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| + | {{Orientation|etymology=From "Lesbian" to refer to someone from the Island of Lesbos|genders=most commonly (but not exclusively) women and feminine-aligned individuals|attracted=Women (sometimes exclusively)|coining_date=Unknown, first used for lesbians around the 1860s|image1=Lesbian_(40).png|caption1=The most widely used lesbian flag, also called the Sunset Lesbian or Community Lesbian flag|type=[[Orientation]]|names=Lesbian, [[Sapphic]], Sapphist (dated)}} |
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| − | {{Copied|original=Wikipedia}}{{Cleanup|reason=Needs flags, citations, more subsets and related terms}} |
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| + | '''Lesbian''' is a term for someone who experiences strong queer attraction to women and/or feminine aligned people, often exclusively. This attraction may be [[Sexual Attraction|sexual]], [[Romantic Attraction|romantic]], [[queerplatonic]], or any other form of attraction that is significant to oneself. Lesbian individuals may identify as [[sapphic]], [[gay]], a combination, or another term entirely. |
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| − | {{Orientation|etymology=Name of the Greek island of Lesbos|genders=Any|attracted=Women, but not always exclusively|coining_date=1866|image1=Lesbian_(40).png|caption1=The most widely used lesbian flag, also called the "sunset lesbian" flag created by Emily Gwen}} |
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| − | '''Lesbian''' can be generally defined as queer attraction to women. However, there is not one perfect definition that encompasses all experiences with being a lesbian. |
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| + | The [[Achillean|MLM]]/[[Toric|NBLM]] counterpart to lesbian is [[turian]]. |
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==Etymology== |
==Etymology== |
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| − | The word lesbian is derived from the name of the Greek island of Lesbos, home to the 6th-century BCE poet Sappho who |
+ | The word lesbian is derived from the name of the Greek island of Lesbos, home to the 6th-century BCE poet Sappho who was believed to experience [[Gay|homosexual]] attraction. Her name is also the root for "[[sapphic]]" and the outdated term "sapphist."<ref>[https://archive.ph/54oi3 Merriam-Webster on "sapphism"]</ref> |
| + | ==Pronunciation== |
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| + | /Leh-z-bee-ehn/ |
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| + | [[File:Lesbian.ogg]] |
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==Definitions== |
==Definitions== |
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| + | *''Queer attraction to women (the experience shared by all lesbians). However, a lesbian does not have to identify with this specific experience to be a lesbian.'' - Lesbian Label History Carrd, 2021<ref>[https://lesbiansources.carrd.co/# Lesbian Label History Carrd]</ref> |
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| − | The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines lesbian as "[from association with the ardent poetry written by Sappho of Lesbos (c. 610-c. 580 b.c.) to and about other women in the female religious and educational community she led] ''':''' of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women"<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian</ref> |
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| + | *''of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women'' - Merriam-Webster<ref>[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lesbian Merriam-Webster on lesbian]</ref> |
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| + | *''[Has been described as] women who have sex with women ... women who self identify as lesbian ... and women whose sexual preference is for women.'' - Committee on Lesbian Health Research Priorities, 1999<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=jVzGMF25uasC&pg=PA22#v=onepage&q&f=false Lesbian Health: Current Assesment and Directions for the Future]</ref> |
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==History== |
==History== |
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| + | The term "lesbian" as well as the culture itself has deep and extensive roots. Lesbian, originally, referred to a resident of the island of Lesbos in Greece. This was the island on which the ancient Greek poet Sappho resided. While Sappho's true sexual orientation is not known, it is known that she wrote of her love for women, and given cultural context and ambiguous translations, was also most likely attracted to men on some level. She may be described as [[pansexual]], [[bisexual]], and of course, lesbian or [[sapphic]] by many in the modern day. |
