LGBT slang, LGBT speak, or gay slang is a set of

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gro ...

lexicon A lexicon is the vocabulary of a language or branch of knowledge (such as nautical or medical). In linguistics, a lexicon is a language's inventory of lexemes. The word ''lexicon'' derives from Koine Greek language, Greek word (), neuter of () ...

used predominantly among

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term is a ...

people. It has been used in various languages since the early 20th century as a means by which members of the LGBT community identify themselves and speak in code with brevity and speed to others. The acronym LGBT was popularized in the 1990s and stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender.

History and context

Because of sodomy laws and threat of prosecution due to the criminalization of

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

, LGBT slang has served as an

argot A cant is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.McArthur, T. (ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (1992) Oxford University Press It may also be called a cryptolect, argot ...

cant Cant, CANT, canting, or canted may refer to: Language * Cant (language), a secret language * Beurla Reagaird, a language of the Scottish Highland Travellers * Scottish Cant, a language of the Scottish Lowland Travellers * Shelta or the Cant, a la ...

, a secret language and a way for the LGBT community to communicate with each other publicly without revealing their

sexual orientation Sexual orientation is an enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction (or a combination of these) to persons of the opposite sex or gender, the same sex or gender, or to both sexes or more than one gender. These attractions are generall ...

to others. Since the advent of queer studies in universities, LGBT slang and argot has become a subject of academic research among

linguistic anthropology Linguistic anthropology is the interdisciplinary study of how language influences social life. It is a branch of anthropology that originated from the endeavor to document endangered languages and has grown over the past century to encompass mo ...

scholars.

During the first seven decades of the 20th century, a specific form of

Polari Polari () is a form of slang or cant used in Britain and Ireland by some actors, circus and fairground showmen, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals, sex workers and the gay subculture. There is some debate about its origi ...

was developed by

gay men Gay men are male homosexuals. Some bisexual and homoromantic men may also dually identify as gay, and a number of young gay men also identify as queer. Historically, gay men have been referred to by a number of different terms, including ' ...

and

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

s in urban centres of the United Kingdom within established LGBT communities. Although there are differences, contemporary British gay slang has adopted many Polari words. The 1964 legislative report ''

Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida ''Homosexuality and Citizenship in Florida'', also known as the Purple Pamphlet, was an anti-homosexual propaganda pamphlet published in January 1964 by the Florida Legislative Investigation Committee (FLIC) of the Florida Legislature led by St ...

'' contains an extensive appendix documenting and defining the homosexual slang in the United States at that time. SCRUFF launched a gay-slang dictionary app in 2014, which includes commonly used slang in the United States from the gay community. Specialized dictionaries that record LGBT slang have been found to revolve heavily around sexual matters. Slang is ephemeral. Terms used in one generation may pass out of usage in another. For example, in the 1960s and 1970s, the terms "cottage" (chiefly British) and "tearoom" (chiefly American) were used to denote public toilets used for sex. By 1999, this terminology had fallen out of use to the point of being greatly unrecognizable by members of the LGBT community at large. Many terms that originated as gay slang have become part of the popular

. For example, the word '' drag'' was popularized by

Hubert Selby Jr. Hubert "Cubby" Selby Jr. (July 23, 1928 – April 26, 2004) was an American writer. Two of his novels, ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' (1964) and ''Requiem for a Dream'' (1978) explore worlds in the New York area and were adapted as films, both of whi ...

in his book ''

Last Exit to Brooklyn ''Last Exit to Brooklyn'' is a 1964 novel by American author Hubert Selby Jr. The novel takes a harsh, uncompromising look at lower class Brooklyn in the 1950s written in a brusque, everyman style of prose. Critics and fellow writers praised ...

''. ''Drag'' has been traced back by the

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a com ...

(OED) to the late 19th Century. Conversely, words such as "

banjee Banjee (as in: "banjee boy" or "banjee girl") is a term originating in the house system and ball culture of New York City which seem to be "from the hood" or embodying an urban, tough swagger. The term is mostly associated with New York City and ...

", while well-established in a subset of gay society, have never made the transition to popular use. Conversations between gay men have been found to use more slang and fewer commonly known terms about sexual behavior than conversations between straight men. In the Philippines, many LGBT people speak with

Swardspeak Swardspeak (also known as gay speak or "gay lingo") is an argot or cant slang derived from Taglish (Tagalog-English code-switching) and used by a number of LGBT people in the Philippines. Description Swardspeak uses elements from Tagalog, English ...

