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The official lesbian slang glossary from HER

Robyn Exton

Apr 28, 2021

AFAB

AFAB stands for “assigned female at birth”. It’s a way for transgender folk to identify the sex they were assigned at birth to distinguish it from their gender. The term can be used by transmasculine people or nonbinary folk. (>read more)

Agender

Agender means literally “not having a gender”. Some agender people describe it as a lack of gender while others like the term “gender-neutral”. (>read more)

Androgynous

Androgynous” is a broad term that refers to an individual’s choice of style. Somebody who is androgynous presents themself to the world in a way that isn’t defined by “looking like a girl” or “looking like a boy.” (>read more or get an answer to the question if you are androgynous)

Baby Dyke

A baby dyke is a lesbian who is fresh out of the closet. They’re wild, (usually) young, and free — but too scared to have sex rn. (>read more)

Bi-curious

Bi-curious is when you’re “exploring” bisexuality for the first time. You’re the Magellan of p*ssy rn. (>read more)

Bigender

Bigender is a gender identity where people identify with two or multiple genders, generally feeling a mixture of masculine and feminine at the same time. (>read more)

Bull Dyke

Part of the lesbian slang, derived from dyke. Often used for people who present masculine, butch, or androgynous. Sometimes also used in a disparaging way, mostly by cis folks.

Butch Lesbian

A butch lesbian is someone who has a more masculine-leaning style or energy. Their vibes exude sex. (>read more)

Celesbian

A celesbian is a celebrity in the lesbian world. They can be an A-lister like Ellen or as D-list as a former cast member of The Real L Word. (>read more)

Chapstick Lesbian

A chapstick lesbian is not quite a lipstick lesbian but not quite a butch either. They’re strong, but their lips are as soft as down pillows. (>read more)

Closeted (Coming Out)

It refers to any queer person who doesn’t publicly announce their sexual orientation or gender identity to the world, therefore they’re in the closet. And no, not the kind of walk-in closet that would instantly have any high femme in heaven. (>read more)

Demisexual

In short, demisexual people don’t experience sexual attraction unless they have an emotional connection to someone. This connection could also be intellectual. (>read more)

Diesel Dyke

A diesel dyke is a lesbian who loves femmes, fast cars, and wearing a sweaty bandana in their back pocket at all times. (>read more)

Drag King

A drag king is a person who performs in a form of hyper-masculine or gender-bending drag. They are the unsung heroes of the drag world. (>read more)

Dykon

A dykon is a dyke icon. It can be a famous lesbian, aka a celesbian, or a straight woman dykes worship, i.e. Cate Blanchett or Natasha Lyonne. (>read more)

Femme Lesbians

A femme lesbian is a lesbian who is more feminine-leaning in style and energy. They actually know how to walk in heels — even if it’s just kitten heels. (>read more)

Futch Lesbian

A futch is a queer woman or non-binary person who is both “femme” and “butch.” (>read more)

Genderfluid

Genderfluid people have a gender identity that changes, sometimes regularly depending on the day or their mood, or sometimes more gradually. (>read more)

Genderqueer

Genderqueer, similar to non-binary, is a term used by people who don’t fit neatly into either male or female categories. (>read more)

Gold Star Lesbian

A gold star lesbian is a lesbian who has never had sex with any other gender aside from women. If they’re using this term, they’re also probably 19. (>read more)

High Femme

A “high femme” is an uber-feminine lesbian who lives to pamper themselves. They love makeup, never miss a mani/pedi, and have a 28-step skincare routine. (>read more)

Lesbian Twitter

Lesbian Twitter is a collection of the funniest, smartest, but mostly saddest dykes on the internet. (>read more)

Lesbian Bed Death

An urban legend that looms over every lesbian relationship. It is the idea that lesbian couples generally have less sex than gay males or straight couples. But is that true? (>read more)

LGBTQI

Abbreviation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (or: queer), intersex.

LGBTQIA

Yep, it’s similar! It’s an abbreviation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (or: queer), intersex, AND asexual (or allied)

LGBTQIAP

Again! Now with Pansexuals at the end.

Lipstick Lesbian

A lipstick lesbian is generally the hyper-femme (lipstick-wearing) one in a gay relationship. See also: skincare lesbian. (>read more)

Non-Binary

Non-binary is an umbrella term for gender identities that are outside of the traditional male/female gender binary, including bigender, agender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, or genderfluid. (>read more)

Pillow Princess

An endearing term for one who gets the most pleasure while in a more relaxed, horizontal post during sex. (>read more)

QTPOC / QPOC

“QTPOC” stands for “queer and trans people of color.” See also: QPOC, aka queer people of color. (>read more)

Sapphic

Sapphic refers to anything related to the Greek poet Sappho, who wrote about her attraction to “lesbians” from the island of Lesbos. It also refers to any woman or non-binary person who is gay af. (>read more)

Sapphic Flag

The sapphic flag is a pink, orange, and white flag dedicated to sapphics, aka gay, bi, and pansexual women. It should be waved proudly and gayly. (>read more)

Saysbian

A girl who claims to be a lesbian or a bisexual, but in reality, she’s only with guys.

Skincare Lesbian

A high femme taking care of themselves is their full-time job

Soft Butch

A soft butch is a slightly more feminine (or “softer”) version of a butch lesbian. They’re tough but tender — like the perfect chicken nugget. (>read more)

Sporty Dyke

A sporty dyke is a lesbian who loves them some sports. Or at the very least, they look good in athleisure. (>read more)

Stem Lesbian

A “stem lesbian” is a Black or Latinx queer person who is both a “stud” and “femme.” The best of both worlds! (>read more)

Stone Butch

Womxn who is strongly masculine in character and dress. Displays female butchness or traditional “masculinity” as opposed to a high femme.

Stud Lesbian

A “stud” refers to a butch woman or non-binary person who is Black or Latinx — not white dykes on TikTok. (>read more)

Tomboy

A tomboy is usually a young woman who dresses with a more “masculine” style. They tend to be gay/queer women (specifically butches/soft butches) in the making. (>read more)

Top, Bottom, and Switch

While the terms top, bottom, and switch were created by and for gay men, they are becoming more frequently used amongst LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people. They can be pretty confusing because they can refer to someone’s sexual preferences, level of dominance, role in their relationships, or all of the above. (>read more)

Types of Lesbians

Types of lesbians include butches, studs, futches, femmes, high femmes, chapstick lesbians, lipstick lesbians, baby dykes, astrology lesbians, non-binary dykes, YouTube lesbians, and lesbians who really want a girlfriend. (>read more).

Two-Spirit

“Two-spirit” refers to a person who identifies as having both a masculine and a feminine spirit, sometimes referred also as a “third gender”. It’s a form of non-binary identity. (>read more)

Wildfang Lesbian

A Wildfang lesbian is a lesbian who owns 8,000 button-ups and all of them are Hawaiin print. They also probably have a sleeve and a septum piercing, but that’s not required. (>read more)

Womxn

A term used to avoid the spelling woman (which contains and derives from the word men). Replacing the y with the x means including trans womxn, womxn of color, and nonbinary folks.

Robyn Exton

Robyn is the CEO & Founder of HER. Find her on Twitter.

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