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{{Short description|Community and culture of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people}}
{{Redirect|Gay community||LGBTQ culture#Gay men's culture}}
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{{Globalize|date=June 2023|2=US}}
[[File:Stonewall_Inn_5_pride_weekend_2016.jpg|thumb|260px|[[Greenwich Village]], a [[Gay village|gay neighborhood]] in [[LGBT culture in New York City|Manhattan]], is home to the [[Stonewall Inn]], shown here adorned with [[Rainbow flag (LGBT)|rainbow pride flags]].<ref name="Gay Greenwich Village 1">{{cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/new-york/articles/why-new-york-city-is-a-major-destination-for-lgbt-travelers/|title=Why New York City Is a Major Destination for LGBT Travelers|author=Julia Goicochea|publisher=The Culture Trip|date=August 16, 2017|access-date=February 2, 2019|archive-date=January 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102084000/https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/new-york/articles/why-new-york-city-is-a-major-destination-for-lgbt-travelers/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gay Greenwich Village 2">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/nyregion/stonewall-inn-named-national-monument-a-first-for-gay-rights-movement.html|title=Stonewall Inn Named National Monument, a First for the Gay Rights Movement|author=Eli Rosenberg|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 24, 2016|access-date=June 25, 2016|archive-date=May 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506010607/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/25/nyregion/stonewall-inn-named-national-monument-a-first-for-gay-rights-movement.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gay Greenwich Village 3">{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/diversity/stonewall.htm |title=Workforce Diversity The Stonewall Inn, National Historic Landmark National Register Number: 99000562 |publisher=National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior |access-date=April 21, 2016 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306222059/http://www.nps.gov/diversity/stonewall.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
{{LGBTQ sidebar}}
The '''LGBTQ community''' or '''queer community''' (also known by variants of the [[LGBTQ (term)|initialism ''LGBTQ'']]){{efn|Other variants include: LGBT, LGBT+, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIA+, 2SLGBTQ, 2SLGBTQ+, GLBT, GLBTQ, LGBTQQ, LGBTI, LGBTI+}} comprises [[LGBTQ people|LGBTQ individuals]] united by [[LGBTQ culture|a common culture]] and [[LGBTQ movements|social movements]]. These [[Community|communities]] generally celebrate [[Pride (LGBTQ culture)|pride]], [[Sexual diversity|diversity]], [[individuality]], and [[Human sexuality|sexuality]].{{Not verified in body|date=November 2022}} [[LGBTQ activists]] and sociologists see LGBTQ community-building as a counterweight to [[heterosexism]], [[homophobia]], [[biphobia]], [[transphobia]], [[sexualism]], and [[Conformity|conformist]] pressures that exist in the larger society. 

The term ''pride'' or sometimes ''gay pride'' expresses the LGBTQ community's identity and collective strength; [[pride parade]]s provide both a prime example of the use and a demonstration of the general meaning of the term.{{Not verified in body|date=November 2022}} The LGBTQ community is diverse in [[political affiliation]]. Not all LGBTQ people consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community.

Groups that may be considered part of the LGBTQ community include [[gay village]]s, [[List of LGBTQ rights organizations|LGBTQ rights organizations]], LGBTQ employee groups at companies, [[gay–straight alliance|LGBTQ student groups in schools and universities]], and [[LGBTQ-affirming religious groups]].

LGBTQ communities may organize themselves into, or support, [[movements for civil rights]] promoting [[LGBTQ rights]] in various places around the world. At the same time, high-profile celebrities in the broader society may offer strong support to these organizations in certain locations; for example, LGBTQ advocate and entertainer [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] stated, "I was asked to perform at many [[NYC Pride March|Pride]] events around the world — but I would never, ever turn down [[LGBTQ culture in New York City|New York City]]".<ref name=MadonnaNYCPride>{{cite magazine|accessdate=June 25, 2022|author=Jeff Nelson|date=June 24, 2022|magazine=[[People Magazine]]|title=Madonna Celebrates Queer Joy with Drag Queens, Son David at Star-Studded NYC Pride Party|url=https://people.com/music/madonna-celebrates-nyc-pride-with-star-studded-variety-show/?amp=true|archive-date=June 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625222947/https://people.com/music/madonna-celebrates-nyc-pride-with-star-studded-variety-show/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Terminology==
{{Main|LGBTQ (term)}}''LGBT'', or ''GLBT'', is an [[initialism]] that stands for [[lesbian]], [[gay]], [[bisexual]], and [[transgender]]. In use since the 1990s, the term is an adaptation of the initialism ''LGB'', which was used to replace the term ''gay'' – when referring to the community as a whole – beginning in various forms largely in the early 1990s.<ref>''Acronyms, Initialisms & Abbreviations Dictionary,'' Volume 1, Part 1. Gale Research Co., 1985,  {{ISBN|978-0-8103-0683-7}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=JDtUAAAAMAAJ Factsheet five, Issues 32–36, Mike Gunderloy, 1989] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906161715/https://books.google.com/books?id=JDtUAAAAMAAJ |date=2015-09-06 }}{{full citation needed|reason=not clear how to find this in FF5; this is incorrect|date=February 2023}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=June 2023|reason=This paragraph is a target of historical revisionism and needs a source that's more authoritative about the usage of the term.}} Terms, such as LGBTQ, are needed to foster inclusiveness for people in the community.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Thelwall |first=Mike |last2=Devonport |first2=Tracey Jayne |last3=Makita |first3=Meiko |last4=Russell |first4=Kate |last5=Ferguson |first5=Lois |date=2023-09-19 |title=Academic LGBTQ+ Terminology 1900-2021: Increasing Variety, Increasing Inclusivity? |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2022.2070446 |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |volume=70 |issue=11 |pages=2514–2538 |doi=10.1080/00918369.2022.2070446 |issn=0091-8369 |pmid=35475685}}</ref>The term LGBTQ is an umbrella term, especially crucial as the amount of terms continue to rise.<ref name=":3" />

While the movement had always included all LGBTQ people, the one-word unifying term in the 1950s through the early 1980s was ''gay'' (see [[Gay liberation]]). Throughout the 1970s and '80s, a number of groups with lesbian members, and [[pro-feminist]] politics, preferred the more representative, ''lesbian and gay''.<ref name=HoffmanTerms>{{Cite book|last=Hoffman|first=Amy|title=An Army of Ex-Lovers: My life at the Gay Community News|date=2007|publisher=University of Massachusetts Press|isbn=978-1558496217|pages=79–81}}</ref> By the early nineties, as more groups shifted to names based on ''lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender'' (LGBT), ''[[queer]]'' was also increasingly reclaimed as a one-word alternative to the ever-lengthening string of initials, especially when used by radical political groups, some of which had been using "queer" since the '80s.<ref name=HoffmanTerms/>

