- Pride
- Capitalize Pride when referring to events or organizations honoring the LGBTQ community.
- Twin Cities Pride. “Are you going to Pride?” she asked. It’s Pride day. Several cities are holding Pride events this weekend.
- Lowercase pride when referring to generic events or the general concept of LGBTQ pride.
- He attended a pride parade.
- When referring to Pride Month, Month should be capitalized.
- Capitalize Pride when referring to events or organizations honoring the LGBTQ community.
- LGBTQ
- Acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer.
- Other forms such as LGBTQIA and other variations are also acceptable with the other letters explained. I generally stands for intersex, and A can stand for asexual (a person who doesn’t experience sexual attraction), ally (some activists decry this use of the abbreviation for a person who is not LGBT but who actively supports LGBT communities) or both.
- Use of LGBT or LGBTQ is best as an adjective and an umbrella term. Walters joined the LGBTQ business association.
- Queer is an umbrella term covering people who are not heterosexual or cisgender and is acceptable for people and organizations that use the term to identify themselves.
- Acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer.
- Gender
- Gender refers to a person’s social identity, while sex refers to biological characteristics. Not all people fall under one of two categories for sex or gender, according to leading medical organizations. So avoid references to both, either or opposite sexes or genders as a way to encompass all people. When needed for clarity or in certain stories about scientific studies, alternatives include men and women, boys and girls, males and females.
- Language around gender is evolving. The AP recommends the terms sex reassignment or gender confirmation for the medical procedures used for gender transition, while some groups use other terms, such as gender affirmation or sex realignment.
- Gender refers to a person’s social identity, while sex refers to biological characteristics. Not all people fall under one of two categories for sex or gender, according to leading medical organizations. So avoid references to both, either or opposite sexes or genders as a way to encompass all people. When needed for clarity or in certain stories about scientific studies, alternatives include men and women, boys and girls, males and females.