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| − | In Algernon Charles Swinburne's 1866 poem Sapphics, the term lesbian appears twice but capitalized both times after twice mentioning the island of Lesbos, and so could be construed to mean 'from the island of Lesbos'. In 1875, George Saintsbury, in writing about Baudelaire's poetry, refers to his "Lesbian studies" in which he includes his poem about "the passion of Delphine" which is a poem simply about love between two women which does not mention the island of Lesbos, though the other poem alluded to, entitled "Lesbos", does. Use of the word lesbianism to describe erotic relationships between women had been documented in 1870. In 1890, the term lesbian was used in a medical dictionary as an adjective to describe tribadism (as "lesbian love"). The terms lesbian, invert and homosexual were interchangeable with sapphist and sapphism around the turn of the 20th century. The use of lesbian in medical literature became prominent; by 1925, the word was recorded as a noun to mean the female equivalent of a sodomite. |
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| + | Her poetry was studied and referenced by lesbians throughout history. In 20th century Paris, a community refered to simply as "Paris Lesbos" grew, leading to a rise in violets as a symbol of lesbian love. The terms "Sapphist" and "lesbian," both from her name, referred to women who loved, were attracted to, and/or had sex with women from the 18th century. Before that, "tribade"--also derived from Greek--was used as early as 1601 in reference to lesbian sex, though this fell out of fashion.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080215084530/http://www.infopt.demon.co.uk/social22.htm The "Sodomite" and the "Lesbian"]</ref> |
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| − | The development of medical knowledge was a significant factor in further connotations of the term lesbian. In the middle of the 19th century, medical writers attempted to establish ways to identify male homosexuality, which was considered a significant social problem in most Western societies. In categorizing behavior that indicated what was referred to as "inversion" by German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, researchers categorized what was normal sexual behavior for men and women, and therefore to what extent men and women varied from the "perfect male sexual type" and the "perfect female sexual type". |
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| + | It is of note that, for centuries, [[sapphic]] was not a seperate umbrella term to lesbian but simply the adjective form. For example, a lesbian is a sapphic person, not "a sapphic."<ref>[https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapphic Merriam Webster definition of Sapphic]</ref> In the modern day, it is often assumed that "sapphic" refers to [[Sapphic|WLW]], and that "lesbian" refers to sapphics not attracted to men. While it is true that many sapphics are WLW, and many lesbians are not attracted to men, neither requires one to be. In historic usage, and to some now, sapphic and lesbian are and were entirely interchangeable. |
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| + | === Presentation === |
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| − | Far less literature focused on female homosexual behavior than on male homosexuality, as medical professionals did not consider it a significant problem. In some cases, it was not acknowledged to exist. However, sexologists Richard von Krafft-Ebing from Germany, and Britain's Havelock Ellis wrote some of the earliest and more enduring categorizations of female same-sex attraction, approaching it as a form of insanity (Ellis' categorization of "lesbianism" as a medical problem is now discredited). Krafft-Ebing, who considered lesbianism (what he termed "Uranism") a neurological disease, and Ellis, who was influenced by Krafft-Ebing's writings, disagreed about whether sexual inversion was generally a lifelong condition. Ellis believed that many women who professed love for other women changed their feelings about such relationships after they had experienced marriage and a "practical life". |
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| + | Various terms rose over time to refer to lesbians and their culture, each with its own history; for example, [[butch]], [[stud]], and [[femme]], as well as the reclaimed slur and identity [[dyke]]--all four of which were popularized by lesbian bar and prison culture. In their most condensed definition, these terms refer to: |
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| + | * [[Butch]]: A masculine queer individual, especially a lesbian |
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| − | However, Ellis conceded that there were "true inverts" who would spend their lives pursuing erotic relationships with women. These were members of the "third sex" who rejected the roles of women to be subservient, feminine, and domestic. Invert described the opposite gender roles, and also the related attraction to women instead of men; since women in the Victorian period were considered unable to initiate sexual encounters, women who did so with other women were thought of as possessing [[masculine]] sexual desires. |
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| + | * [[Stud]]: A black masculine lesbian often rooted in hip-hop culture and aesthetics |
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| + | * [[Femme]]: A feminine queer individual, especially a lesbian |
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| + | * [[Dyke]]: Anyone associated with queerness and womanhood and especially butch lesbians |