, or "gay lingo", which is a more extensive use of slang as a form of dialect or way of speaking. Other

s are spoken in southern Africa (

Gayle language Gayle, or Gail, is an English- and Afrikaans-based gay argot or slang used primarily by English and Afrikaans-speaking homosexual men in urban communities of South Africa, and is similar in some respects to Polari in the United Kingdom, from w ...

and

IsiNgqumo IsiNgqumo, or IsiGqumo, (literally "decisions" in the language itself) is an argot used by homosexuals of South Africa and Zimbabwe who speak Bantu languages, as opposed to Gayle, a language used by the homosexuals of South Africa who speak Germani ...

) and Indonesia (

Bahasa Binan Bahasa Binan (or bahasa Béncong) is a distinctive Indonesian speech variety originating from the gay community. It has several regular patterns of word formation and is documented in both writing and speech. Boellstorf (2004): 248 One pattern of ...

). More specifically, in a country like Thailand, LGBT slang was always present in their history due to their religious, behavioral, and social nature. Though, before the term LGBT was introduced, the Thai community would use the terms Kathoey and Tom. The term Kathoey was used to describe transgender women who dress, act, or partake in surgery to become female, and the term Tom as well as "handsome girls" in Thai was used to describe women who liked women. Homosexuality and transgenderism has always existed throughout their history, as well as their behavioral nature did not align with heterosexual ideals.

General slang terms

* 100-footer – an obviously gay or lesbian person (as if visible from 100 feet away) ( US) * or (man-loving-man) – an umbrella term for attractions and relationships between men, regardless of their

sexual Sex is the biological distinction of an organism between male and female. Sex or SEX may also refer to: Biology and behaviour *Animal sexual behaviour **Copulation (zoology) **Human sexual activity **Non-penetrative sex, or sexual outercourse ** ...

romantic orientation A person's romantic orientation, also called affectional orientation, is the classification of the sex or gender with which a person experiences romantic attraction towards or is likely to have a romantic relationship with. The term is used a ...

, sometimes including non-binary

androphile Androphilia and gynephilia are terms used in behavioral science to describe sexual orientation, as an alternative to a gender binary homosexual and heterosexual conceptualization. Androphilia describes sexual attraction to men or masculinity; g ...

s * baby gay – a young or recently out gay person (US) * baby trans – a young or recently out transgender person (US) * baths – bathhouses frequented by gay men for sexual encounters (US) * beach bitch – a gay man who frequents beaches and resorts for sexual encounters (US) *

beard A beard is the hair that grows on the jaw, chin, upper lip, lower lip, cheeks, and neck of humans and some non-human animals. In humans, usually pubescent or adult males are able to grow beards. Throughout the course of history, societal at ...

– a person used as a date, romantic partner, or spouse to conceal one's sexual orientation * beat – having or seeking anonymous gay sex (Australia) * bent – gay, as opposed to

straight Straight may refer to: Slang * Straight, slang for heterosexual ** Straight-acting, an LGBT person who does not exhibit the appearance or mannerisms of the gay stereotype * Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture Sport and games * ...

(UK) * bender – someone who has homosexual intercourse (UK) * binding – a technique in which individuals wear tight clothing, bandages, or compression garments, known as binders, to hide and flatten their breasts *

bottom Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or dominant * Bottom (sex), a term used by gay couples and BDSM * Buttocks or bottom, part of th ...

– a receptive male partner in intercourse; also used as a verb for the state of receiving sexual stimulation ** – someone who dominantly or energetically plays the receptive role in intercourse * –

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsanal sex. Also used to refer to

trans man A trans man is a man who was assigned female at birth. The label of transgender man is not always interchangeable with that of transsexual man, although the two labels are often used in this way. ''Transgender'' is an umbrella term that incl ...

's vulva. * – a masculine-looking

drag queen A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...

* butchy femme – a gender expression between femme and futch * camp, campy – effeminacy, effeminate * clone – a San Francisco or New York

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

denizen with exaggerated macho behavior and appearance (US) * closeted – keeping one's sexuality or gender identity a secret from others (US) * cocksucker – a person who practices fellatio, usually a gay male (US) * come out (of the closet) – to admit or publicly acknowledge oneself as non-heterosexual/non-cisgender (US) * cottaging – having or seeking anonymous gay sex in a public toilet, or 'cottage' (UK) * cruising – seeking a casual gay sex encounter (historically from

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

) * down-low – homosexual or bisexual activity, kept secret, by

men who have sex with men Men who have sex with men (MSM) are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex. The term was created in the 1990s by epidemiologists to study the spread of disease among all men who have sex with men, regardless of ...