The initialism, as well as common variants such as ''LGBTQ'', have been adopted into the mainstream in the 1990s<ref>{{Cite book|last=Ferentinos|first=Susan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UzgHBgAAQBAJ&q=lgbt+history&pg=PR8|title=Interpreting LGBT History at Museums and Historic Sites|date=2014-12-16|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-7591-2374-8|language=ar|access-date=2020-10-02|archive-date=2022-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309200704/https://books.google.com/books?id=UzgHBgAAQBAJ&q=lgbt+history&pg=PR8|url-status=live}}</ref> as an [[umbrella term]] for use when labeling topics about [[sexuality and gender identity-based cultures|sexuality and gender identity]]. For example, the LGBT Movement Advancement Project termed community centers, which have services specific to those members of the LGBT community, as "LGBT community centers" in comprehensive studies of such centers around the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Centerlink|title=2008 Community Center Survey Report|url=http://www.lgbtmap.org/file/2008-lgbt-community-center-survey-report.pdf|website=LGBT Movement Advancement Project|access-date=August 29, 2008|archive-date=March 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323181926/https://www.lgbtmap.org/file/2008-lgbt-community-center-survey-report.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

The initialism ''LGBT'' is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures. It may refer to anyone who is [[non-heterosexual]] or non-[[cisgender]], instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.<ref name="Shankle-2006">{{cite book |last=Shankle |first=Michael D. |title=The Handbook of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Public Health: A Practitioner's Guide To Service |publisher=Haworth Press |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-56023-496-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pUUyLSKD5voC |access-date=2020-05-08 |archive-date=2015-09-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906170653/https://books.google.com/books?id=pUUyLSKD5voC |url-status=live }}</ref> Recognize this inclusion as a popular variant that adds the letter Q for those who identify as [[queer]] or are [[Questioning (sexuality and gender)|questioning]] their sexual identity; ''LGBTQ'' has been recorded since 1996.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkUEAQAAIAAJ |title=The Santa Cruz County in-queery, Volume 9, Santa Cruz Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgendered Community Center, 1996 |date=2008-11-01 |access-date=2011-10-23 |archive-date=2013-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510043329/http://books.google.com/books?id=rkUEAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }} page 690</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/05/23/civilities-what-does-the-acronym-lgbtq-stand-for/|access-date=February 19, 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|title=Civilities, What does the acronym LGBTQ stand for?|archive-date=January 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200103082543/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2014/05/23/civilities-what-does-the-acronym-lgbtq-stand-for/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Disagreement between what precise wording is best is still present in 2023. Some propose adding more letters to make the participation of those groups explicit.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Heidi |date=2022-08-22 |title=The Guide to LGBTQ Acronyms: Is it LGBT or LGBTQ+ or LGBTQIA+? |url=https://thecentercv.org/blog/the-guide-to-lgbtq-acronyms-is-it-lgbt-or-lgbtq-or-lgbtqia/ |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=The Center |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162759/https://thecentercv.org/blog/the-guide-to-lgbtq-acronyms-is-it-lgbt-or-lgbtq-or-lgbtqia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Detractors of this approach argue that adding letters implicitly excludes others or makes for worse branding.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

Terminology has changed do to the changes in gender.<ref name=":3" /> The introduction of new terms to encompass new concepts has been the cause the creation of new terms.<ref name=":3" /> These changes in terminology can lead to difficulties in building educationally libraries making it harder for people to reach valuable information.<ref name=":3" />

==Symbols==
{{Main|LGBTQ symbols}}

[[File:Rainbow Crossing.jpg|thumb|The original [[DIY rainbow crossing]] on [[Sydney, Australia]]'s [[Oxford Street, Sydney|Oxford Street]], 2013]]
The gay community is frequently associated with certain symbols, especially the [[rainbow]] or rainbow flags. The Greek [[lambda]] symbol ("L" for liberation), triangles, ribbons, and gender symbols are also used as "gay acceptance" symbol. There are many types of flags to represent subdivisions in the gay community, but the most commonly recognized one is the [[Rainbow flag (LGBT)|rainbow flag]]. According to [[Gilbert Baker (artist)|Gilbert Baker]], creator of the commonly known rainbow flag, each color represents a value in the community:
* pink = sexuality
* red = life
* orange = healing
* yellow = the sun
* green = nature
* blue = art
* indigo = harmony
* violet = spirit
[[File:Congresswoman Pelosi at the Friends of the Pink Triangle Ceremony (8281364821) (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Nancy Pelosi|Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi]] at the Friends of the Pink Triangle Ceremony]]
Later, pink and indigo were removed from the flag, resulting in the present-day flag which was first presented at the 1979 Pride Parade. Other flags include the Victory over [[AIDS]] flag, the [[Leather Pride flag]], and the [[Bear flag (gay culture)|Bear Pride flag]].<ref name="lambda.org">{{cite web | url=http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm | title=Symbols of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Movements. | publisher=Lambda.org | access-date=26 December 2004 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204072030/http://www.lambda.org/symbols.htm | archive-date=4 December 2004}}</ref>

The lambda symbol was originally adopted by [[Gay Activists Alliance]] of New York in 1970 after they broke away from the larger Gay Liberation Front. Lambda was chosen because people might confuse it for a college symbol and not recognize it as a gay community symbol unless one was actually involved in the community. "Back in December of 1974, the lambda was officially declared the international symbol for gay and lesbian rights by the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh, Scotland."<ref name="lambda.org"/>

The triangle became a symbol for the gay community after the [[Holocaust]]. Not only [[Nazi concentration camp badge|did it represent Jews, but homosexuals who were killed because of German law]]. During the Holocaust, homosexuals were labeled with pink triangles to distinguish between them, Jews, regular prisoners, and [[political prisoner]]s. The black triangle is similarly a symbol for females only to represent lesbian sisterhood.