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| + | More detail can be found on their respective pages. |
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| − | The work of Krafft-Ebing and Ellis was widely read, and helped to create public consciousness of female homosexuality. The sexologists' claims that homosexuality was a congenital anomaly were generally well-accepted by homosexual men; it indicated that their behavior was not inspired by nor should be considered a criminal vice, as was widely acknowledged. In the absence of any other material to describe their emotions, homosexuals accepted the designation of different or perverted, and used their outlaw status to form social circles in Paris and Berlin. Lesbian began to describe elements of a subculture. |
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| + | === Lavender Menace === |
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| − | Lesbians in Western cultures in particular often classify themselves as having an identity that defines their individual sexuality, as well as their membership to a group that shares common traits. Women in many cultures throughout history have had sexual relations with other women, but they rarely were designated as part of a group of people based on whom they had physical relations with. As women have generally been political minorities in Western cultures, the added medical designation of homosexuality has been cause for the development of a subcultural identity. |
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| + | * ''A lesbian is the rage of all women condensed to the point of explosion.'' - The Woman-Identified Woman<ref>[https://repository.duke.edu/dc/wlmpc/wlmms01011 The Woman Identified Woman]</ref> |
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| − | === Sexuality and lesbian identity === |
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| − | The notion that sexual activity between women is necessary to define a lesbian or lesbian relationship continues to be debated. According to feminist writer Naomi McCormick, women's sexuality is constructed by men, whose primary indicator of lesbian sexual orientation is sexual experience with other women. The same indicator is not necessary to identify a woman as heterosexual, however. McCormick states that emotional, mental, and ideological connections between women are as important or more so than the genital. Nonetheless, in the 1980s, a significant movement rejected the desexualization of lesbianism by cultural feminists, causing a heated controversy called the feminist sex wars. [[Butch]] and [[femme]] roles returned, although not as strictly followed as they were in the 1950s. They became a mode of chosen sexual self-expression for some women in the 1990s. Once again, women felt safer claiming to be more sexually adventurous, and sexual flexibility became more accepted. |
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| + | In 1970, soon after the Stonewall riots, co-founder of feminist organization National Organization for Women (NOW) Betty Friedan referred to lesbians as a "Lavender Menace" to women's liberation. In the midst of the firing of an openly lesbian NOW editor, many lesbians and allies quit in protest, branching off from the organization. |
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| − | The focus of the debate often centers on a phenomenon named by sexologist Pepper Schwartz in 1983. Schwartz found that long-term lesbian couples report having less sexual contact than heterosexual or homosexual male couples, calling this lesbian bed death. However, lesbians dispute the study's definition of sexual contact, and introduced other factors such as deeper connections existing between women that make frequent sexual relations redundant, greater sexual fluidity in women causing them to move from [[heterosexual]] to [[bi|bisexual]] to lesbian numerous times through their lives—or reject the labels entirely. Further arguments attested that the study was flawed and misrepresented accurate sexual contact between women, or sexual contact between women has increased since 1983 as many lesbians find themselves freer to sexually express themselves. |
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| + | As a response, lesbians Karla Jay and and Ellen Shumsky wrote the revolutionary and now famous lesbian manifesto "The Woman-Identified Woman." They, along with a group of about 40 women all wearing hand made Lavender Menace shirts, stormed the stage of the Second Congress to Unite Women, and turned the focus from ignorance of the plight of any non-heterosexual non-white woman to a discussion and acknowledgement of the fear of lesbianism. The Lavender Menace, then, became an identity for revolutionary and feminist lesbians, as well as a group pushing for lesbian, BIPOC, and lower class liberation.<ref>[https://www.them.us/story/lavender-menace them. on the Lavender Menace]</ref><ref>[https://dressingdykes.com/2021/08/20/from-lavender-to-violet/ From Lavender to Violet]</ref> |