(US) *

en femme The term ''en femme'' is a lexical borrowing of a French phrase. It is used in the transgender and crossdressing community to describe the act of wearing feminine clothing or expressing a stereotypically feminine personality. The term is borro ...

en homme The term ''en homme'' is an anglicized adaptation of a French phrase. It is used in the transgender and crossdressing community to describe the act of wearing masculine clothing or expressing a stereotypically masculine personality. The term ...

– the act of wearing clothes stereotypically of the opposite sex *

fag hag A fag hag is, in gay slang, a woman who associates either mostly or exclusively with gay and bisexual men. The phrase originated in gay male culture in the United States and was historically an insult. Some women who associate with gay men obje ...

– a woman who associates mostly or exclusively with gay and bisexual men (US) *

femboy Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rath ...

– a feminine or androgynous male *

femme ''Femme'' (; , literally meaning "woman") is a term traditionally used to describe a lesbian who exhibits a feminine identity or gender presentation. Alternate meanings of the word also exist with some non-lesbian individuals using the word, ...

– a feminine homosexual (US) * – a shorter alternative to folks * – a gender expression between femme and butch, or a feminine butch * Game of Flats – an 18th century English term for sex between women The reference is to A. G. Busbequius, Travels into Turkey, English translation (London, 1744). The original book, published much earlier, was invariably cited whenever lesbianism was mentioned, e.g., William Walsh's A Dialogue Concerning Women (London, 1691) and in

Martin Schurig Martin Schurig (1656–1733) was the first physician to occupy himself with the anatomy of the sexual organs.gaydar Gaydar (a portmanteau of ''gay'' and ''radar'') is a colloquialism referring to the intuitive ability of a person to assess others' sexual orientations as homosexual, bisexual or straight. Gaydar relies on verbal and nonverbal clues and LG ...

– the supposed ability to detect someone's sexual orientation (from ''gay'' + ''radar''). Corresponding terms include , , , and . Bidar is also called , a jocular pun on

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...

. *

gaymer Gaymer and gay gamer are umbrella terms used to refer to the group of people who are identified as homosexual and have an active interest in video games or tabletop games, also known as gamers. Lesbian, bisexual, and transgender gamers are o ...

– an LGBT person who plays

video games Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device to gener ...

(from ''gay'' + ''gamer'') * gaysian – a gay Asian person * gold star – a homosexual who has never had heterosexual sexual intercourse (US) * *

heteroflexible Heteroflexibility is a form of a sexual orientation or situational sexual behavior characterized by minimal homosexual activity in an otherwise primarily heterosexual orientation, which may or may not distinguish it from bisexuality. It has been ...

– to be mostly heterosexual *

homoflexible Heteroflexibility is a form of a sexual orientation or situational sexual behavior characterized by minimal homosexual activity in an otherwise primarily heterosexual orientation, which may or may not distinguish it from bisexuality. It has been ...

– to be mostly gay * Horatian – from the belated nineteenth century, term utilized at Oxford amongst Lord Byron along with his compatriots to a bisexual individual; a bisexual+ masculine person (UK) * Molly/Tommy – In 18th century England, the term "molly" was used for male homosexuals, implying

effeminacy Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rathe ...

; "tommy", a slang term for a homosexual woman in use by 1781, and may have been coined by analogy. See

Molly house Molly-house was a term used in 18th- and 19th-century Britain for a meeting place for homosexual men. The meeting places were generally taverns, public houses, coffeehouses or even private rooms where men could either socialise or meet possible ...

. * platinum star gay – gay men who were born by a C-section procedure (US) * * poz –

HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...

-positive person (US) *

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

– originally a slur against homosexuals, transgender people, and anyone who does not fit society's standards of gender and sexuality; recently reclaimed and used as umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities * sapphic or (woman-loving-woman) – synonymous with lesbian, but used nowadays to encompass attractions and relationships between women, regardless of their sexual or romantic orientation, sometimes including non-binary

gynephile Androphilia and gynephilia are terms used in behavioral science to describe sexual orientation, as an alternative to a gender binary homosexual and heterosexual conceptualization. Androphilia describes sexual attraction to men or masculinity; gyn ...

s * side – someone who prefers not to have anal sex * swish – effeminate or effeminacy (US) *

switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

– see vers *

tomgirl Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rathe ...