[[File:Pink triangle jew.svg|thumb|Pink and yellow triangles were utilized [[Nazi concentration camp badge|to label Jewish homosexuals during the Holocaust]].]]
The pink and yellow triangle was used to label Jewish homosexuals. Gender symbols have a much longer list of variations of homosexual or bisexual relationships which are clearly recognizable but may not be as popularly seen as the other symbols. Other symbols that relate to the gay community or gay pride include the gay-teen [[suicide awareness]] ribbon, AIDS awareness ribbon, labrys, and purple rhinoceros.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How A Lavender Rhino Became A Symbol Of Gay Resistance In '70s Boston |url=https://www.wbur.org/news/2019/06/03/lavender-rhino-gay-resistance-boston |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=www.wbur.org |date=3 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|title=How the Nazi Regime's Pink Triangle Symbol Was Repurposed for LGBTQ Pride|url=https://time.com/5295476/gay-pride-pink-triangle-history/|access-date=2021-06-05|magazine=Time|language=en|archive-date=2021-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607202209/https://time.com/5295476/gay-pride-pink-triangle-history/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the fall of 1995, the Human Rights Campaign adopted a logo (yellow equal sign on deep blue square) that has become one of the most recognizable symbols of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. The logo can be spotted the world over and has become synonymous with the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ people.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Christen|first=Simone|title=The Irony of the Human Rights Campaign's Logo|url=https://oberlinreview.org/1913/opinions/the-irony-of-the-human-rights-campaigns-logo/|access-date=2021-06-05|website=The Oberlin Review|archive-date=2021-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605064407/https://oberlinreview.org/1913/opinions/the-irony-of-the-human-rights-campaigns-logo/|url-status=live}}</ref>

One of the most notable recent changes was made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 8, 2017. They added two new stripes to the rainbow flag, one black and one brown. These were intended to highlight members of color within the LGBTQ community.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.phillymag.com/g-philly/2017/06/08/philly-pride-flag-black-brown/|title=Philly's Pride Flag to Get Two New Stripes: Black and Brown|date=2017-06-08|work=Philadelphia Magazine|access-date=2018-02-26|language=en-US|archive-date=2018-02-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226164556/https://www.phillymag.com/g-philly/2017/06/08/philly-pride-flag-black-brown/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{further|LGBT demographics of the United States}}
{{see also|Demographics of sexual orientation}}
[[File:A group of Hijra in Bangladesh.jpg|thumb|[[Hijra (South Asia)|Hijra]] people in Bangladesh.]]

In a 2012 survey, younger Americans are more likely to identify as gay.<ref name="Soat2" /> Statistics decrease with age, as adults between ages 18–29 are three times more likely to identify as LGBTQ than seniors older than 65.<ref name="Soat2" /> These statistics for the LGBTQ community are taken into account just as they are with other demographics to find trend patterns for specific products.<ref name="Miller2" /> Consumers who identify as LGBTQ are more likely to regularly engage in various activities as opposed to those who identify as heterosexual.<ref name="Miller2" /> According to Community Marketing, Inc., 90 percent of lesbians and 88 percent of gay men will dine out with friends regularly. And similarly, 31 percent of lesbians and 50 percent of gay men will visit a club or a bar.<ref name="Miller2" />

The likelihood of LGBTQ women having children at home as non-LGBTQ women is equal.<ref name="Soat2" /> LGBTQ men are half as likely when compared with non-LGBTQ men to have children at home.<ref name="Soat2" /> In 2012, household incomes for sixteen percent of LGBTQ Americans ranged above $90,000 per year, in comparison with 21 percent of the overall adult population.<ref name="Soat2" /> Those who identify as LGBTQ have fewer children collectively in comparison to heterosexual partners.<ref name="Miller2" /> LGBTQ populations of color face income barriers along with the rest of the race issues, earn less and are not as affluent.<ref name="Miller2" />

In 2014, the metropolitan areas with the highest percentage of LGBTQ community was San Francisco, California. The next highest were Portland, Oregon, and Austin, Texas.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gallup, Inc.|title=San Francisco Metro Area Ranks Highest in LGBT Percentage|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/182051/san-francisco-metro-area-ranks-highest-lgbt-percentage.aspx|work=Gallup.com|date=20 March 2015|access-date=20 March 2015|archive-date=22 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151022104058/http://www.gallup.com/poll/182051/san-francisco-metro-area-ranks-highest-lgbt-percentage.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 2019 survey of the Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ population in the Canadian city of [[Hamilton, Ontario]], called ''Mapping the Void: Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Experiences in Hamilton'' showed that out of 906 respondents, when it came to sexual orientation, 48.9% identified as bisexual/pansexual, 21.6% identified as gay, 18.3% identified as lesbian, 4.9% identified as queer, and 6.3% identified as other (a category consisting of those who indicated they were asexual, heterosexual, or questioning, and those who gave no response for their sexual orientation).<ref>{{cite web|date=11 Jun 2019|title=Mapping the Void: Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Experiences in Hamilton|url=https://labourstudies.mcmaster.ca/documents/mappingthevoid.pdf|access-date=19 July 2019|archive-date=3 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190703192933/https://labourstudies.mcmaster.ca/documents/mappingthevoid.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 2019 survey of trans and non-binary people in Canada called ''Trans PULSE Canada'' showed that out of 2,873 respondents. When it came to sexual orientation, 13% identified as asexual, 28% identified as bisexual, 13% identified as gay, 15% identified as lesbian, 31% identified as pansexual, 8% identified as straight or heterosexual, 4% identified as two-spirit, and 9% identified as unsure or questioning.<ref>{{cite web|date=10 March 2020|title=Trans PULSE Canada Report No. 1 or 10|url=https://transpulsecanada.ca/results/report-1/|access-date=10 March 2020|archive-date=14 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314014752/https://transpulsecanada.ca/results/report-1/|url-status=live}}</ref>

A 2021 Gallup survey, found that 7.1% of U.S. adults identify as "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or something other than straight or heterosexual".<ref name="Jones-2021">{{cite web |last=Jones |first=Jeffrey M. |title=What Percentage of Americans Are LGBT? |date=3 March 2021<!--updated 17 Feb 2022--> |url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/332522/percentage-americans-lgbt.aspx |publisher=[[Gallup, Inc.|Gallup]] |access-date=19 December 2022 |archive-date=3 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303095302/https://news.gallup.com/poll/332522/percentage-americans-lgbt.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Discrimination==
{{excerpt|Discrimination against LGBT people}}People in the LGBTQ community face discrimination in form of microaggressions. [[Microaggression|Microaggressions]] are usually statements that are indirect and sometimes incidental but carry a negative connotation. In LGBTQ youths the most common type of microaggression they encounter are political remarks such as dissing samesex rights.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last1=Farr |first1=Rachel H. |last2=Cashen |first2=Krystal K. |last3=Siebenthaler |first3=Kelsey A. |last4=Simon |first4=Kay A. |date=2024 |title=Microaggression and discrimination experiences among diverse youth with LGBTQ+ parents in the United States |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jora.12919 |journal=Journal of Research on Adolescence |language=en |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=551–567 |doi=10.1111/jora.12919 |issn=1532-7795}}</ref>The second most common form of microaggression is expression [[stereotype]] about the LGBTQ community. <ref name=":1" /> Microaggression are common and often experiences in everyday life. Safe spaces such as school can have a big impact on the occurrence of microaggressions.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last=Munro |first=Lauren |last2=Travers |first2=Robb |last3=Woodford |first3=Michael R. |date=2019-08-24 |title=Overlooked and Invisible: Everyday Experiences of Microaggressions for LGBTQ Adolescents |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1542205 |journal=Journal of Homosexuality |volume=66 |issue=10 |pages=1439–1471 |doi=10.1080/00918369.2018.1542205 |issn=0091-8369 |pmid=30625037}}</ref> These include the constant homophobic remarks such a as "gay", homophobic graffiti, Gay-Straight alliance graffiti, etc.<ref name=":5" />

