ABSTRACT

This chapter explores participant understandings of LGBT communities and perspectives on language use by and about LGBT people, as well as strengths and weaknesses in adopting (or rejecting) recognisable identity 'labels', and/or the suggestion of a collective/community. It examines the acronym with which LGBT people are often referred, which participants frequently raised issues with in initial discussions about the concept of LGBT community. The chapter explores how participants managed complexities regarding the LGBT acronym. Much of people's concern or discomfort related to who used, created or 'owned' the term. The chapter also explores the idea of community to look more specifically at notions of commonality and similarity. It finally examines the role of agency within language use, and suggest how the concept of LGBT community might be drawn on in less problematic ways. Despite the possibility of some shared experiences, the realities of diversities within and between LGBT individuals and/or groups were evident within the research.