– see femboy *

top A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few ...

– the dominant or inserting sexual partner, usually in a homosexual relation or activity ** – a submissive top, someone who applies sensation or control to a bottom, but does so at the bottom's explicit instructions *

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...

– a straight-passing or heterosexual male partner, commonly used by gay men or trans women (derived from

) (US) * vers – a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming, or being dominant and submissive, and may alternate between the two in sexual situations, adapting to their partner

Terms describing gay men

* artiste – a gay man who excels at fellatio (US) * auntie – an older, often effeminate and gossipy gay man (US) * bathsheba – a gay man who frequents gay bathhouses (US) *

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adult m ...

– a youthful gay man * chubby chaser – a man who seeks overweight males (US) * cupcake – young attractive man, usually a jock type, with a good body. *

daddy A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

– a typically older gay man (US) * finocchio (from Italy, meaning fennel) * flit * flower – a typically effeminate gay man *

friend of Dorothy A "friend of Dorothy" (FOD) is a euphemism for a gay man, first used in LGBT slang, and is more broadly used to describe any LGBTQ person. Stating that, or asking if someone is a ''friend of Dorothy'' is a furtive way of suggesting sexual orienta ...

– a gay person. Historically used as a

shibboleth A shibboleth (; hbo, , šībbōleṯ) is any custom or tradition, usually a choice of phrasing or even a single word, that distinguishes one group of people from another. Shibboleths have been used throughout history in many societies as passwor ...

to identify other LGBT people. Likely a reference to

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

, who portrayed

Dorothy Dorothy may refer to: *Dorothy (given name), a list of people with that name. Arts and entertainment Characters *Dorothy Gale, protagonist of ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum * Ace (''Doctor Who'') or Dorothy, a character playe ...

in ''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939) and had a large gay fan-base. * gaysian – a gay Asian * light in the loafers / light in the pants / light in the fedora * punk – a smaller, younger gay man who, in prison settings, is forced into a submissive role and used for the older inmate's sexual pleasure *

queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

– a flamboyant or effeminate gay man. Alternatively, short for

. ** bean queen (also taco queen or Salsa queen), gay man attracted to Hispanic men ** brownie queen – obsolete slang for gay man interested in anal sex (used by men who disliked anal sex) **

queen – an older gay man interested in younger or younger appearing men ** grey queen – a gay person who works in

financial services Financial services are the Service (economics), economic services provided by the finance industry, which encompasses a broad range of businesses that manage money, including credit unions, banks, credit-card companies, insurance companies, acco ...

; grey flannel suits). ** potato queen – a gay Asian man attracted mainly to white men.Ayres T (1999). China doll - the experience of being a gay Chinese Australian. ''Journal of Homosexuality'', 36(3-4): 87-97 ** rice queen – a gay man attracted mainly to East Asian men.

Slurs

* anal assassin (UK) or "anal astronaut" * arse bandit or Ass bandit * backgammon player (late 18th century Britain) *

batty boy In Jamaican Patois, ''batty boy'' (also ''JSAP'', ''batty man'', and ''chi chi bwoy/man'') is a slang expression often used to refer to a gay or Effeminacy, effeminate man. The term batiman (or battyman) is also used in Belize owing to the populari ...

– a slur for gay or effeminate man (

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

and

U.K. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

) * bent, bentshot or bender *

bixa ''Bixa'' is a genus of plants in the family Bixaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, Caribbean, and South America, and naturalized in other places.Molina Rosito, A. 1975. Enumeración de las plantas de Honduras. Ceiba 19(1): 1–118. ...

/ (Brazil) * brownie king / brown piper * bufter, bufty (mainly Scottish) or booty buffer * bum boy / bum chum, also bum robber * butt pirate, butt boy, butt rider, butt pilot, or butt rustler * chi chi man (Jamaica and the Caribbean) * cockstruction worker – a gay, bi or queer man who works in construction industry * homo – shortening of

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

. Often derogatory. *

homo thug Banjee (as in: "banjee boy" or "banjee girl") is a term originating in the Ball_culture#Houses, house system and ball culture of New York City which seem to be "from the hood" or embodying an urban, tough swagger. The term is mostly associated wit ...

faggot Faggot, faggots, or faggoting may refer to: Arts and crafts * Faggoting (metalworking), forge welding a bundle of bars of iron and steel * Faggoting (knitting), variation of lace knitting in which every stitch is a yarn over or a decrease * F ...