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| − | More discussion on gender and sexual orientation identity has affected how many women label or view themselves. Most people in western culture are taught that heterosexuality is an innate quality in all people. When a woman realizes her romantic and sexual attraction to another woman, it may cause an "existential crisis"; many who go through this adopt the identity of a lesbian, challenging what society has offered in stereotypes about homosexuals, to learn how to function within a homosexual subculture. Lesbians in western cultures generally share an identity that parallels those built on ethnicity; they have a shared history and subculture, and similar experiences with discrimination which has caused many lesbians to reject heterosexual principles. This identity is unique from gay men and heterosexual women, and often creates tension with bisexual women. One point of contention are lesbians who have had sex with men, while lesbians who have never had sex with men may be referred to as "gold star lesbians". Those who have had sex with men may face ridicule from other lesbians or identity challenges with regard to defining what it means to be a lesbian. |
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| + | ''Lesbian flags and their history have been highly controversial for decades. There are now over 100 known lesbian flags, so not all can be discussed. This section focuses on the most notable flags and their history.'' |
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| + | The first explicitly lesbian flag was created in 1999 by gay graphic designer Sean Campbell in a series of LGBT+ flags he created. This was the labrys lesbian flag, featuring a [[labrys]] superimposed over a [[Black Triangle|black triangle]] on a purple background.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150909150736/https://www.afterellen.com/people/452039-dont-lesbians-pride-flag Why Don't Lesbians Have Our Own Flag?]</ref> This flag featured multiple established lesbian symbols, and while there is controversy over the flag being by a non-lesbian, all symbols used were popularized by lesbians.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150702032920/http://queerstoryfiles.blogspot.com/2012/06/putting-out-sean-campbells-flags.html Putting Out Sean Campbell's Flags]</ref> More pressing and significant is the flag's modern popular use by [[TERF|TERFs]], as well as the use of the black triangle by non Romani being anti-Roma erasure and racism.<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/B_ucaSln_XQ/?hl=en romaniuprising on the Black Triangle]</ref> |
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| − | Researchers, including social scientists, state that often behavior and identity do not match: women may label themselves heterosexual but have sexual relations with women, self-identified lesbians may have sex with men, or women may find that what they considered an immutable sexual identity has changed over time. Research by Lisa M. Diamond et al. reported that "lesbian and fluid women were more exclusive than bisexual women in their sexual behaviors" and that "lesbian women appeared to lean toward exclusively same-sex attractions and behaviors." It reported that lesbians "appeared to demonstrate a 'core' lesbian orientation." |
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| + | On July 28 2010, Natalie McCray created the Lipstick Lesbian flag on her blog thislesbianlife. It was a seven striped pink flag with a kiss mark in the top left, modelled after colors of lipstick, and specifically intended to represent lipstick (femme) lesbians.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20151119165126/https://thislesbianlife.wordpress.com/2010/07/28/lipstick-lesbian-pride/ This Lesbian Life coining of the Lipstick Lesbian flag]</ref> This flag was controversial due in large part to being highly exclusive, and because Natalie was casually transphobic and blatantly ableist, butchphobic, and racist on her blog. On December 8 2013, a flag compilation post by trans-wife on Tumblr featured a Lipstick Lesbian flag with no kiss mark, marking the first known instance online of the flag without it.<ref>[https://archive.md/F47KW trans-wife's flag compilation]</ref> On October 7 2015, DeviantArt user Pride-Flags posted the Lipstick Lesbian flag without a kiss mark simply titled "Lesbian." In the post, it's alleged that the kiss mark was removed by someone at some point to represent all lesbians, though this is unsourced and likely false.<ref>[https://www.deviantart.com/pride-flags/art/Lesbian-564726041 Lesbian flag by Pride-Flags]</ref> |
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| − | A 2001 article on differentiating lesbians for medical studies and health research suggested identifying lesbians using the three characteristics of identity only, sexual behavior only, or both combined. The article declined to include desire or attraction as it rarely has bearing on measurable health or psychosocial issues. Researchers state that there is no standard definition of lesbian because "[t]he term has been used to describe women who have sex with women, either exclusively or in addition to sex with men (i.e., behavior); women who self-identify as lesbian (i.e., identity); and women whose sexual preference is for women (i.e., desire or attraction)" and that "[t]he lack of a standard definition of lesbian and of standard questions to assess who is lesbian has made it difficult to clearly define a population of lesbian women". How and where study samples were obtained can also affect the definition. |
