We often refer to our diverse community of sexual minorities as "GLBT", including main groupings such as Gay, Lesbian (also gay), Bisexual and Transgender.
Sometimes, when we feel generous - or remember to, we add on the I for Intersex. Perhaps when we run into groups that confuse us, or defy classification into the other main groups, we quickly tack on the "Q" for Queer or Questioning - although I sometimes have to wonder who it is that is doing the actual questioning? Us? Or the folks on the outside of the community?
But mostly, I often wonder why is it that we as a community seem to be struggling so much with framing and understanding (or even accepting) our own diverse identities?
And, speaking of that, a little while ago I saw the following:
LGBTTIQQ2SA
That's right, Someone was using this very unwieldy acronym to refer to the broader "Gay" community.
LGBTTIQQ2SA.
Has anyone been left out?
Let's do a quick check.
In case you need a translation (as I did), "LGBTTIQQ2SA" refers to "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual, Transgender, Intersex, Queer, Questioning, 2-Spirited and Allies."
Ha ha ha. Wow.
Please don't mistake my little chuckle for insensitivity or callous disregard, or any other number of negative reactions. I think it's wonderful that people are making an effort to include everyone and to make them feel seen and appreciated as part of the broader - er, LGBTTIQQ2SA community. I just think this constantly evolving (and expanding) acronym business is extremely impractical and even getting a bit bizarre.
I'll bet they think they got everyone in there, don't they? Oh but wait, where's the extra 'A' for Asexual and the 'P' for Pansexual? I'm offended! LOL. (That's "Laugh Out Loud", not "Lucifer Our Lord" LMAO. Er, and that's... oh, forget it.)
Imagine having to type such a lengthy acronym in every other sentence of a dissertation or actuality article, or actually having to say "LGBTTIQQ2SAAP" (then tack on the bits they forgot) every other sentence when speaking about the pink community? Imagine trying to include all that word-salad in a speech several pages long without people losing interest or falling asleep while you try to get it right every time, or trip over your tongue again for the third time?
This effort, while being terrifically noble in its intent to include everyone, is in my views, simply over-complication - which like every over-complication, goes against Thomas Alva Edison's slogan, which was "simplify, simplify, simplify". And Thomas was a very bright man, famous for his light-bulb moments, which through crafty means gave us, among other things - well, the lasts-just-long-enough light-bulb.
Given all this, do you now see why the "Pink Community" works better?
It's a name, and umbrella term - and better yet, it's a pronounceable word, and it's easy to remember and pretty hard to forget. And it doesn't need to change every other week, whenever someone goes "Oh, wait, we need to add this newly discovered identity group to the acronym!"
When you say "the Pink Community", you automatically include everyone who is gender or sexually diverse or non-cisgender normative - anyone who does not fit in with the two-dimensional, bipolar view that defines people's sexuality and gender into little square boxes with no room for flexibility or variation.
Yes we are all different, and we may feel that because we're different we don't have the same needs and shouldn't really be part of the same community. And we'd be wrong. Why? Because we all need to be respected. We all have the need to be accepted. We all need to live our lives unhindered by prejudice, unbound by hatred, unfettered by persecution.
I'm not saying that if you're gay, you should just fight for gay rights, or if you're trans, then don't support lesbian rights... I'm saying the complete opposite. I'm saying we should all be fighting for the global rights of our whole community. No reason that you as a gay man cannot fight for the rights of intersex people while fighting for your own. No reason why I as a transwoman cannot fight for your rights as a gay person while I take up the issues affecting me or my kind.
How many gay people might also be bisexual? Or transgender? How many trans people are also gay or bi? Is separating us into little camps not defeating the object? Those who hate us don't care which letter in any acronym we identify with - they hate us for simply existing and for identifying with ANY of those letters - and they don't see any distinctions - they call us all by the same name. It's funny how we, the open-minded and tolerant, struggle to see ourselves as those who hate us do - as one group.
Yes, we all have our own individual identities and our own issues, our own need to be accepted for who we are - to be recognized. But we need to stand together as a community, back-to-back, keeping the wolves at bay. We need to stand together, and speak together out of the same mouth, with one voice. And we should be saying things like: "An injury to one is an injury to all" - and "Leave no-one behind."
We are the Pink Community.
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If you would like to know more about Christina Engela and her writing, please feel free to browse her website.
If you’d like to send Christina Engela a question about her life as a writer or transactivist, please send an email to christinaengela@gmail.com or use the Contact form.
All material copyright © Christina Engela, 2019.
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