GLBTQ. It’s an acronym that you may have heard mentioned in certain newspapers or magazines, or named in flyers on a college campus. This term is a catch-all designed to identify and include those whose sexuality is something other than “heteronormative”. Heteronormative is a word that gives a nod to how common – and unfortunately how phobic – heterosexuality, a relationship between a man and a woman, often is. Much like Americans abroad that become annoying tourists when they can’t stop exclaiming how weird something different to them is, GLBTQ is a shield to signify a welcoming group who does not judge or exclude on partner or personal sexual preference.
