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Women Loving Women

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Introduction

There are various terms that are used to refer to women who love other women, such as lesbian or sapphic. Lesbians have a long and rich history of existing and defying traditional femininity. It is commonly understood that both transgender and cisgender women may identify as lesbians, however there are those of other gender identities who sometimes feel the need to also identify as such.

Please note that if you come across two women who are in a relationship and feel the need to ask which one of them is "the man", don't.

If you come across terms with which you are unfamiliar; please consult the alphabet menu buttons at the top of this page to come to find a relevant definition for the word(s) you are struggling to understand. Clicking on underlined words throughout the main body of this text will bring you to relevant pages elsewhere within The Transgender Dictionary. Clicking on links below the "External Links" header will bring you to exterior reading materials containing relevant topics.

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General Info (Lesbians)

While at at first glance, the concept of a lesbian seems simple enough - a woman attracted to other women. However, while the term seems quite specific, human nature is not. Depending on who you ask, the term "lesbian" can be broadened to encompass the many subtleties of the human experiences of both gender and love.

The term "lesbian" is used to refer to both the romantic orientation and sexual orientation of women who are attracted to other women. Some use this terminology to describe women who are only attracted to other women, while some use it in the context of being only primarily attracted to other women. Some women prefer to simply describe themselves as "gay" or "gay women" rather than as lesbians.

Some nonbinary people who consider themselves to be woman-aligned will also use the term lesbian as a self-descriptor. The usage of the term lesbian by those who are not fully women (as well as by those who only primarily experience attraction to women) has been a source of much controversy by those who feel as though the term should be used in the strictest possible manner.

Some transgender men who transitioned later in life, after finding connections within the lesbian community, will continue to identify as lesbians even after finding that they identify with being men. While even less common, some transgender men discovering their identities earlier in life will still identify with being both men and lesbians.

Lesbian visibility day is April 26. Lesbian visibility week is April 22 through April 28.

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The Sunset Lesbian Flag

This is the most commonly used lesbian flag today.

The orange stripes in the lesbian flag represent independence and community and acknowledging the importance of chosen families and support networks.

The white stripe in the lesbian flag represents the unique and diverse relationship that lesbians have with womanhood.

The pink stripes in the lesbian flag represent love, femininity, serenity, and the diversity of lesbian expressions and experiences.

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Sapphic/Woman-Loving-Woman/WLW

This is a term used to unite the community of all women loving women. Someone who is a woman (or woman-aligned) that is attracted to others who are women (or woman-aligned). Being an umbrella term, not everyone who is sapphic is necessarily a lesbian. That being said, it is often used as the adjective companion to the noun lesbian.

Some sapphic women identify as bisexual, pansexual, queer, or use other, more specific terminology to describe their personal experiences. That being said, sapphic is a broad term more often used by those who prefer to be a bit more vague regarding their orientation.

the term sapphic can be used to describe sexual orientation, romantic orientation, and simply to describe the nature of a relationship involving two women.

The term "sapphic" was originally used to refer to Sappho, an ancient greek poet known for her love of women. Sapphic visibility day is April 9th.

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Sapphic Flag

The sapphic flag (below) was created in 2015 and posted to tumblr by user "lesbeux-moved". This flag has three stripes, and features violets.

The pink stripes in the sapphic flag represent love.

The white stripe in the sapphic flag represents relationships.

The violet flower on the sapphic flag is a traditional symbol of sapphic love which dates back to the 1920s.

The male equivalent of sapphic is achillean. Click here to be brought to the achillean section.

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Chapstick Lesbian

A chapstick lesbian is a lesbian with an appearance that is more androgynous than masculine or feminine. Not quite femme, not quite butch. Somewhere in the middle.

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Gold Star Lesbian

A gold star lesbian is a lesbian that has never had sex with a man and has no intention of ever having sex with a man. This term is controversial for various reasons. Some people feel as though the term is unnecessary and only sets to divide the lesbian community. Others feel as though the term is disrespectful to survivors of rape. Others dislike the term as they feel it centers men. Some people use the term in a transphobic manner to exclude transgender women, or lesbians who have had sex with transgender women.

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Lipstick Lesbian

A lipstick lesbian is a lesbian that presents in a feminine manner. Some lesbians feel as though the term is used to embrace femininity, while others feel as though the term is associated with falling into stereotypes of what a woman should be like.

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The following links are not sponsored, nor endorsed. Inclusion of a link or article does not mean that all of the views/opinions/beliefs/etc inherently represent those of The Transgender Dictionary.

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See also the pages for; sexuality, dating advice, transfeminine.

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