# Can anybody explain BiGLT? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926 "2011-09-11T07:05:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/1 "2011-09-11T07:05:17Z")
My girlfriend has a FB friend in West Virginia who refers to LGBT with the initials BiGLT, so she asked me why do they have it that way. The SDMB does not have that character string, nor does Wikipedia. I prefer to avoid the Urban Dictionary. Google doesn’t enlighten with any explanations of why they say it that way. All we could tell is that the expression seems to center on the WVU campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Clearly, the intention was to foreground bisexual, since it’s so often overlooked or even made invisible. OK, that’s fair. I’m down with everybody getting a turn to go first. But how come bisexual gets two letters while the others each get one? What was the reason for including the lowercase i? Why not BiGaLeTr? Or just plain BGLT? Are there any West Virginians who are familiar with this expression in the house? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/2 "2011-09-11T12:46:49Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > But how come bisexual gets two letters while the others each get one? […] Why not […] just plain BGLT? Maybe BGLT sounds too much like a sandwich. I guess another question would be, why that order? Why is T still last? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/3 "2011-09-11T12:51:32Z")
I just googled and found a YouTuber who also uses that Initialism. So I just asked them right out. All I know is that it probably wasn’t to make me do a double take every time I read it, thinking people are asking about me. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/4 "2011-09-11T12:55:34Z")
Could it be that order and the addition of the lowercase “i” makes it pronounceable? I’m not sure that “big lit” is that great… ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/5 "2011-09-11T13:32:03Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Maybe BGLT sounds too much like a sandwich. > > I guess another question would be, why that order? Why is T still last? Alphabetical order, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/6 "2011-09-11T13:56:40Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Alphabetical order, perhaps. Good point. So plausibly, the thinking went: “We should put these in alphabetical order. BGLT.” “BGLT sounds like a sandwhich.” “How about BiGLT, pronounced Bi G L T then? That’s as easy to say.” “Why should only Bi get a second letter? Why not BiGaLeTr?” “Because that sounds stupid.” “Won’t people see BiGLT and say “biggle-T”?” “That’s just crazy talk.” “OK, BiGLT it is.” (Can anyone find out how it’s _supposed_ to be pronounced? Looks like biggle-T to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/7 "2011-09-11T14:30:09Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Could it be that order and the addition of the lowercase “i” makes it pronounceable? > > I’m not sure that “big lit” is that great… Aww, he’s the coolest character from Winnie the Booh. ---
**Author:** ![RearEchelon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RearEchelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RearEchelon)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/8 "2011-09-11T18:09:23Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > Good point. > > So plausibly, the thinking went: > “We should put these in alphabetical order. BGLT.” > “BGLT sounds like a sandwhich.” > “How about BiGLT, pronounced Bi G L T then? That’s as easy to say.” > “Why should only Bi get a second letter? Why not BiGaLeTr?” > “Because that sounds stupid.” > “Won’t people see BiGLT and say “biggle-T”?” > “That’s just crazy talk.” > “OK, BiGLT it is.” > > (Can anyone find out how it’s _supposed_ to be pronounced? Looks like biggle-T to me.) “Bigglty” is exactly how it sounds in my head. And now I can’t think of anything but “higglty bigglty.” ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/9 "2011-09-11T18:15:16Z")
So I wrote to my friend who lives in Morgantown and got this answer: > [@](#): > > I think the campus group started as GALA; when I was involved in 93-94, it was BiGLM and was pronounced/called bi-gee-el-em. The M was for Mountaineers; it was specifically a campus advocacy group then… that was about the time the cause(s) became more respectable and institutionally approved and they got a social justice office, so maybe it got fixed then. About the time I was leaving here there were changing the name to include T–not sure if that resolution was for the current one or not–I think so. Anyhow, I’m sure it was developed in a committee and then had to meet with one or two or three other levels of committee approvals, and I’d say that accounts for at least a couple of its flaws. Designed by a committee-- well of course; that’s a frequent trope for things that don’t make sense. What it is about committees that produces that effect is a question for another thread. My girlfriend’s friend on Facebook who lives in Morgantown isn’t even gay or anything and wouldn’t know the reason for BiGLT; she just picked it up because I guess it’s the local norm there. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/10 "2011-09-11T18:15:31Z")
> [@](#): > > Maybe BGLT sounds too much like a sandwich. A pretty good one, too: Bacon, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/11 "2011-09-11T18:17:34Z")
…Mountaineers…? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/12 "2011-09-11T18:34:01Z")
Mountaineers is the athletic team name at WVU. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/13 "2011-09-11T18:39:28Z")
Couuld the “B” be construed as Black rather than Bi? ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/14 "2011-09-11T19:02:28Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > …Mountaineers…? The L was for “Lumberjacks”. ETA: (kidding) ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/15 "2011-09-11T19:55:03Z")
This is why I prefer QUILTBAG. It’s pronounceable and creates teachable moments. (Queer/questioning, Undecided/unsure, Intersex/intergender, Lesbian, Trans\*, Bisexual/bigender, Asexual/agender, Gay) ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/16 "2011-09-11T21:02:56Z")
There’s also GBLT (prounced ‘giblets’). At least that can be pronounced as a real word. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/17 "2011-09-11T21:42:35Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > This is why I prefer QUILTBAG. It’s pronounceable and creates teachable moments. > > (Queer/questioning, Undecided/unsure, Intersex/intergender, Lesbian, Trans\*, Bisexual/bigender, Asexual/agender, Gay) Oh, that’s clever. I usually just lump most of it into “queer” (not the ace & intersex, though) and go on, but I may remember this. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/18 "2011-09-11T23:36:24Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > Oh, that’s clever. I usually just lump most of it into “queer” (not the ace & intersex, though) and go on, but I may remember this. I know a lot of “queer” aces but not a lot of intersex folks who take that particular label. And of course, plenty of trans\* people aren’t queer at all, so one umbrella word is a hard sell. ---
**Author:** ![Snifit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5fc32e/32.png) [@Snifit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snifit)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/19 "2011-09-12T01:51:57Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > trans\* At first I was annoyed because you left a dangling asterisk, but now you’ve done it twice so I guess it’s intentional. Why the asterisk? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926/20 "2011-09-12T01:56:35Z")
> [@Snifit](#): > > At first I was annoyed because you left a dangling asterisk, but now you’ve done it twice so I guess it’s intentional. Why the asterisk? My guess is it’s meant as a ‘wildcard’ signifier - transsexual, transgender, or some other word with a trans- prefix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-anybody-explain-biglt/595926.md?page=2)