Demystifying the 2SLGBTQ+ Acronym

June is Pride Month. All month the 2SLGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG) will be putting out messages in Communiqué with reminders, information, and history relevant to Pride.  

While there are many versions of the terms and acronyms used within the 2SLGBTQ+ community, Humber uses 2SLGBTQ+ to lead with the recognition of Two-Spirit (2S) peoples and to honour Indigenous communities who came before all others. Below are just some of the terms usually represented in the acronym. For more, please reference Humber’s Gender Diversity Policy and the 519’s Glossary of Terms.  

Two-Spirit - An umbrella term encompassing gender and sexual diversity in Indigenous communities. Two Spirit people often serve integral and important roles in their communities, such as leaders and healers. There are many understandings the term Two Spirit – and this English term does not resonate for everyone. Two Spirit is a cultural term reserved for those who identify as Indigenous. 

Lesbian - A woman who is attracted to women. 

Gay - A person who is attracted to people of the same gender. Also, a man who is attracted to men.  

Bisexual - A person who is attracted to people of more than one gender. 

Trans - An umbrella term referring to people whose gender identities differ from the sex they were assigned at birth. Trans can mean transcending beyond, existing between, or crossing over the gender spectrum. It includes but is not limited to people who identify as transgender, transsexual, non-binary, or gender non-conforming (gender variant or genderqueer). 

Queer - An umbrella term used and reclaimed by some whose sexual orientations and/or gender identities fall outside of cisgender/straight norms. 

And/or 

Questioning - A period where a person explores their own sexual identity, orientation, and/or gender. 

Note: The + (plus) sign denotes the inclusion of the myriad other identities and terms within the 2SLGBTQ+ community. 

Stay tuned for more Pride Humber Communique posts throughout the month of June! 

More information about Humber Pride events is available on our website.

More information about the 2SLGBTQ+ ERG can be found on our website.