LBPQ – What does it stand for?

The abbreviation LBPQ can have two meanings. Generally, the abbreviation is standing for Lesbian, Bisexual, Pansexual, Queer, and it points to women who are basically attracted to other women.

Here are some clarifications:

Earlier, the term “queer” was really a derogatory term. Today, however, it is often used for not specifically or vaguely describing a person’s sexual preference or orientation, identifying him or her with the LGBT community.

The term “pansexual” refers to persons who fancy females, males, and others as well.

Another meaning of the abbreviation LBPQ is “Low Back Pain Questionnaire” and this explanation is used by the international Dictionary of Medical Acronyms and Abbreviations.

How different would I have been as a young LBPQ identifying woman if I had adequate representation? LBPQ stands for Lesbian, Bisexual, Pansexual, Queer, and the term is used as a transgender and cisgender inclusive term to identify women who love women. And my answer was astoundingly moving; my childhood, my relationships with other girls they would have been completely different.

This page is not trying to change the world, but rather pushing for better representation and to feel valued. If I had read these stories when I was 13, I would have cried and known it would be ok. I read them now and cry as I begin to see people feeling the same things as me. This project hopes to make other young LBPQ women and women-identified people feel less lonely.

An important facet of this project is addressing and talking candidly about mental health, as according to Beyond Blue at least 36.2% of trans individuals and 24.4% of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual people have suffered from a major depressive episode, with figures according to Latrobe University soaring to 59.3% for trans women. This is in stark contrast to the 6.8 % of the general population.

In addition to this, the LGBT+ community is more than twice as likely to suffer an anxiety disorder (31% vs 14%). While a lot of this is up to oppressive power structures caused by a Heteronormative society, there is also generally a lack of stories and advice from other members of the LGBT+ community who are suffering from a mental illness.

This page was created to tell these stories and to give advice they span topics from the lack of representation to the repercussions of ‘coming out’ or not. All this project wants to do is show how vital these stories are, and to give young LBPQ identifying women the opportunity to talk and discuss the things that affect them and the things they always wanted to hear.

The project seeks to create a sense of empathy and solidarity across a broad cross-section of young women in hope that one day these stories will make a difference.