==Rights==
{{main|LGBT rights by country or territory|LGBTQ movements}}

[[Image:Evan Wolfson by David Shankbone.jpg|thumb|[[Evan Wolfson]] of [[Freedom to Marry]] argued before the Supreme Court in ''[[Boy Scouts of America v. Dale]]''.]]
The LGBTQ community represented by a social component of the global community that is believed by many, including [[Straight ally|heterosexual allies]], to be underrepresented in the area of [[civil rights]]. The current struggle of the gay community has been largely brought about by globalization. In the United States, [[World War II]] brought together many closeted rural men from around the nation and exposed them to more progressive attitudes in parts of Europe. 

Upon returning home after the war, many of these men decided to band together in cities rather than return to their small towns. Fledgling communities would soon become political in the beginning of the [[gay rights]] movement, including monumental incidents at places like [[Stonewall Inn|Stonewall]]. Today, many large cities have gay and lesbian community centers. Many universities and colleges across the world have support centers for LGBTQ students. The [[Human Rights Campaign]],<ref name="HRC | What We Do">{{cite web|url=http://www.hrc.org/about_us/what_we_do.asp |title=What We Do |publisher=HRC |access-date=2013-12-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731083704/http://www.hrc.org/about_us/what_we_do.asp |archive-date=2012-07-31 }}</ref> [[Lambda Legal]], the [[Empowering Spirits Foundation]],<ref name="WiserEarth">{{cite web |url=http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/c169c5a5c09f75d33327e1e86832df97 |title=Wiser Earth Organizations: Empowering Spirits Foundation |publisher=Wiserearth.org |access-date=2013-12-05 |archive-date=2020-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629101852/http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/c169c5a5c09f75d33327e1e86832df97 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[GLAAD]]<ref>GLAAD: [http://www.glaad.org/about/index.php "About GLAAD"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426130947/http://www.glaad.org/about/index.php |date=April 26, 2009 }}</ref> advocate for LGBTQ people on a wide range of issues in the United States. There is also an [[International Lesbian and Gay Association]]. 

In 1947, when the United Kingdom adopted the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] (UDHR), LGBTQ activists clung to its concept of equal, inalienable rights for all people, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. The declaration does not specifically mention gay rights, but discusses equality and freedom from discrimination.<ref>Amnesty International USA. Human Rights and the Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People.  2009.  {{cite web |url=http://www.amnestyusa.org/lgbt-human-rights/about-lgbt-human-rights/page.do?id=1106573 |title=About LGBT Human Rights |access-date=2010-08-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712090630/http://www.amnestyusa.org/lgbt-human-rights/about-lgbt-human-rights/page.do?id=1106573 |archive-date=2010-07-12 }}</ref> 

In 1962, Clark Polak joined The [[Janus Society]] in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite web|title=Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered History in America.|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/article-1G2-3403600387/polak-clark.html|website=Encyclopedia|access-date=2018-03-13|archive-date=2022-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309200708/https://www.encyclopedia.com/social-sciences/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/polak-clark|url-status=live}}</ref> Only a year after, he became president.  In 1968, he announced that the Society would be changing their name to Homosexual Law Reform Society; "Homosexuals are now willing to fly under their own colors" (Stewart, 1968).

[[Image:Human Right Campaign headquarters.JPG|thumb| The headquarters of the [[Human Rights Campaign]], one of the largest gay rights organizations in the United States]]

===Same-sex marriage===
{{Main|Same-sex marriage}}

In some parts of the world, partnership rights or [[marriage]] have been extended to same-sex couples. Advocates of same-sex marriage cite a range of benefits that are denied to people who cannot marry, including immigration, health care, inheritance and property rights, and other family obligations and protections, as reasons why marriage should be extended to same-sex couples. Opponents of same-sex marriage within the gay community argue that fighting to achieve these benefits by means of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples privatizes benefits (e.g., health care) that should be made available to people regardless of their relationship status. They further argue that the same-sex marriage movement within the gay community discriminates against families that are composed of three or more intimate partners. Opposition to the same-sex marriage movement from within the gay community should not be confused with opposition from outside that community.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}}

==Media==
The contemporary lesbian and gay community has a growing and complex place in the American and Western European media. Lesbians and gay men [[Media portrayal of LGBT people|are often portrayed]] inaccurately in television, films, and other media; the gay community is often portrayed as many [[stereotypes]], such as gay men being portrayed as flamboyant and bold. Like other minority groups, these caricatures are intended to ridicule this marginalized group.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Raley|first1=Amber B.|last2=Lucas|first2=Jennifer L.|title=Stereotype or Success? Prime-time television's portrayals of gay male, lesbian, and bisexual characters|journal=Journal of Homosexuality|date=October 2006|volume=51|issue=2|pages=19–38|doi=10.1300/J082v51n02_02|pmid=16901865|s2cid=9882274}}</ref>

There is currently a widespread ban of references in child-related entertainment, and when references do occur, they almost invariably generate controversy. In 1997, when American comedian [[Ellen DeGeneres]] [[Coming out|came out]] of the [[closeted|closet]] on her popular sitcom, many sponsors, such as the [[Wendy's]] fast food chain, pulled their advertising.<ref>Gomestic.  2009.  Stanza Ltd</ref> Also, a portion of the media has attempted to make the gay community included and publicly accepted with television shows such as ''[[Will & Grace]]'' or ''[[Queer Eye for the Straight Guy]]''. This increased publicity reflects the Coming out movement of the LGBTQ community. As more celebrities came out, more shows developed, such as the 2004 show ''[[The L Word]]''. These depictions of the LGBTQ community have been controversial, but beneficial for the community. The increase in visibility of LGBTQ people allowed for the LGBTQ community to unite to organize and demand change, and it has also inspired many LGBTQ people to come out.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gross|first1=Larry P.|title=Up from Invisibility: Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Media in America|date=2001|publisher=Columbia University Press|isbn=9780231119535|url=https://archive.org/details/upfrominvisibili0000gros|url-access=registration|quote=Media's portrayal of gays and lesbians.|language=en}}</ref>

