Sexual minority is a term that is used to describe a group that is distinct from the larger culture that encompasses it. The manner in which a sexual minority is distinct is open to some variation; it can be based on the sexual practices of the minority, but it is also possible for the minority to be distinguished not by behavior but by possession of a sexual orientation or identity that differs from the majority of people in the culture. In other words, one does not have to act on one’s sexual orientation in order to qualify as a member of a sexual minority—identifying with a sexual minority group is sufficient to meet the definition of membership in such a group.

Traditionally, the groups that have ...