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I'm looking for a single word that refers to the entire group of people who:

  • identify as anything other than heterosexual OR
  • racial identification is other than "white" OR
  • sexual identification is anything other than male?

I would ideally find a single word, but even two words that work well to describe this.

P.S. I would appreciate sensitivity in your answers. This isn't a place to discuss politics, merely the English language.

P.P.S. If there is a word that you're aware of in other languages that mean this, feel free to add as a comment; I would appreciate it.

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  • A quick comment on "queer": this word is very close actually, but I think it's not quite sufficient for my purpose.
    – BBischof
    Commented Feb 11, 2016 at 23:30
  • 2
    Non-normative? Minorities?
    – Yay
    Commented Feb 12, 2016 at 0:01
  • The proletariat of Cultural Marxism Commented Feb 12, 2016 at 0:06
  • Non-males are certainly not a minority. Oppressed perhaps, but quite numerous. Commented Feb 12, 2016 at 0:37
  • 3
    Historically disenfranchised.
    – stevesliva
    Commented Feb 12, 2016 at 4:40

1 Answer 1

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I believe a minority or minority group is commonly used here.

See the Wikipeda page: Minority groups.

minority noun a racial, ethnic, religious, or social subdivision of a society that is subordinate to the dominant group in political, financial, or social power without regard to the size of these groups:

Note that the size of the group does not matter in labelling it a minority. It's its social/societal power that matters.

You can also use marginalised group.

Example usage:

As a reference to the group:

Ethinic minority groups often suffer disproportionate levels of poverty.

Ethinic minorities often suffer disproportionate levels of poverty.

As an individual:

As a minority myself, I can identify with plight of the so-and-sos.

As minority member myself...

As a member of a minority group...

We should give him extra consideration given that he's a minority.

We should give him extra consideration given that he's a member of a minority group.

1
  • This was my first attempt myself, because the context that I'm using it in, these groups are minority(I am referring to novelists). However, I dislike the doubling up meaning on minority, because it suggests that I am only speaking about race(the most common dialogue in which minority is referenced). I like marginalized group, but I struggle with the fact that it is too general! I'm still not sure, I find that I kinda like one of the comment suggestions, so that might be my solution in the end. Thanks either way.
    – BBischof
    Commented Feb 12, 2016 at 19:53

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