In the United States, gay people are frequently used as a symbol of social [[decadence]] by celebrity evangelists and by organizations such as [[Focus on the Family]]. Many LGBTQ organizations exist to represent and defend the gay community. For example, the [[Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation]] in the United States and [[Stonewall (UK)|Stonewall]] in the UK work with the media to help portray fair and accurate images of the gay community.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered-and-queer-community|title=Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community {{!}} sociology|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-11-22|archive-date=2019-12-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191202190206/https://www.britannica.com/topic/lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered-and-queer-community|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/battle-gay-rights-over/592645/|title=The Struggle for Gay Rights Is Over|last=Kirchick|first=James|date=2019-06-28|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-22|archive-date=2019-11-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191125202506/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/battle-gay-rights-over/592645/|url-status=live}}</ref>

As companies are advertising more and more to the gay community, LGBTQ activists are using ad slogans to promote gay community views. [[Subaru]] marketed its Forester and Outback with the slogan "It's Not a Choice. It's the Way We're Built", which was later used in eight U.S. cities on streets or in gay rights events.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fetto|first=John|date=February 2001|url=https://adage.com/article/american-demographics/broad-daylight/42217|url-access=subscription |title=In Broad Daylight|access-date=2016-02-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016142008/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_ISSN_0163-4089/ai_75171025/ |archive-date=2015-10-16 }}</ref>

=== Social media ===
Social media is often used as a platform for the LGBTQ community to congregate and share resources. Search engines and social networking sites provide numerous opportunities for LGBTQ people to connect with one another; additionally, they play a key role in identity creation and self-presentation.<ref name=MediaInfluence>{{Cite journal|last1=Craig |first1=Shelley L. |last2=McInroy |first2=Lauren |date=2014-01-01|title=You Can Form a Part of Yourself Online: The Influence of New Media on Identity Development and Coming Out for LGBTQ Youth|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2013.777007|journal=Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health|volume=18|issue=1|pages=95–109|doi=10.1080/19359705.2013.777007|s2cid=216141171 |issn=1935-9705|access-date=2021-02-03|archive-date=2022-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309200708/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19359705.2013.777007|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last=Kitzie|first=Vanessa|date=2019|title="That looks like me or something i can do": Affordances and constraints in the online identity work of US LGBTQ+ millennials|journal=Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology|language=en|volume=70|issue=12|pages=1340–1351|doi=10.1002/asi.24217|issn=2330-1643|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=DeVito|first1=Michael A.|last2=Walker|first2=Ashley Marie|last3=Birnholtz|first3=Jeremy|date=2018-11-01|title='Too Gay for Facebook': Presenting LGBTQ+ Identity Throughout the Personal Social Media Ecosystem|journal=Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction|volume=2|issue=CSCW|pages=44:1–44:23|doi=10.1145/3274313|s2cid=53237950|doi-access=free}}</ref> Social networking sites allow for community building as well as anonymity, allowing people to engage as much or as little as they would like.<ref name=":4">{{Cite journal|last1=Fox|first1=Jesse|last2=Warber|first2=Katie M.|date=2014-12-22|title=Queer Identity Management and Political Self-Expression on Social Networking Sites: A Co-Cultural Approach to the Spiral of Silence|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcom.12137|journal=Journal of Communication|volume=65|issue=1|pages=79–100|doi=10.1111/jcom.12137|issn=0021-9916|access-date=2021-02-03|archive-date=2022-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309200714/https://academic.oup.com/joc/article-abstract/65/1/79/4082329?redirectedFrom=fulltext|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The variety of social media platforms, including [[Facebook]], [[TikTok]], [[Tumblr]], [[Twitter]], and [[YouTube]], have differing associated audiences, affordances and norms.<ref name=":2" /> 

These platforms allow for more inclusivity as members of the LGBTQ community have the agency to decide where to engage and how to self-present themselves.<ref name=":2" /> The existence of the LGBTQ community and discourse on social media platforms is essential to disrupt the reproduction of hegemonic cis-heteronormativity and represent the wide variety of identities that exist.<ref name=":4" />

Before its ban on adult content in 2018, [[Tumblr]] was a platform uniquely suited for sharing trans stories and building community.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Haimson|first1=Oliver L.|last2=Dame-Griff|first2=Avery|last3=Capello|first3=Elias|last4=Richter|first4=Zahari|date=2019-10-18|title=Tumblr was a trans technology: the meaning, importance, history, and future of trans technologies|journal=Feminist Media Studies|volume=21|issue=3|pages=345–361|doi=10.1080/14680777.2019.1678505|issn=1468-0777|doi-access=free|hdl=2027.42/153782|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Mainstream social media platforms like [[TikTok]] have also been beneficial for the trans community by creating spaces for folks to share resources and transition stories, normalizing trans identity.<ref name=":32">{{Cite journal|last1=Simpson|first1=Ellen|last2=Semaan|first2=Bryan|date=2021-01-05|title=For You, or For"You"?|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3432951|journal=Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction|volume=4|issue=CSCW3|pages=1–34|doi=10.1145/3432951|s2cid=230717408|issn=2573-0142|access-date=2021-02-03|archive-date=2022-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309200714/https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3432951|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> It has been found that access to LGBTQ content, peers, and community on search engines and social networking sites has allowed for identity acceptance and pride within LGBTQ community.<ref name=MediaInfluence/>

Algorithms and evaluative criteria control what content is recommended to users on search engines and social networking site.<ref name=":12"/> These can reproduce stigmatizing discourses that are dominant within society, and result in negatively impacting LGBTQ self-perception.<ref name=":12" /> Social media algorithms have a significant impact on the formation of the LGBTQ community and culture.<ref name=":4" /> [[Algorithmic bias|Algorithmic exclusion]] occurs when exclusionary practices are reinforced by algorithms across technological landscapes, directly resulting in excluding marginalized identities.<ref name=":32"/> The exclusion of these identity representations causes identity insecurity for LGBTQ people, while further perpetuating cis-heteronormative identity discourse.<ref name=":32" /> LGBTQ users and allies have found methods of subverting algorithms that may suppress content in order to continue to build these online communities.<ref name=":32" />