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| + | In July 2017, Tumblr user shapeshifter-of-constellation posted a combination butch and lipstick lesbian flag which they proposed as a lesbian pride flag.<ref>[https://archive.ph/Nkrb4 Combination butch and lipstick lesbian flag]</ref> On June 6 2018, sadlesbeandisaster on tumblr--AKA Emily Gwen--posted a virtually identical but flipped lesbian flag proposal.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190327105433/https://sadlesbeandisaster.tumblr.com/post/174618152601/can-people-please-acknowledge-this-version-of-the Emily Gwen's sunset lesbian flag]</ref> This has been a source of massive controversy in the lesbian community, with accusations of plaigerism levied against Gwen especially in inclusionist circles.<ref>[https://twitter.com/fluxphage/status/1451220803383701512?t=lNRwyITz_oiTQHTWc5SjKA&s=19 Twitter thread on the alleged plaigerism of the sunset lesbian flag]</ref> Emily Gwen has frequently made stelliphobic (anti [[stellian]]) and other exclusionist statements on her platforms, further stoking lesbian controversy and discourse.<ref>[https://seraphic-sapphic-safehaven.tumblr.com/post/623001928471871488/hey-can-you-explain-whats-going-on-with-the A Tumblr post compiling sources on Emily Gwen's exclusionist remarks]</ref> Emily Gwen's flag, most often referred to as the Sunset Lesbian or Community Lesbian flag, is currently the most popular lesbian flag. It was the winner of the survey put out by now defunct Tumblr blog official-lesbian-flag to find the lesbian community's flag.<ref>[https://archive.ph/jQINu The results of the official-lesbian-flag survey]</ref> |
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| − | The first lesbian flag, often referred to as the "labrys lesbian" flag was created in 1999 by graphic designer Sean Campbell, and published in June 2000 in the Palm Springs edition of the Gay and Lesbian Times Pride issue.The design involves a labrys superimposed on the inverted black triangle (a reclaimed symbol from nazi Germany, as "anti-social" groups, including lesbians in concentration camps wore an inverted black triangle badge for identification), set against a violet hue background. The labrys was used as an ancient religious symbol, and for other various purposes. In the 1970s it was adopted as a symbol of empowerment by the lesbian feminist community. This grew unpopular however, due to it's origins in nazi iconography, vast use by transmisogynists and [[TERF]]<nowiki/>s, and the fact that it's creator, Sean Campbell, is a man. |
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| + | On June 26 2018, Ledia on Medium posted their proposal for a lesbian flag based on sapphic poetry in response to the racism of the Lipstick Lesbian flag's creator. This flag is often referred to as the Sappho Lesbian flag, and has been confused for a [[sapphic]] flag. It is one of the most popular alternative flag designs, and was specifically created to be butch inclusive and not hyperfeminine in appearance. The same flag with an alternate stripe order by Maya Kern was featured in an edit.<ref>[https://archive.md/CP4W9 Creation of the Sappho Lesbian flag]</ref> In January 2019, a version of the Sappho Lesbian flag with a white stripe in the center was created by Twitter user lesflagisracist.<ref>[https://archive.md/Qv3FU Lesflagisracist's white stripe des]</ref> |
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| − | In 2010, a new lesbian pride flag, often called the pink lesbian flag or the "lipstick lesbian" flag was created by Natalie McCray and posted to her Wordpress blog titled "This Lesbian Life". This flag consists of six shades of red and pink colors, with a white bar in the center, and often the symbol of a lipstick imprint in the top left corner. This flag was also met with controversy, due to the fact that many felt it only represented feminine presenting lesbians, alienating butch and GNC (Gender non-conforming) lesbians, that the term "lipstick lesbian" is commonly used broadly to refer to feminine bisexual women or to heterosexual women who temporarily show romantic or sexual interest in other women to impress men, that it had no deeper meaning other than to represent different shades of lipstick, and that the creator of the flag made several cruel remarks about asian, butch, bisexual and anorexic women on her Wordpress blog.<ref> https://lesbianflaghistory.tumblr.com/post/185390167678/seeing-a-lot-of-misinformation-flying-around </ref> |
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| + | On October 16 2020, ferretwlw on Tumblr created the all inclusive lesbian pride flag. This flag was specifically designed to include [[Stellian|stellians]], [[nonbinary]] lesbians, and [[transgender]] lesbians. The flag is nicknamed the Aurora Lesbian flag, as well as the All-Inclusive Lesbian flag.<ref>[https://archive.ph/q6fa2 Aurora Lesbian flag coining by ferretwlw]</ref> |
