Women Loving Women: Sapphic
(also: lesbian, sexuality)
Table of Contents
Introduction
This is a sexuality topic related page, specifically regarding love between women.
Click to return to table of contents.
General Info
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.
Click to return to table of contents.
Sapphic Pride 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.
Click to return to table of contents.
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.
Click to return to table of contents.
Forums
- Reddit - r/SapphoAndHerFriend (https://www.reddit.com/r/SapphoAndHerFriend/) - A subreddit dedicated to historical and other LGBT erasure from academia and other
Click to return to table of contents.
Flags Resources
- itch.io - 404luxio - tiny pixel pride flags (https://404luxio.itch.io/tiny-pixel-pride-flags) - link to flags used on this page
- Pride Flag Guide - Sapphic (https://flag.library.lgbt/flags/sapphic/) - blurb about the sapphic flag with color hex codes
- Tumblr: lesbeux-moved: 08/14/2015: Sapphic / WLW / SGA Women Flag (https://www.tumblr.com/the-transgenda-agenda/795862415025864704/sapphic-wlw-sga-women-flag-pink-love-violets) - original sapphic flag
- The True Colors: Courtney Campbell: 06/30/2022: Women Love Women Represented: Introducing the Sapphic Flag (https://thetruecolors.org/sapphic-flag/) - article about the sapphic flag, what is means to be sapphic, how to be a better ally to those who are sapphic
- Wikipedia - Viola (plant) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_(plant)) - Wikipedia article regarding the flowers featured on the sapphic flag
Click to return to table of contents.
Sappho Resources
- 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
- Amazon Kindle Edition: Sappho and Socrates: How Does One Explain the Love of Men and Women to Persons of their Own Sex? (https://www.amazon.com/Sappho-Socrates-Explain-Persons-Manuscripts-ebook/dp/B0818HMQ4Z) - amazon kindle version
- Archive: Sappho und Sokrates (https://dn721202.ca.archive.org/0/items/hirschfeld-sappho-und-sokrates/hirschfeld-sappho-und-sokrates_text.pdf) - this copy is in the original German
- Archive: hirschfeld-sappho-und-sokrates (https://archive.org/details/hirschfeld-sappho-und-sokrates/mode/2up)
- Research Gate: "Sappho und Sokrates": On Magnus Hirschfeld's Reconceptualization of the Human and the Critical Task of "Sexualaufklärung" (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326111526_Sappho_und_Sokrates_On_Magnus_Hirschfeld's_Reconceptualization_of_the_Human_and_the_Critical_Task_of_Sexualaufklarung)
- Wikipedia - Sapphic Stanza (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphic_stanza) - article regarding a type of poem popularized by the Greek poet Sappho
- Wikipedia - Sappho (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sappho) - article regarding the Greek poet whom the term sapphic was based off of
Click to return to table of contents.
Ally Resources
- 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
Click to return to table of contents.
Activism Resources
- 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!
Click to return to table of contents.
Additional Resources
- 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
- Wikipedia - Sapphism (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphism) - article regarding sapphism word meaning, usage, and origin
Click to return to table of contents.
