Women Loving Women
Table of Contents
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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External Links
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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Forums
- Reddit r/actuallesbians (https://www.reddit.com/r/actuallesbians/) - a place for cis and trans lesbians, bisexual girls, chicks who like chicks, bi-curious folks, dykes, butches, femmes, girls who kiss girls, birls, bois, aces, anyone in the LGBT+ community, or anyone else interested!
- Reddit - r/blacklesbians (https://www.reddit.com/r/blacklesbians/) - This is a space built by and for Black lesbians, where we take pride in our experiences and identities.
- Reddit - r/FemmeLesbians (https://www.reddit.com/r/FemmeLesbians/) - subreddit for femme lesbians
- Reddit - r/lesbian (https://www.reddit.com/r/lesbian/) - This is a place for lesbian interests such as all things U-Haul and nothing else. This community is for lesbians aged 18+.
- Reddit - r/LesbianActually (https://www.reddit.com/r/LesbianActually/) - Lesbian Actually is a place to discuss WLW life and culture.
- Reddit - r/olderlesbians (https://www.reddit.com/r/olderlesbians/) - An inclusive place for Older Lesbians to talk about issues important to us, dispense wisdom and swap stories.
- Reddit - r/SapphoAndHerFriend (https://www.reddit.com/r/SapphoAndHerFriend/) - A subreddit dedicated to historical and other LGBT erasure from academia and other
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Flags Resources
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- Etymonline - Sapphic (https://www.etymonline.com/word/Sapphic) - etymology of the word sapphic
- LGBTQIA - Fandom - Wiki - Sapphic (https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Sapphic) - wiki regarding the term sapphic, word meaning, origin, flags, and distinctions with lesbians
- Orientation - Fandom - Wiki - Sapphic (https://orientation.fandom.com/wiki/Sapphic) - short wiki regarding sapphic meaning, origin, usage, and numerous alternate flags
- Queerdom - Fandom - Wiki - Sapphic (https://queerdom.fandom.com/wiki/Sapphic) - wiki regarding sapphic meaning, usage, flag, origin
- Queer in the World: Cecilia Miller: 10/14/2023: What Does Sapphic Mean? + Other Sapphic Information To Help You Be A Better Ally! (https://queerintheworld.com/what-does-sapphic-mean) - article regarding sapphic meaning, usage, and allyship
- QueerSapphic.com (https://queersapphic.com/) - Queer Sapphic is a sapphic media company and digital publication that emerged from the journey of a queer late-bloomer who felt lost and in need of community, answers, and support. Today, Queer Sapphic stands as a beacon for all queer women (lesbian, sapphic, bisexual, trans). Look out for our upcoming queer merchandise, sapphic dating app, and lesbian retreats!
- Sapphic Project (https://sapphicproject.com/) - The Sapphic Project is a B.F.A. Senior capstone project done by Rowan Vogel at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. The Project is still on-going, and will be shown in an online Exhibition in May 2020. Follow the community on Instagram and learn to control your own visibility.
- Sapphic Society (https://sapphicsociety.com/) - Sapphic Society was built by women who love women in an effort to share wonderfully diverse LGBTQIA+ perspectives through story. Sapphic Society was founded in Florida at a time when it is illegal to teach school children that queer people exist, and where LGBTQIA+ books are systematically being banned from public libraries across the state. Unfortunately, this is not a Florida phenomenon, and these kind of laws are sweeping across multiple states throughout the U.S. We believe that representation matters, and that no LGBTQIA+ person should feel as though they are abnormal or they deserve to be shunned simply because of who they love. Sapphic Society exists to create an inclusive community for queer women and nonbinary people. We seek to educate the public on LGBTQIA+ topics and give those within the community, as well as our allies, the opportunity to escape into worlds where LGBTQIA+ perspectives are front and center. We are lovers of culture, the arts, books, and love itself. So please, stick around, make yourself comfortable, and feel like family here. Welcome to the Society!
