LGBT is not a Noun

Just a quick word on language: it matters. This is not about political correctness or over-sensitivity. It is about expressing love for your neighbor by speaking honorably.

Keep in mind, the letters LGBTQ represent adjectives, not nouns. These words should be thought of as descriptors, not as labels.

It is best to avoid phrases like, "My neighbor is a gay." What you mean to say is, "My neighbor is gay," or, "My neighbor is a gay man."

Similarly, it is helpful to avoid, "She's a bisexual," or, "He is a transgender."

The term lesbian is a bit different in that it can be used as a noun or as an adjective (this is because the word is derived from the Greek word Lesbos, home of the poet Sappho who expressed love for women in her poetry).

Although the term lesbian can be used as either a noun or adjective, it is still important to manage tone. Are you expressing your thought honorably and respectfully, or are you using this term in a derogatory way?

Why is this important?

If you say, "I share my office with a gay," what word have you left out?

Person.

You have left out the word person. This type of language is subtly dehumanizing. It removes the human from the picture and fixates on the descriptor.

Give some thought to how you speak. You don't know a gay, you know a gay person. A lesbian person. A bisexual person. A transgender person.

Losing sight of the person attached to your descriptor is a sure-fire way to sever connection with others. Beyond that, it limits your ability to empathize and relate.

One more thing. It is best to say transgender (or trans), not transgender-ed.

Those two little letters at the end of the word may not seem that important, but adding an "-ed" on the end of the word implies that "transgender" has happened to a person. As in, "They have been transgender-ed."

I have not been straight-ed, and they have not been transgender-ed.

More language-based posts in the coming weeks!