News (USA)

This dictionary spells out its blatant support for the letters L, G, B, T and Q

This dictionary spells out its blatant support for the letters L, G, B, T and Q

“The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms,” said Socrates, and the wise people who watch over the definitions contained in the Merriam-Webster unabridged dictionary have revealed a playful minx hiding behind those librarian glasses.

And she’s clearly either one of us or a really great ally.

Back in April, Merriam-Webster — the nation’s oldest and most widely used dictionary — added some words to its unabridged collection, including cisgender, Mx. and genderqueer.

Human Rights Campaign hailed the additions, writing in an online blog post, “The move helps broadens public understanding of the increasing diversity of words that people within the LGBTQ community use to describe their identities.”

Yeah, well, you’d think so. Merriam-Webster’s tongue-in-cheek Twitter account responded to some flak about “genderqueer,” a term in use since the 1990s.

The company’s come a long way since 1999, when its editors, red-faced, took action to remove some antigay definitions of “homosexual.” The New York Times reported on the controversy, noting Merriam-Webster and America Online “temporarily removed an on-line thesaurus on Friday that contained a word list for ”homosexual” that included references to ”faggot,” ”fruit” and ”pederast.'”

The dictionary’s website and Twitter account welcome interaction with its readers, last month soliciting opinions on a word for sexual orientation with the intelligentsia:

And in true form, when the dictionary was knocked for its inclusionary question, the Huffington Post reports it responded boldly and confidently:

Don't forget to share:

Support vital LGBTQ+ journalism

Reader contributions help keep LGBTQ Nation free, so that queer people get the news they need, with stories that mainstream media often leaves out. Can you contribute today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated

Mike Pence, Republicans, conservative Christianity, and conversion therapy

Previous article

Merry Christmas: Employee who took Trump supporter’s racist tirade gets $32k

Next article