/ fag – slur against gay men. First recorded in a

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

publication in 1914 * fairy – a slur reclaimed by gay men in the 1960s * flamer *

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

(also fruit loop, fruit packer, butt fruit) – a slur against gay men; originally a stereotype of gay men as "softer" and "smelling good" * fudge packer *

maricón The Spanish language employs a wide range of swear words that vary between Spanish-speaking countries, Spanish speaking nations and in regions and subcultures of each nation. Idiomatic expressions, particularly profanity, are not always direct ...

or (in Spanish) * ogay *

Pansy The garden pansy (''Viola'' × ''wittrockiana'') is a type of large-flowered hybrid plant cultivated as a garden flower. It is derived by hybridization from several species in the section ''Melanium'' ("the pansies") of the genus ''Viola'', ...

* poof/poofta/ (Australian) * sod (from

Sodomy Sodomy () or buggery (British English) is generally anal or oral sex between people, or sexual activity between a person and a non-human animal ( bestiality), but it may also mean any non- procreative sexual activity. Originally, the term ''sodo ...

) * or ''veado'' – a gay male or an effeminate man (lit., a corrupted form of "deer", derived from ''desviado'', meaning deviant) (Brazil)

Terms describing lesbians

* baby butch – a young, boyish lesbian (US) * baby dyke – a young or recently out lesbian (US) * bambi lesbian – a lesbian who prefers cuddles, hugs, kisses, and other affectionate and sensual non-sexual acts over sexual acts * bean flicker – Likening the clitoris to a bean * boi – a boyish lesbian (UK) * – a lesbian with male presentation * bull dyke – a masculine lesbian, as opposed to a baby butch or dinky dyke (US) * butch – a masculine lesbian * Carpet muncher (or "rug muncher") * dyke ("bull dyke", "bull dagger", alternatively "bulldagger", "bulldicker"), from 1920s black American slang. A slur reclaimed by women who are attracted to women in the 1950s ** diesel dyke ** drag dyke * dykon – portmanteau of ''dyke'' + ''

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

''. A celebrity woman who is seen as an icon by lesbians; may or may not be a lesbian herself (US) * (in French) * kiki – a term used primarily from the 1940s until the 1960s to indicate a lesbian who was not butch or femme and did not have a preference for either butch or femme partners * kitty puncher / pussy puncher – with both "kitty" and "pussy" referring to a woman's vagina, and "puncher" as a variation on various derogatory terms for gay men, such "donut puncher". *

lesbian until graduation The LGBT slang terms lesbian until graduation (LUG),Rimer, Sara (June 5, 1993)"Campus Lesbians Step Into Unfamiliar Light" ''The New York Times''. gay until graduation (GUG), and bisexual until graduation (BUG) are used to describe women primarily ...

(LUG) – a young woman who is assumed to be temporarily experimenting with same-sex behavior, but will ultimately adopt a heterosexual

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...

lipstick lesbian "Lipstick lesbian" is slang for a lesbian who exhibits a greater amount of feminine gender attributes, such as wearing make-up, dresses or skirts, and having other characteristics associated with feminine women. In popular usage, the term is also ...

– a lesbian/bisexual woman who displays historically feminine attributes such as wearing make-up, dresses, and high heels * muff-diver – a lesbian * pillow princess – a lesbian who prefers to receive sexual stimulation (to bottom) (US) * (Brazil) or (Portugal) *

soft butch A soft butch, or stem (stud-fem), is a lesbian who exhibits some stereotypical butch traits without fitting the masculine stereotype associated with butch lesbians. Soft butch is on the spectrum of butch, as are stone butch and masculine, whereas ...

– an androgynous lesbian, in between femme and butch (US) * stem, stemme – someone whose

gender expression Gender expression, or gender presentation, is a person's behavior, mannerisms, interests, and appearance that are associated with gender, specifically with the categories of femininity or masculinity. This also includes gender roles. These cat ...

falls somewhere between a stud and a femme *

stone butch A stone butch is a lesbian who displays female butchness or traditional "masculinity", as opposed to a stone femme. Identification with the terms is not necessarily dependent upon the person's physical appearance or gender expression, or upon th ...