- Sapphic Visibility Day (https://www.sapphicvisibilityday.com/) - Welcome to the comprehensive collection of resources dedicated to supporting and celebrating the diverse experiences of the sapphic community!
- Story Graph: Magnus Hirschfeld & Michael Lombardi-Nash: 1896: Sappho and Socrates: How Does One Explain the Love of Men and Women to Persons of their Own Sex? (https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/0e10f2a0-91ea-49de-8f6a-1353873d816d) - contains the earliest known usage of the term "sapphic" to refer to the sexual orientation
- Wikipedia - Sapphic Stanza (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphic_stanza) - article regarding a type of poem popularized by the Greek poet Sappho
- Wikipedia - Sapphism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphism) - article regarding sapphism word meaning, usage, and origin
- Wikipedia - Sappho (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho) - article regarding the Greek poet whom the term sapphic was based off of
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Stud Resources
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Additional Resources
- 42nd Street: Millie Blossom-Ward: Sisterhood and Solidarity (https://www.42ndstreet.org.uk/support/read/sisterhood-and-solidarity/) - article regarding the history of the terms "butch" and "femme" and who can use these terms
- Deviant Art: mayahuskee: 02/04/2010: Label Me Lesbian: A Guide to Types of Lesbians (https://www.deviantart.com/mayahuskee/journal/Label-Me-Lesbian-A-Guide-to-Types-of-Lesbians-214218387) - list of terms for different types of lesbians
- Dyke Marches: 1993-2001 (https://herstories.prattinfoschool.nyc/omeka/items/show/823) - This video is a compilation of edited footage of Dyke Marches from 1993-2001: the 1993 Dyke March in Washington D.C.; the 1993 Dyke March in New York City; the 1994 Dyke March in New York City; the 1995 Dyke March in New York City; the 1999 Dyke March in New York City; the 2000 Dyke March in New York City; and the 2001 Dyke March in New York City. The video includes interviews with lesbians and individuals who are participating in the Dyke March and studio interviews with Kelly Cogswell, Maxine Wolfe, and Marlene Colburn. Lesbians participating in the march express their need for visibility, civil rights, and liberation on all fronts.
- LesbianHerStoryArchives (https://www.lesbianherstoryarchives.org/) - a collection of books, magazines, journals, news clippings (from established Feminist and Lesbian media), bibliographies, photos, herstorical information, T-shirts, tapes, films, diaries, oral herstories, poetry and prose, biographies, autobiographies, notices of events, posters, graphics, zines, unpublished papers, organizational records, memorabilia and references to our lives
- LGBTQIA - Fandom - Wiki - Lesbian (https://lgbtqia.fandom.com/wiki/Lesbian) - lengthy wiki regarding lesbian meaning, history, flags, symbols, controversy, discrimination, and more
- Orientation - Fandom - Wiki - Lesbian (https://orientation.fandom.com/wiki/Lesbian)
- Queer Books for Teens - Lesbian (https://queerbooksforteens.com/find-books/?fwp_orientation=lesbian-queer) - list of books with lesbian characters
- Queerdom - Fandom - Wiki - Lesbian (https://queerdom.fandom.com/wiki/Lesbian)
- Queer Sapphic: Isa: 02/15/2025: 2025 Lesbian Slang Terms to Update Your Vocabulary (https://queersapphic.com/queer-culture/lesbian-slang-terms/) - a list of lesbian slang
- Them: Quispe López: 08/01/2024: Decoding the Sapphic Internet: A Crash Course in Online Lesbian Lingo (https://www.them.us/story/decoding-the-sapphic-internet-futch-hey-mamas-stud-stem-girly-pop-masc)
- Trans Language Primer - Lesbian (https://translanguageprimer.com/lesbian/)
- Wikipedia - Lesbian (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesbian)
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See also the pages for; sexuality, dating advice, transfeminine.
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