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| − | In 2018, Tumblr blogger [[Emily Gwen]] created a design for a new lesbian flag. This flag is often referred to as the "sunset lesbian" flag or the "orange-pink" lesbian flag. This new flag retained the seven stripes from the lipstick flag, but changed the top set to orange shades, although a simplified/5-striped version was introduced soon after. On this flag the stripes, from top to bottom, represent 'gender non-conformity' (dark orange), 'independence' (orange), 'community' (light orange), 'unique relationships to womanhood' (white) , 'serenity and peace' (pink), 'love and sex' (dusty pink), and 'femininity' (dark rose). |
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| + | Some other notable but less popular lesbian flags include the Violet Lesbian flag,<ref>[https://archive.md/Ozdr9 allukazaoldyeck's violet lesbian flag]</ref> apersnicketylemon's lesbian flag,<ref>[https://apersnicketylemon.tumblr.com/post/173994129517/so-i-did-a-lesbian-flag-redesign-because-really apersnicketylemon lesbian flag coining]</ref> and the Lykoi Lesbian flag.<ref>[https://archive.ph/NRfbD LGBTA Wiki's Lesbian page, where the Lykoi Lesbian flag was created]</ref> |
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| + | ==Community== |
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| + | === Controversy === |
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| + | ''For label-specific controversies, see the controversy section on: [[Bi Lesbian]], [[Stellian]], [[Lesboy]], [[Non-Binary Lesbian|Nonbinary Lesbian]], [[Dyke]], and [[He/Him Lesbian]].'' |
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| + | Lesbian controversies tend to revolve around community discourse, [[TERF]] ideology, or a combination of both. The majority of these discourses are deeply rooted in lesbian seperatism. |
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| + | Lesbian seperatism or political lesbian is a radical feminist ideology that posits that to resist patriarchy, women should totally reject all forms of heterosexuality and interaction with men.<ref>[https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/gender/n246.xml Lesbian Seperatism]</ref> Of note is that a political lesbian is not required to be attracted to women, and instead, the rejection of men is centered. Lesbian seperatism was the beginning of pushing bisexuals, [[Transmasculine|transmasculines]], and other non-homosexual women out of the lesbian community; since bisexual woman were still affiliated with men, they were often portrayed as sleeping with the enemy. The belief that a "true lesbian" must never be attracted to or romantically/sexually involved with men rose from this ideology. It is also of note that in lesbian seperatism, a "woman" is defined as a cisgender woman, and this ideology specifically and actively excludes transgender people; trans men are "gender traitors," and trans women are viewed as trying to encroach on women's spaces. |
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| + | There are many objections to this ideology and its descendents of m-spec, transgender, and lesboy exclusionism. First, lesbian seperatism is an explicitly [[TERF]] ideology. Even non-TERF lesbian seperatists advance TERF ideology and talking points. Political lesbianism also erases lesbian history, and divides lesbians. Dogwhitles originating from lesbian seperatism are still common in lesbian discourse today; "Lesbians don't like men," "men can't be lesbians," and "the point of being a lesbian is not being attracted to men" are the most prominent. All three center the rejection of men as central to lesbianism instead of the love of women. All three are also transmisogynistic (oppressive of trans women and femmes), due to the origins of lesbian seperatism and the common labeling of trans women as men infiltrating the lesbian community. These dogwhistles are often included even more subtly in defining a lesbian as a "non-man," centering some rejection of manhood in lesbian identity. |
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| + | In fact, lesbianism is and has always been centered on the queer love of women. Love of womanhood defined the works and actions of historic lesbians, and rejection of men being at the core of lesbianism was solely an invention by lesbian seperatists in the 1950s. |
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| + | |||
| + | === Perceptions and Discriminations === |
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| + | Lesbophobia (bigotry against lesbians) is one of the most well-known forms of anti LGBTQ bigotry in the community. This often takes the form of sexualizing lesbian attraction and relationships, demonizing lesbianism, insinuating that lesbians are lying or experiencing a phase, and framing all lesbians as simply "man haters." These attitused, especially the belief that lesbians are hypersexual or going through a "phase," can factor into corrective rape (sexual assault to try to "change" lesbians). It should be mentioned that lesbians who are in fact hypersexual, attracted to men, or who feel their lesbianism was a "phase" are not responsible for these lesbophobic actions and attitudes. |
