Gay and Lesbian Slang Terms for Perfect Lingo

Gay and lesbian people are those who are capable of developing feelings of attraction for and/or romantic relationships with people of the same gender.

Gay is an adjective used to describe persons who are attracted to other members of the same gender on a physical, romantic, emotional, and/or spiritual level. In the past, males who are attracted to men were expressly referred to as “gay.” Anyone who is attracted to their own gender can now use the term “gay” to describe themselves. It’s entirely up to individuals which term best describes who they are. Considering that not all males who act in same-gender sexual ways identify as gay, this term should be used with care.

In contrast, a woman who identifies as a “lesbian” typically has a romantic or sexual inclination toward other women. Nonbinary people may also use this phrase to describe themselves. Additionally, it functions as an adjective. It’s acceptable for some lesbian women to identify as “gay.”

Following is a list of common words or terms used by gays and lesbians:

  1. Gold Star

adjective: A lesbian who’s never had sex with a man.

  1. U-Haul

verb: When queer women become emotionally invested in a relationship very quickly.

  1. Celesbian

noun: A famous lesbian.

  1. Pillow Princess

noun: Someone who enjoys the receiving role in sex, but doesn’t like to give. (Sometimes considered a derogatory term.)

  1. Lipstick Lesbian

noun: A feminine lesbian.

  1. Soft Butch

noun: Someone who presents mostly masculine, but has some feminine traits.

  1. Chapstick Lesbian

noun: A lesbian who presents somewhere between masculine and feminine, often dressing in comfortable or sensible clothing.

  1. High Femme

noun: A queer woman who presents extremely feminine.

  1. Stone Butch

noun: Someone who presents extremely masculine. A stone butch might or might not identify as transgender.

  1. CisHet

adjective: An abbreviation for someone who’s both cisgender and heterosexual.

  1. Baby Dyke

noun: Someone who recently came out as a lesbian.

  1. Dykon

noun: A famous woman (not necessarily gay), who is popular among queer women and seen as a gay icon.

  1. Bed Death

noun: The stereotypical idea that relationships between two women will eventually lead to a sexless life.

  1. Stud

noun: A queer woman, usually a woman of colour, who’s dominant during sex. Studs are often also butch.

  1. 100-Footer

noun: Used to describe someone who appears so stereotypically queer that you can spot them from 100 feet away.

  1. Cliterference

noun: When someone gets in the way of you flirting, making out, or having sex with a girl you’re interested in.

  1. Dopplebanger

noun: Someone who is attracted to people who look just like them.

  1. Achillean

noun: An umbrella term for attractions and relationships between men, regardless of their sexual or romantic orientation.

  1. Baby Gay

noun: A young or recently out gay person.

  1. Baths

noun: Bathhouses frequented by gay men for sexual encounters.

  1. Beach Bitch

noun: A gay man who frequents beaches and resorts for sexual encounters.

  1. Beard

noun: A person used as a date, romantic partner, or spouse to conceal one’s sexual orientation.

  1. Beat

verb: having or seeking anonymous gay sex.

  1. Bent

noun: gay, as opposed to straight.

  1. Bender

noun: Someone who has homosexual intercourse.

  1. Binding

verb: A technique in which individuals wear tight clothing, bandages, or compression garments, known as binders, to hide and flatten their breasts.

  1. Bottom

noun: A passive male partner in intercourse.

verb: The state of receiving sexual stimulation.

  1. Butch Queen

noun: A masculine-looking drag queen.

  1. Closeted

verb: Keeping one’s sexuality or gender identity a secret from others.

  1. Come out (of the closet)

verb: To admit or publicly acknowledge oneself as non-heterosexual.

  1. Cruising

verb: Seeking a casual gay sex encounter.

  1. Down-low

verb: Homosexual or bisexual activity, kept secret, by men who have sex with men.

  1. En femme, En homme

verb: The act of wearing clothes stereotypically of the opposite sex.

  1. Fag hag

noun: A woman who associates mostly or exclusively with gay and bisexual men.

  1. Femboy

noun: A feminine or androgynous male.

  1. Tomgirl

noun: A feminine or androgynous male.

  1. Femme

noun: A feminine homosexual.

  1. Gaydar

adjective: The supposed ability to detect someone’s sexual orientation.

  1. Platinum star gay

noun: Gay men who were born by a C-section procedure.

  1. Homoflexible

adjective: To be mostly gay.

  1. Sapphic

adjective: Synonymous with lesbian, but used nowadays to encompass attractions and relationships between women, regardless of their sexual or romantic orientation.

  1. Trade

noun: A straight-passing or heterosexual male partner, commonly used by gay men or trans women.

  1. Vers

noun: A person who enjoys both being dominant and submissive, and may alternate between the two in sexual situations, adapting to their partner.

  1. Switch

noun: A person who enjoys both being dominant and submissive, and may alternate between the two in sexual situations, adapting to their partner.

  1. Auntie

noun: An older, often effeminate and gossipy gay man.

  1. Chicken

noun: A youthful gay man.

  1. Chubby Chaser

noun: A man who seeks overweight males.

  1. Cupcake

noun: Young attractive man, usually a jock type, with a good body.

  1. Daddy

noun: A typically older gay man.

  1. Flower

noun: A typically effeminate gay man.

  1. Queen

noun: A flamboyant or effeminate gay man.

  1. Chicken Queen

noun: An older gay man interested in younger or younger-appearing men.

  1. Baby butch

noun: A young, boyish lesbian.

  1. Baby dyke

noun: A young or recently out lesbian.

  1. Babmi lesbian

noun: A lesbian who prefers cuddles, hugs, kisses, and other affectionate and sensual non-sexual acts over sexual acts.

  1. Lesbian until graduation

noun: A young woman who is assumed to be temporarily experimenting with same-sex behaviour, but will ultimately adopt a heterosexual identity.

  1. Stem

noun: Someone whose gender expression falls somewhere between a stud and a femme.

  1. Abro

noun: A word used to describe people who have a fluid sexual and/or romantic orientation which changes over time or the course of their life. They may use different terms to describe themselves over time.

  1. Coming Out

verb: When a person first tells someone/others about their orientation and/or gender identity.

  1. Lesbophobia

noun: The fear or dislike of someone because they are or are perceived to be a lesbian.​

  1. Outed

noun: When a lesbian, gay, bi or trans person’s sexual orientation or gender identity is disclosed to someone else without their consent.

Conclusion

Gay and lesbian people are present in every community. They are diverse, represent all ages, socioeconomic levels, and racial and ethnic backgrounds, and they originate from all regions of the nation.

There are millions of homosexual and lesbian people in the world, and like any group, they have their own vocabulary to discuss who they are and the difficulties they encounter in a culture that does not fully accept or safeguard them.

The easiest method to become an ally is to educate yourself about the LGBTQ community; however, you should be aware that many of the terminologies discussed in this article have historically been used negatively by straight, white, cisgender (defined below) individuals and have since been reclaimed by the LGBTQ community.

Quick Links

  1. List of Gender Neutral Terms
  2. Words to Describe Beautiful Women
  3. Words to Describe a Handsome Man