==Buying power==
{{Globalize|date=June 2023|2=US}}{{main|Pink money}}

In 2006, the buying power of [[United States]] gays and lesbians was approximately $660 billion and was then expected to exceed $835 billion by 2011.<ref>PRNewswire. "Buying Power of US Gays and Lesbians to Exceed $835 Billion by 2011". January 25, 2007</ref> Gay consumers can be very loyal to specific brands, wishing to support companies that support the gay community and also provide [[Social equality|equal rights]] for [[LGBTQ]] workers. In the UK, this buying power is sometimes abbreviated to "the [[pink pound]]."<ref>{{Cite news|last=Hicklin|first=Aaron|date=27 September 2012|title=Power of the pink pound|work=[[The Financial Times]]|url=https://www.ft.com/content/a3a5d9be-0788-11e2-92b5-00144feabdc0|url-status=live|access-date=4 March 2021|archive-date=21 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421002829/https://www.ft.com/content/a3a5d9be-0788-11e2-92b5-00144feabdc0}}</ref>

According to an article by James Hipps, LGBTQ Americans are more likely to seek out companies that advertise to them and are willing to pay higher prices for premium products and services. This can be attributed to the median household income compared to same-sex couples to opposite-sex couples, as they are twice as likely to have graduated from college, twice as likely to have an individual income over $60,000 and twice as likely to have a household income of $250,000 or more.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hipps|first1=James|date=24 August 2008|title=The Power of Gay: Buying Power That Is|url=http://www.gayagenda.com/2008/08/the-power-of-gay-buying-power-that-is|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417135132/http://www.gayagenda.com/2008/08/the-power-of-gay-buying-power-that-is|archive-date=17 April 2010|access-date=5 July 2015|website=gayagenda.com}}</ref>

===Consumerism===
{{Main|Pink capitalism}}

Although many claims that the LGBTQ community is more affluent when compared to heterosexual consumers, research has proven that false.<ref name="Miller2">Miller, Richard K. and Kelli Washington. 2014. " Part Ix: Segmentation: Chapter 60: Gay & Lesbian Consumers". Consumer Behavior. 326–333.</ref> However, the LGBTQ community is still an important segment of consumer demographics because of the spending power and loyalty to brands that they have.<ref name="Um2">{{cite journal|last1=Um|first1=Nam-Hyun|date=2012|title=Seeking the holy grail through gay and lesbian consumers: An exploratory content analysis of ads with gay/lesbian-specific content|journal=Journal of Marketing Communications|volume=18|issue=2|pages=133–149|doi=10.1080/13527266.2010.489696|s2cid=167786222}}</ref> In 2013, Witeck-Combs Communications calculated the adult LGBTQ buying power at $830 billion.<ref name="Miller2" /> Same-sex partnered households spend slightly more than the average home on any given shopping trip.<ref name="Soat2">Soat, Molly. 2013. "[http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=c9163a92-4133-40a8-97c1-0204940392ad%40sessionmgr114&vid=2&hid=107 Demographics in the Modern Day]".{{dead link|date=November 2025}} Marketing News, 47 (9). 1p.</ref> They also make more shopping trips compared to the non-LGBTQ households.<ref name="Soat2" /> When comparing the LGBTQ community to heterosexuals they are seen to be more reckless with their spending.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Maccarrone-Eaglen |first1=Agata |last2=Schofield |first2=Peter |date=26 October 2021 |title=The influence of social media addiction on compulsive buying behaviour: A comparative analysis of LGBT + and heterosexual consumers |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.2115 |journal=Journal of Consumer Behaviour |language=en |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=98–121 |doi=10.1002/cb.2115 |issn=1472-0817}}</ref> 

On average, the difference in spending with same-sex partnered home is 25 percent higher than the average United States household.<ref name="Soat2" /> According to the University of Maryland gay male partners earn $10,000 less on average compared to heterosexual men.<ref name="Miller2" /> However, partnered lesbians receive about $7,000 more a year than heterosexual married women.<ref name="Miller2" /> Hence, same-sex partners and heterosexual partners are about equal concerning consumer affluence.<ref name="Miller2" />

The LGBTQ community has been recognized for being one of the largest consumers in travel. Travel includes annual trips, and sometimes even multiple annual trips. Annually, the LGBTQ community spends around $65 billion on travel, totaling 10 percent of the United States travel market.<ref name="Miller2" /> Many common travel factors play into LGBTQ travel decisions, but if there is a destination that is especially tailored to the LGBTQ community, then they are more likely to travel to those places.<ref name="Miller2" />

===Marketing===
{{Main|LGBT marketing}}

Marketing towards the LGBTQ community was not always a strategy among advertisers. For the last three to four decades, Corporate America has created a market niche for the LGBTQ community. Three distinct phases define the marketing turnover: 1) shunning in the 1980s, 2) curiosity and fear in the 1990s, and 3) pursuit in the 2000s.<ref name="Oakenfull2">{{cite journal|last1=Oakenfull|first1=Gillian|date=2012|title=Gay Consumers and Brand Usage: The Gender-Flexing Role of Gay Identity|journal=Psychology & Marketing|volume=29|issue=12|pages=968–979|doi=10.1002/mar.20578}}</ref>

In recent years, marketing oriented towards the LGBTQ dynamic has increased. With a spike in same-sex marriage in 2014, marketers are figuring out new ways to tie in a person's sexual orientation to a product being sold.<ref name="Soat2" /> In efforts to attract members of the LGBTQ community to their products, market researchers are developing marketing methods that reach these new families.<ref name="Soat2" /> Advertising history has shown that when marketing to the family, it was always the wife, the husband, and the children.<ref name="Soat2" /> Today, that is not necessarily the case. There could be families of two fathers or two mothers with one child or six children. Breaking away from the traditional family setting, marketing researchers notice the need to recognize these different family configurations.<ref name="Soat2" />

One area that marketers are subject to fall under is stereotyping the LGBTQ community. When marketing towards the community, they may corner their target audience into an "alternative" lifestyle category that ultimately "others" the LGBTQ community.<ref name="Soat2" /> Sensitivity is important when marketing towards the community. When marketing towards the LGBTQ community, advertisers respect the same boundaries.

Marketers also refer to LGBTQ as a single characteristic that makes an individual.<ref name="Soat2" /> Other areas can be targeted along with the LGBTQ segment such as race, age, culture, and income levels.<ref name="Soat2" /> Knowing the consumer gives these marketers power.<ref name="Um2" />

Along with attempts to engage with the LGBTQ community, researchers have found gender disagreements among products with respective consumers.<ref name="Oakenfull2" /> For instance, a gay male may want a more feminine product, whereas a lesbian female may be interested in a more masculine product. This does not hold for the entire LGBTQ community, but the possibilities of these differences are far greater.<ref name="Oakenfull2" /> 

In the past, gender was seen as fixed, and a congruent representation of an individual's sex. It is understood now that sex and gender are fluid separately. Researchers also noted that when evaluating products, a person's biological sex is as equal is a determinant as their self-concept.<ref name="Oakenfull2" /> As a customer response, when the advertisement is directed towards them, gay men and women are more likely to have an interest in the product.<ref name="Um2" /> This is an important factor and goal for marketers because it indicates future loyalty to the product or brand.