– a very masculine lesbian, or a butch lesbian who does not receive touch during intercourse, only giving (US) * stud – a

black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

butch

Terms describing bisexuals

* AC/DC – reference to "swinging both ways" (US) * – euphemism for bisexual, derived from

ambidextrous Ambidexterity is the ability to use both the right and left hand equally well. When referring to objects, the term indicates that the object is equally suitable for right-handed and left-handed people. When referring to humans, it indicates that ...

* bicon –

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsbisexual Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...

'' + ''

''. Used to refer to a bisexual

celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

* Gillette Blade – a 1950s era term for bisexual women, whose sexuality "cuts both ways" * switch hitter – from the baseball term * unicorn – a bisexual, usually female, who desires multiple partners and is willing to join an existing married couple and sexually satisfy both members of the couple. So-named because bisexuals willing to enter to such an arrangement are considered rare or non-existent, while couples seeking such a partner ("unicorn hunters") are common.

Terms describing androgynous or intersex people

* – Japanese word for

hermaphroditism In reproductive biology, a hermaphrodite () is an organism that has both kinds of reproductive organs and can produce both gametes associated with male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals (mostly invertebrates) do not have s ...

, which is also used in a broader sense for

androgyny Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression. When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics in ...

. Krauss, Friedrich Salomo et al. ''Japanisches Geschlechtsleben: Abhandlungen und Erhebungen über das Geschlechtsleben des japanischen Volkes; folkloristische Studien'', Schustek, 1965 The term is also heavily associated with a genre of hentai defined by sexualization of characters simultaneously possesssing breasts, a penis and vagina. * hermie – an androgynous or

intersex Intersex people are individuals born with any of several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical bina ...

person, often considered a slur. * altersex – a term describing an alternative sex in fiction or a body plan that is usually inaccessible in real life.

Terms describing transgender and non-binary people

* boymoder – a transgender woman who socially presents in a masculine gender role, typically in places where transgender individuals are discriminated against, or due to not being out as transgender. * Copenhagen capon – a transsexual; someone who has undergone sex reassignment surgery. The term alludes to

Christine Jorgensen Christine Jorgensen (May 30, 1926 – May 3, 1989) was an American trans woman who was the first person to become widely known in the United States for having sex reassignment surgery. She had a career as a successful actress, singer and re ...

, a trans woman who underwent

sex reassignment surgery Gender-affirming surgery (GAS) is a surgical procedure, or series of procedures, that alters a transgender or transsexual person's physical appearance and sexual characteristics to resemble those associated with their identified gender, and a ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

in the 1950s. A

capon A capon (from la, cāpō, genitive ''cāpōnis'') is a cockerel ( rooster) that has been castrated or neutered, either physically or chemically, to improve the quality of its flesh for food, and, in some countries like Spain, fattened by for ...

is a

neutered Neutering, from the Latin ''neuter'' ('of neither sex'), is the removal of an animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. C ...

rooster. * / – a female-to-male (FtM) and male-to-female (MtF) transgender/transsexual person, respectively, who has not had genital surgery, sometimes used for fictional characters * egg – a transgender person who has not yet realized they are trans; used by transgender people when aspects of one's personality or behavior remind them of gender-related aspects of themselves before they realized they were trans * – a

non-binary Non-binary and genderqueer are umbrella terms for gender identities that are not solely male or femaleidentities that are outside the gender binary. Non-binary identities fall under the transgender umbrella, since non-binary people typically ...

person. Derived from the abbreviation NB. * hon – a non-passing transgender woman. This term is primarily used by trans women in online communities, especially 4chan. It is considered derogatory. * lady boy – English translation of

kathoey ''Kathoey'' or ''katoey'' ( th, กะเทย; ) is an identity used by some people in Thailand, whose identities in English may be best described as transgender women in some cases, or effeminate gay men in other cases. Transgender wo ...

, similar or equivalent to ''transgender woman'', but may refer to feminine

people. * repressor – a person who is fighting the wish to change their gender expression. *

shemale Shemale (also spelled she-male; also she-man and he-she) is a term most commonly used in the pornography industry to describe trans women or other people with male genitalia and female secondary sex characteristics (including breasts) acquired v ...

