Do You Know What LGBTQIA+ Means?

 

LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual/Aromantic, and the plus sign represents other diverse sexual orientations and gender identities not listed in the acronym. The acronym evolved from earlier versions like LGB and is used to create an inclusive umbrella term for a wide range of identities related to gender and sexual orientation. PCUSA membership is currently around 1 million, but has been in a decades-long decline, with the denomination losing almost 49,000 members in 2024 alone. The largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S., the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (PCUSA), continues to shrink despite an increase in new worshiping communities and financial giving. The denomination's declining membership and shrinking number of congregations, a trend accelerated by its progressive theological stance on issues like LGBTQ+ inclusion, are expected to continue. The PC(USA)'s membership was at its peak in 1965, when the two denominations that later merged to form the PC(USA) had a combined total of 4.25 million members. However, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), formed in 1983, peaked in the 1990s, with around 3.8 million members, according to some sources, but other sources and more recent data suggest the 1965 peak for the predecessor denominations is a more accurate reflection of the peak before significant decline.