==Multiculturalism==

''LGBTQ multiculturalism'' is the diversity within the LGBTQ community as a representation of different [[sexual orientation]]s, [[Gender identity|gender identities]]—as well as different ethnic, language, religious groups within the LGBTQ community. At the same time as LGBTQ and multiculturalism relation, may consider the inclusion of LGBTQ community into a larger multicultural model, as for example in universities,<ref>[http://www.dso.ufl.edu/multicultural/lgbt/ LGBT Affairs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513052428/https://www.dso.ufl.edu/multicultural/lgbt/ |date=2014-05-13 }}, University of Florida</ref> such multicultural model includes the LGBTQ community together and equal representation with other large minority groups such as [[African American]]s in the [[United States]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2019}}

The two movements have much in common politically. Both are concerned with tolerance for real differences, diversity, minority status, and the invalidity of value judgments applied to different ways of life.<ref>John Corvino, [http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3038586 "The Race Analogy"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20150411211641/http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/3038586 |date=2015-04-11 }}, ''The [[Huffington Post]]'', accessed Saturday 11 April 2015, 10:39 (GMT)</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=Craig J.|last1=Konnoth|url=http://www.yalelawjournal.org/note/created-in-its-image-the-race-analogy-gay-identity-and-gay-litigation-in-the-1950s-1970s|title=Created in Its Image: The Race Analogy, Gay Identity, and Gay Litigation in the 1950s–1970s|journal=The Yale Law Journal|access-date=11 April 2015|volume=119|issue=2|pages=316–372|date=2009|archive-date=14 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414151420/http://www.yalelawjournal.org/note/created-in-its-image-the-race-analogy-gay-identity-and-gay-litigation-in-the-1950s-1970s|url-status=live}}</ref>

Researchers have identified the emergence of gay and lesbian communities during several progressive time periods across the world including: the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and modern Westernization.<ref name=Aldrich>{{cite journal |last1=Aldrich |first1=Robert |title=Homosexuality and the City: An Historical Overview |journal=Urban Studies |date=2004 |volume=41 |issue=9 |pages=1719–1737 |doi=10.1080/0042098042000243129|bibcode=2004UrbSt..41.1719A |s2cid=145411558 }}</ref> Depending on geographic location, some of these communities experienced more opposition to their existence than others; nonetheless, they began to permeate society both socially and politically.<ref name=Aldrich />

===European cities past and present===
City spaces in Early Modern Europe were host to a wealth of gay activity; however, these scenes remained semi-secretive for a long period of time.<ref name=Aldrich /> Dating back to the 1500s, city conditions such as apprenticeship labor relations and living arrangements, abundant student and artist activity, and hegemonic norms surrounding female societal status were typical in Venice and Florence, Italy.<ref name=Aldrich /> Under these circumstances, many open minded young people were attracted to these city settings.<ref name=Aldrich /> Consequently, an abundance of same-sex interactions began to take place.<ref name=Aldrich /> 

Many of the connections formed then often led to the occurrence of casual romantic and sexual relationships, the prevalence of which increased quite rapidly over time until a point at which they became a subculture and community of their own.<ref name=Aldrich />
Literature and ballroom culture gradually made their way onto the scene and became integrated despite transgressive societal views.<ref name=Aldrich /> Perhaps the most well-known of these are the balls of [[Magic-City]]. Amsterdam and London have also been recognized as leading locations for LGBTQ community establishment.<ref name=Aldrich /> 

By the 1950s, these urban spaces were booming with gay venues such as bars and public saunas where community members could come together.<ref name=Aldrich /> Paris and London were particularly attracting to the lesbian population as platforms for not only socialization, but education as well.<ref name=Aldrich /> A few other urban occasions that are important to the LGBTQ community include Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, [[Sydney Mardi Gras|Mardi Gras]] in Sydney, Australia, as well as the various other [[pride parade]]s hosted in bigger cities around the world.<ref name=Aldrich />

===Urban spaces in the United States===
In the same way in which LGBTQ community used the city backdrop to join socially, they were able to join forces politically as well. This new sense of collectivity provided somewhat of a safety net for individuals when voicing their demands for equal rights.<ref name=Doderer>{{cite journal |last1=Doderer |first1=Yvonne P. |title=LGBTQs in the City, Queering Urban Space |journal=International Journal of Urban and Regional Research |date=2011 |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=431–436 |doi=10.1111/j.1468-2427.2010.01030.x |pmid=21542205 |url=http://osf.io/quwxb/ |access-date=2021-08-14 |archive-date=2020-02-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217164009/https://osf.io/quwxb/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In the United States specifically, several key political events have taken place in urban contexts. Some of these include, but are not limited to:

* [[Independence Hall]], Philadelphia - gay and lesbian protest movement in 1965 &ndash; activists led by [[Barbara Gittings]] started some of the first picket lines here. These protests continued on and off until 1969.<ref name=Polly>Polly, J. (2009). Top 10 Historic Gay Places in the U.S. Gay & Lesbian Review Worldwide, 16(4), 14–16.</ref> Gittings went on to run the Gay and Lesbian Task Force of the American Library Association for 15 years.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Goulart|first1=Karen M.|title=Library opens Gittings Collection|issue=A1, A23, A24|publisher=Philadelphia Gay News|date=8 March 2001}}</ref>
* The [[Stonewall Inn]], on [[Christopher Street]] in [[Greenwich Village]],  [[LGBT culture in New York City|Manhattan]] – the birthplace of the modern [[gay rights]] movement in 1969 &ndash; for the first time, a group of gay men and [[drag queen]]s fought back against police during a raid on this small [[bar (establishment)|bar]] in Greenwich Village. The site is now a [[U.S. National Historic Landmark]].<ref name=Polly/>
* [[The Castro, San Francisco|Castro Street]], San Francisco &ndash; gathering place for LGBTQ community beginning in the 1970s; this urban spot was an oasis of hopefulness. Home to the first openly gay elected official [[Harvey Milk]] and the legendary [[Castro Theater]], this cityscape remains iconic to the LGBTQ community.<ref name=Polly />
* [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]] City Hall, was the site of the first [[same-sex marriage]] in U.S. history in 2004. Following this event, attempts by religious groups in the area to ban it have been stifled and many more states have joined the Commonwealth.<ref name=Polly />
* AIDS Activities Coordinating Office, Philadelphia &ndash; an office to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS, by providing proper administrative components, direct assistance, and education on HIV/AIDS.<ref>{{cite news|title=Mayor's Commission on Sexual Minorities Fiscal Year 1988 Recommendations Pertaining to AIDS|agency=Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries|publisher=City of Philadelphia}}</ref>