– a trans woman with male genitalia and possibly female secondary sex characteristics.Autumn Sandeen
Blaming The Victim, Angie Zapata, For Her Own Death
Shadowproof, 19 Mar 2009 Primarily a term used in pornography and often considered derogatory. * – a

trans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...

(short for "trans girl"). Sometimes considered derogatory, due to its association with

transgender pornography Transgender pornography is a genre of pornography featuring transsexual or transgender actors. The majority of the genre features trans women, but trans men are sometimes featured. Trans women are most often featured with male partners, but they ar ...

. ** / – a

(short for "trans boy" and "trans guy") * tranarchist – transgender

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessa ...

. *

tranny ''Tranny'' is an offensive and derogatory slur for a transgender individual. During the early 2000s, there was some confusion and debate over whether the term was a pejorative, was considered acceptable, or a reappropriated term of unity and pr ...

– slur used for transgender people. * (

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordstrans woman A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and s ...

effeminate Effeminacy is the embodiment of traits and/or expressions in those who are not of the female sex (e.g. boys and men) that are often associated with what is generally perceived to be feminine behaviours, mannerisms, styles, or gender roles, rath ...

boy. Implies that others who are attracted to them (typically heterosexual men) are maliciously deceived (i.e. "trapped") regarding their "real" gender. Considered derogatory and dehumanizing.

Terms related to transgender and non-binary people

* chaser / tranny chaser – someone attracted to transgender people. Often used in a pejorative fashion, chasers to value them for their trans status alone, rather than being attracted to them as a person * clock – to recognize someone as transgender. *

deadname Deadnaming is the act of referring to a transgender or non-binary person by a name they used prior to transitioning, such as their birth name. Deadnaming may be unintentional, or a deliberate attempt to deny, mock or invalidate a person's gend ...

– as a noun, a transgender person's birth name. As a verb, to refer to someone by their deadname. * girldick – a transfeminine person's penis, especially one changed by hormone use. Also known as girlcock or gock. * malefail – typically of transfeminine people, to be gendered as feminine when trying to present in a masculine gender role. * packing – the act of wearing padding or a

phallic A phallus is a penis (especially when Erection, erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimesis, mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic. Any object that symbolically— ...

object to present the appearance of a penis * passing – being perceived by strangers as

cisgender Cisgender (often shortened to cis; sometimes cissexual) is a term used to describe a person whose gender identity corresponds to their sex assigned at birth. The word ''cisgender'' is the antonym of ''transgender''. The prefix ''wiktionary:cis ...

. *

skoliosexual Sexual attraction to transgender people has been the subject of scientific study and social commentary. Psychologists have researched sexual attraction toward trans women, cross dressers, non-binary people, and a combination of these. Publicati ...

– to describe attraction to

people. * stealth – passing to the extent that most people do not know that you are trans. *

TERF TERF () is an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. First recorded in 2008, the term was originally used to distinguish trans-inclusive feminists from a group of radical feminists who reject the assertion that trans women are wome ...

– acronym for "trans-exclusionary

radical feminist Radical feminism is a perspective within feminism that calls for a radical re-ordering of society in which male supremacy is eliminated in all social and economic contexts, while recognizing that women's experiences are also affected by other ...

"; a

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

whose advocacy excludes or opposes the rights of trans women; more generally, anyone hostile to transgender people. Such feminists typically prefer the term ''

gender critical Feminist views on transgender topics vary widely. Third-wave feminists and fourth-wave feminists tend to view the struggle for trans rights as an integral part of intersectional feminism. Former president of the American National Organization f ...

''.

Terms describing cisgender or heterosexual people

breeder A breeder is a person who selectively breeds carefully selected mates, normally of the same breed to sexually reproduce offspring with specific, consistently replicable qualities and characteristics. This might be as a farmer, agriculturalist, ...

– a heterosexual person, especially one with children * cishet – Someone who is cisgender and heterosexual and/or

heteroromantic A person's romantic orientation, also called affectional orientation, is the classification of the sex or gender with which a person experiences romantic attraction towards or is likely to have a romantic relationship with. The term is used a ...

. * chaser – a cisgender person who has a

sexual fetish Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or nongenital body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has ''a fetish'' for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regard ...

for transgender people, usually transgender women. * fag hag – a heterosexual woman who specifically associates with gay men. * fag stag – heterosexual man who enjoys company of gay men. * – a cisgender woman who identifies as a heterosexual woman ''except'' in the context of her attraction to gay/bisexual men; in these instances, she regards herself as a gay man too. * guydyke or lesboy – a cisgender man who identifies as a heterosexual man ''except'' in the context of his attraction to lesbian/bisexual women; in these instances, he regards himself as a lesbian too.

