“GSM”

“GSM”

(abbreviation | noun phrase)

An acronym standing for gender and sexuality minorities. GSM can be a useful term as it is succinct and includes a wide range of people including those who are gay, queer, bisexual, intersex, pansexual, asexual, lesbian, transgender, gender non-conforming, kinky, polyamorous, and/or more, depending on context. However, it’s broad scope can also be a hindrance when talking about deeply nuanced situations that don’t affect all people equally. The term has also been seen as controversial due to the inclusion of various identities that are in themselves controversial:

Critics of the term GSM argue that it is too inclusive. Sexual minority is ambiguous enough to possibly include fetishists or swingers. In fact, the man who coined the term in the 1960s, Swedish psychiatrist and medical doctor Lars Ullerstam, wrote about sexual minorities in a manner that included pedophiles and other sex criminals. Today, however, the term is specific to minority genders and sexual orientations rather than sex preferences.

GSM acronym better than LGBT alphabet soup

Further reading to gain expanded context:

Behind the Weird Internet Scheme to Associate Pedophiles with the LGBTQ+ Community | them.us

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