During and following these events, LGBTQ community subculture began to grow and stabilize into a nationwide phenomenon.<ref name=DEmilio>D'Emilio, J. (1998). CHAPTER 13: Capitalism and Gay Identity. In “Culture, Society & Sexuality” (pp. 239–247). Taylor & Francis Ltd / Books.</ref> Gay bars became more and more popular in large cities.<ref name=DEmilio /> For gays particularly, increasing numbers of [[cruising for sex|cruising]] areas, public [[bath house]]s, and [[YMCA]]s in these urban spaces continued to welcome them to experience a more liberated way of living.<ref name=DEmilio /> For lesbians, this led to the formation of literary societies, private social clubs, and same-sex housing.<ref name=DEmilio /> The core of this community-building took place in New York City and San Francisco, but cities like St. Louis, Lafayette Park in WA, and Chicago quickly followed suit.<ref name=DEmilio />

===City===
Cities afford a host of prime conditions that allow for better individual development as well as collective movement that are not otherwise available in rural spaces.<ref name=Doderer /> First and foremost, urban landscapes offer LGBTQ community better prospects to meet each other and form networks and relationships.<ref name=Doderer /> One ideal platform within this framework was the free labor market of many capitalistic societies, which enticed people to break away from their often damaging traditional nuclear families in order to pursue employment in bigger cities.<ref name=DEmilio /> Making the move to these spaces afforded them new liberty in the realms of sexuality, identity, and kinship.<ref name=Doderer /> 

Some researchers describe this as a phase of resistance against the confining expectations of normativity.<ref name=Doderer /> Urban LGBTQ community demonstrated this pushback through various outlets, including their style of dress, the way they talked and carried themselves, and how they chose to build community.<ref name=Doderer /> From a social science perspective, the relationship between the city and the LGBTQ community is not a one-way street. LGBTQ community give back as much, if not more, in terms of economic contributions (i.e., "[[pink money]]"), activism and politics too.<ref name=Aldrich />

== Intersections of race ==
{{see also|Racism in the LGBT community}}{{Undue weight section|to=a single source|date=September 2021}}
Compared to white LGBTQ people, LGBTQ people of color often experience prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination on the basis of not only their sexual orientation and gender identity, but also on the basis of race.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Sadika|first1=Bidushy|last2=Wiebe|first2=Emily|last3=Morrison|first3=Melanie A.|last4=Morrison|first4=Todd G.|date=2020-03-02|title=Intersectional Microaggressions and Social Support for LGBTQ Persons of Color: A Systematic Review of the Canadian-Based Empirical Literature|journal=Journal of GLBT Family Studies|language=en|volume=16|issue=2|pages=111–147|doi=10.1080/1550428X.2020.1724125|issn=1550-428X|doi-access=free}}</ref> Nadal and colleagues discuss LGBTQ people of color and their experience of [[Intersectionality|intersectional]] [[microaggression]]s which target various aspects of their social identities.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Nadal|first1=Kevin L.|last2=Davidoff|first2=Kristin C.|last3=Davis|first3=Lindsey S.|last4=Wong|first4=Yinglee|last5=Marshall|first5=David|last6=McKenzie|first6=Victoria|date=August 2015|title=A qualitative approach to intersectional microaggressions: Understanding influences of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and religion.|journal=Qualitative Psychology|language=en|volume=2|issue=2|pages=147–163|doi=10.1037/qup0000026|issn=2326-3598}}</ref> These negative experiences and microaggressions can come from [[cisgender]] and heterosexual white people, cisgender and heterosexual people of their own race,<ref name=":0" /> and from the LGBTQ community themselves, which is usually dominated by white people.<ref name=":0" />

Some LGBTQ people of color do not feel comfortable and represented within LGBTQ spaces.<ref name=":0" /> A comprehensive and systematic review of the existing published research literature around the experiences of LGBTQ people of color finds a common theme of exclusion in largely white LGBTQ spaces.<ref name=":0" /> These spaces are typically dominated by white LGBTQ people, promote White and Western values, and often leave LGBTQ people of color feeling as though they must choose between their racial community or their gender and sexual orientation community.<ref name=":0" /> In general, Western society will often subtly code "gay" as white; white LGBTQ people are often seen as the face of LGBTQ culture and values.<ref name=":0" />

The topic of coming out and revealing one's sexual orientation and gender identity to the public is associated with white values and expectations in mainstream discussions.<ref name=":0" /> Where white Western culture places value on the ability to speak openly about one's identity with family, one particular study found that LGBTQ participants of color viewed their family's silence about their identity as supportive and accepting.<ref name=":0" /> For example, collectivist cultures view the coming out process as a family affair rather than an individual one. Furthermore, the annual National Coming Out Day centers on white perspectives as an event meant to help an LGBTQ person feel liberated and comfortable in their own skin.<ref name=":0" /> 

For some LGBTQ people of color, National Coming Out Day is viewed in a negative light.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Ghabrial|first=Monica A.|date=March 2017|title="Trying to Figure Out Where We Belong": Narratives of Racialized Sexual Minorities on Community, Identity, Discrimination, and Health|journal=Sexuality Research and Social Policy|language=en|volume=14|issue=1|pages=42–55|doi=10.1007/s13178-016-0229-x|s2cid=148442076|issn=1868-9884}}</ref> In communities of color, coming out publicly can have adverse consequences, risking their personal sense of safety as well as that of their familial and communal relationships.<ref name=":0" /> White LGBTQ people tend to collectively reject these differences in perspective on coming out, resulting in possibly further isolating LGBTQ people of color.<ref name=":0" />

==See also==
{{Portal|LGBTQ}}
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* [[Bisexual community]]
* [[Gay friendly]]
* [[Gay male culture]]
* [[Homosocialization]]
* [[LGBTQ culture]]
* [[LGBTQ history]]
* [[LGBTQ movements]]
* [[LGBTQ symbols]]
* [[List of gay villages]]
* [[African-American LGBT community]]
* [[Queer heterosexuality]]
* [[Queercore]]
* [[Autism and LGBTQ identities]]
{{div col end}}

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Murphy, Timothy F., ''Reader's Guide to Lesbian and Gay Studies'', 2000 (African American LGBTQ community, and also its relation to art). [https://books.google.com/books?id=RBO6fSGuj34C Partial view] at [[Google Books]].

{{LGBT |culture=expanded}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:LGBT Community}}
[[Category:LGBTQ culture]]
[[Category:LGBTQ and society]]
[[Category:Types of communities]]