Terms describing asexuality or aromanticity

* ace – short for asexual. * aro – short for aromantic * , aro-ace, aro/ace – both aromantic and asexual * ace of spades – an aromantic asexual * ace of hearts – a romantic asexual * ace of diamond – a

demiromantic A person's romantic orientation, also called affectional orientation, is the classification of the sex or gender with which a person experiences romantic attraction towards or is likely to have a romantic relationship with. The term is used al ...

demisexual Demisexuality is a term in which an individual does not experience primary sexual attraction – the type of attraction that is based on immediately observable characteristics such as appearance or smell and is experienced immediately aft ...

* ace of swords – a greyromantic greysexual * squish – a non-romantic or

platonic Plato's influence on Western culture was so profound that several different concepts are linked by being called Platonic or Platonist, for accepting some assumptions of Platonism, but which do not imply acceptance of that philosophy as a whole. It ...

version of crush *

queerplatonic relationship Queerplatonic relationships (QPR) and queerplatonic partnerships (QPP) are committed intimate relationships which are not romantic in nature. They may differ from usual close friendships by having more explicit commitment, validation, status, str ...

– committed

intimate relationship An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving family, friends, or ...

s which are not romantic nor (necessarily)

in nature * zucchini – queerplatonic partner.

LGBT subgroups

The following slang terms have been used to represent various types of people within the

LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay men, gay, bisexuality, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a comm ...

: *

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

– a larger and often hairier man who projects an image of rugged

masculinity Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...

. The bear subgroup is among the oldest and largest of the LGBT community. Pride.com says "Bears are on the heavier side, either muscular, beefy, or chunky. They wouldn't dream of shaving their body hair (which comes in abundance) and they usually have a full beard to match. They exude masculinity, and are some of the kindest men you'll meet in your entire life." ''Attitude'' magazine says bears are "typically older" with a big build, a belly, and lots of hair. There are many bear subtypes, including the black bear (

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

men), the brown bear (

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

men), the grizzly bear ("dominant bears of extreme stature or hairiness"), the koala bear (Australian men), the panda bear (men of

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

descent), and the polar bear, which represents an older bear with white hair. ** cub – a younger bear. Pride.com describes cubs as "baby bears" or "large, hairy guys in their teens and 20's who are on their way to becoming a bear". ** bear chaser – a man who pursues

bears Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

** otter – a man who is slender and hairy. ** wolf – Pride.com says, "Similar to an otter, a

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly un ...

has some hair and is in between a twink and a bear. However, there are some key differences between wolves and otters. Wolves typically have a lean, muscular build and are sexually aggressive." ''Attitude'' says wolves are "typically older and masculine" with a "muscular/athletic build". * bull – Pride.com says a bull is a "hunky, muscular" bodybuilder who weighs 200 pounds or more. The website says, "These men are big, strong and have muscles you didn't even know existed." ''Attitude'' says bulls have a "super-muscular build" with any hair style, and can be any age. *

– a young twink. ''Attitude'' says chickens are "hairless and young" with a slim or skinny build. * chickenhawk – a typically older man who seeks younger men. From ''chickenhawk'', a designation for several birds which are thought to hunt chickens. * pig – someone who is "more focused on sex than anything else, often into kinkier and somewhat seedier sexual practices", according to Pride.com. * pup / puppy – in

animal roleplay Animal roleplay is a form of roleplay where at least one participant plays the part of a non-human animal. As with most forms of roleplay, its uses include play and psychodrama. Animal roleplay may also be found in BDSM contexts, where an in ...

, someone who wants to be treated like a puppy, "with love and affection", by a handler. ''Attitude'' says pups are "young and submissive" with a slender build and little hair. * silver fox – an older man with gray hair * twink – a young or young-looking gay man, with little body hair and a slender build * twunk – a twink with well-developed physique (from ''twink'' + ''hunk'')

References

Bibliography

* * * *

External links

Lavender Linguistics, from Guardian Unlimited

Frederick, Brian J. (2012) Partying with a purpose: Finding meaning in an online "party 'n' play" subculture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lgbt Slang Slang terms LGBT-related slurs Sociolinguistics lists Lists of slang