How Knowledgable Are You With LGBTQ Terms? There’s a Quiz to Find Out

When a person discovers their own queerness, it’s something that comes with a lot of learning, and that includes a plethora of terms relating to gender, sexual orientation and various subcultures. But just how well versed in LGBTQ terms are you? Do you know what “packing” is? What about “queer-platonic” and “gender-confirmation surgery”? Well, Bespoke Surgical decided to find out by creating a vocab quiz (which you can take here) that tests you on various terms related to the LGBTQ community.

In November 2021, they quizzed 1,602 Americans across various demographics and age groups about familiarity and knowledge of LGBTQ terms. They then analyzed the data based on several factors, such as gender, age and sexuality, to see how various demographics feel about LGBTQ terms.

This data supports what most queer people would see as obvious: Heterosexual people have less familiarity with LGBTQ terms. But while they’re less familiar with LGBTQ terms than queer people, they’re still aware of many terms used within the queer community. And with heterosexual people becoming more educated about the LGBTQ community, and with education, acceptance and support follows.

Even within the LGBTQ community, there are many LGBTQ terms that tend to be more familiar to people who fall under the trans umbrella, evidenced by the fact that nonbinary people had the easiest time with the quiz. For example, it makes sense that trans and nonbinary people are more likely to know what “passing” is, or to know about neopronouns, because those are things that tend to be a part of the trans and nonbinary experience.

The data also shows that Millennials and Gen Z are more knowledgable when it comes to LGBTQ terms than Gen X and Baby Boomers. Considering the main demographic on apps like TikTok and Instagram, it makes sense that people are learning and becoming exposed to all types of LGBTQ people there.

One of the best ways to be a good ally to the LGBTQ community is by learning about it, including appropriate terminology. The data seems to indicate that people are becoming more knowledgeable, and that the world is becoming more tolerant and safer.

You can find the rest of Bespoke Surgical’s findings here, along with this glossary of LGBTQ terms.

Did you take the LGBTQ terms quiz? How did you do?

Image at top: Getty/Erik McGregor