Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) is a common term used to describe all [Page 352]nonheterosexual and cisgender (nontransgender) people. The moniker brings together some of the many labels that have been generated by the LGBTQ community (e.g., pansexual, questioning, ally, gray asexual). These multiple and constantly evolving labels are evidence of the diversity within the LGBTQ community and an important and long-standing commitment to allow people to label their own experience. LGBTQ youth is used to designate preadolescent through college-age LGBTQ individuals.

LGBTQ youth come from all racial/ethnic groups, all religious groups, all socioeconomic groups, and all geographic locations. They are of all genders. Same-sex-attracted and gender nonconforming people have been estimated to make up 3% to 10% of the population. However, some studies ...