What’s In a Name? A Quick Glossary of Lesbian Labels – It’s a bit of a conundrum: nobody likes to be labelled in a specific way, but at the same time people do have distinctive traits and find themselves belonging to different tribes and subcultures. This is especially true of lesbians, as our guide below reveals:
Dyke: A term that is typically only used by LGBT people. Some may be offended by a straight person using this term.
Power Dyke: A lesbian who has attained social status, either within the gay community, or in the wider world. AKA Suit or Power Lesbian.
Diesel Dyke: An aggressive butch. AKA Bulldagger.
Sport Dyke: A sport-loving lesbian who might wear baseball caps and running kit.
Baby Dyke: A young lesbian who might just be coming out of the closet. AKA Dyke-in-Training.
Blue Jeans Femme: She identifies as femme, or feminine, but tends to put on jeans and casual wear.
Chapstick Lesbian: She dresses down and eschews make-up. Coined by lesbian TV star Ellen DeGeneres. AKA soft butch or androgynous.
Lone Star Lesbian: She’s only slept with one person in their life.
Gold Star Lesbian: She’s never had nor ever will have sex with a man.
Lipstick Lesbian: She loves “girly” stuff like make-up and fashion, but fancies women as much as the next lesbian. AKA Femme or Fem.
Butch: She adopts traditionally masculine traits.
Stone Butch: She gets her kicks from really pleasing her partner, even though she doesn’t want to be touched or fondled. She does not like to be touched sexually.
Soft Butch: She’s butch in manner and style but softer and more feminine at the same time.
Pillow Queen: She tends to prefer receiving rather than giving sexual favours.
Boi: She’s biologically female, though boyish in mien and appearance.
Stem: Somewhere between “stud” and “femme”.
Kiki: Neither butch nor femme, this girl defines herself as something else. Originated from 1950s US bar culture. AKA Futch.
Stud: She’s dominant and often Afro-American.
