Lesbian is a word that describes someone who is sexually and romantically attracted to other women. It is not to be confused with homosexual, which has a derogatory history.
Slang words for lesbians include butches, studs, fucking queens, femmes and high femmes. Another term is dyke, which is used for those who present masculine features.
Butch
A butch lesbian is a woman who shows masculine characteristics. She might wear boxer shorts, suspenders and a hoodie. She may also have black or grey t-shirts and leather jackets. She might have sexy jewelry or have fingernails that are painted or styled in different ways.
Butches are often a part of queer culture. They are a big part of Orange is the New Black and have become more prevalent in pop culture.
Futch
Futch is a lesbian nickname that combines the butch and femme identities. It gained popularity on a reality show after being used by the girlfriend of Tila Tequila. People who identify as futches often dress in both masculine and feminine ways and can sway more towards butch or femme.
Some of them also enjoy typically male hobbies and activities. They can be a bit more masculine than butches or femme and use she/her and they/them pronouns. Some of them might even wear makeup.
Hey Mamas
Hey Mamas Lesbians are a group of Gen Z queer babes who use TikTok to post thirst trap content. They’re often clad in button downs, vans, and beanies and stick out their tongues with a Justin Bieber-like smile.
Like butches and studs, they face discrimination outside and inside queer communities. They’re compared to cisgender men and mocked for their masculine presentation. Moreover, they’re seen as sexually promiscuous by many gay men.
Lipstick
A lipstick lesbian is a lesbian who exhibits feminine gender attributes but does not fit into the butch or femme stereotype. The term was coined by a character on the Ellen show and has since spread through popular culture.
A lipstick lesbian is likely to wear pink lip gloss, have a 26-step nighttime skincare routine and follow fashion blogs. She also loves scented candles and has a thing for hair scarves.
Uhauling
The U-haul lesbian is a gay stereotype that refers to a woman who moves in with her new girlfriend on the second date. This trope functions both reparatively and negatively, echoing the psychoanalytic claim that homosexual love is characterized by an urge to merge.
Power lesbians exude confidence and a sleek, feminine style that often includes pantsuits. They’re the lesbians of many sapphic fantasies and can usually be found in leadership roles.
Binding
Binding is when someone compresses their chest to make it look flatter. People bind for lots of reasons, including to help with gender dysphoria.
Sapphic: A term derived from the 7th century BCE lesbian poet Sappho. It can be used to describe women who identify as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual or queer.
Stud – A lesbian who presents masculine in character or dress. Originally a derogatory term, but it is being reclaimed affirmatively by the lesbian community.
Tops
A lesbian who prefers to “give” sexual pleasure during sex rather than to “receive”. May be more dominating or play a more active role in a sexual encounter.
Also known as sapphic, a word that comes from Sappho, an ancient Greek poet who wrote about female homosexuality. Often used to describe women or non-binary people who have self-described feminine qualities or who have swagger or confidence.
A celebrity who is a lesbian. Examples include Ellen De Generes, Ruby Rose and Sarah Paulson.
Bottoms
A lesbian who prefers to be the one penetrating or giving oral sex during sexual encounters. Also known as a stone bottom.
Named after OG dyke Billie Jean King, this bar has one of the most funny names in all of lesbian slang.
When queer-coded themes are inserted into culture and art to appeal to LGBTQIA+ people without being explicitly queer themselves. Examples include celebrities, tv shows etc.
Honey
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Honey enters Jessica’s house wearing a pair of turtlenecks to help hide her clavicles, gleefully notifying her that she tricked Maria into believing they were her mother-in-laws. When Jessica protests, Honey chastises her for breaking valuable family heirlooms and then has Mervin play the bugle in the house to annoy Jessica even more.
A person who is attracted to women, or a lesbian. Also referred to as a sapphist after the Greek poet Sappho who wrote about female homosexuality.