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| + | Lesbians face higher rates of intimate partner violence than their straight counterparts, with 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women having been stalked, sexually assaulted, or physically assaulted by an intimate partner, as compared to 35% of straight women.<ref>[https://www.hrc.org/resources/sexual-assault-and-the-lgbt-community HRC on sexual assault and the LGBTQ community]</ref> Lesbians also lack marriage equality in most of the world, with only 30 countries and territories in the world that have legalized same sex marriage.<ref>[https://www.pewforum.org/fact-sheet/gay-marriage-around-the-world/ Pewforum Gay Marriage Fact Sheet]</ref> |
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| + | ===Subsets=== |
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| + | |||
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| + | *[[Lesbiangender]] |
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| + | * [[Lilae Lesbian]] |
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| + | * [[Bi Lesbian]] |
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| + | * [[Aphrodite Lesbian]] |
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===See Also=== |
===See Also=== |
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| + | |||
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| + | *[[Stellian]] |
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*[[Sapphic]] |
*[[Sapphic]] |
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| − | *[[ |
+ | *[[Dyke]] |
| − | *[[ |
+ | *[[Black Triangle]] |
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===Flags=== |
===Flags=== |
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<gallery> |
<gallery> |
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| + | File:Lesbian (40).png|Community lesbian AKA sunset lesbian flag by Emily Gwen |
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| − | It they lesbian by @enbylesbian.png.png|alt=A square flag with seven stripes. From top to bottom: Rose pink, pink, salmon pink, white, light blue, cerulean, and blue.|It/they pronoun lesbian flag ([https://www.instagram.com/p/CQg9_2uLBKH/?utm_medium=copy_link @enbylesbian.png], 24 June, 2021<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CQg9_2uLBKH/?utm_medium=copy_link @enbylesbian.png's It/they pronoun lesbian flag]</ref>). |
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| + | File:Lesbian (2).png|Labrys lesbian flag, rejected due to Nazi imagery, being made by a gay man, being frequently used by [[TERF]]s, and for being anti Romani |
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| − | It they lesbian by@encylesbian.png 2.png|alt=A square flag with five stripes. From top to bottom: Rose pink, pink, white, cerulean, and blue.|Alternate it/they pronoun lesbian flag by @enbylesbian.png. |
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| + | File:Lipstick Lesbian.png|The lipstick lesbian flag by Natalie McCray, largely rejected due to being femme-exclusive and made by a racist, but may be reclaimed |
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| + | File:Lesbian (25).png|Lipstick lesbian flag with no kiss mark by Pride-Flags on DeviantArt |
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| + | File:Lesbian (11).png|Alternative Sappho Lesbian flag by Maya Kern to be more harmonious |
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| + | File:Lesbian (13).png|Sappho lesbian flag with a white stripe by lesflagisracist on Twitter |
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| + | File:Lesbian (14).png|The Aurora Lesbian/Inclusionist Lesbian flag by Tumblr user ferretwlw |
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| + | File:Radically Inclusive Lesbian (2).png|incluslesbians's Radically Inclusive Lesbian flag |
||
| + | File:Lesbian (9).png|apersnicketylemon's lesbian flag |
||
| + | File:Lesbian (32).png|Interlocked [[double venus]] over a rainbow pride flag, representing lesbians |
||
| + | </gallery> |
||
| + | |||
| + | === Presentation/Subculture Flags === |
||
| + | <gallery> |
||
| + | File:Butch Lesbian.png|[[Butch]] Lesbian pride flag by an unknown creator |
||
| + | File:Butchflag 2.png|Butch lesbian flag by Catastrfy on Twitter, often called the Warm Butch flag |
||
| + | File:Sky butch.png|Sky Butch flag by kenochoric on Tumblr, inclusive of non-lesbian butches |
||
| + | File:Sol Diaz Butch Lesbian.png|Butch lesbian flag by Sol Diaz on Twitter |
||
| + | File:Sol Diaz Butch Lesbian (simplified).png|Simplified butch lesbian flag by Sol Diaz on Twitter |
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| + | File:Lipstick Lesbian.png|The Lipstick ([[Femme]]) Lesbian pride flag, largely rejected due to being made by a racist, but may be reclaimed |
||
| + | File:Sea femme - @pridewiki.png|Sky [[Femme]] flag by kenochoric on Tumblr, inclusive of non-lesbian femmes |
||
| + | File:Sol Diaz Femme Lesbian.png|Femme lesbian flag by Sol Diaz on Twitter |
||
| + | File:Sol Diaz Femme Lesbian (simplified).png|Simplified femme lesbian flag by Sol Diaz on Twitter |
||
| + | </gallery> |
||
| + | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| + | <gallery> |
||
| + | File:Lesbian Anarchist.png|Lesbian Anarchy flag by Reddit user u/-rope-bunny- |
||
| + | File:Bi Lesbian by Catastrfy.png|Bi lesbian flag by Catastrfy on Twitter |
||
| + | File:Mspec Lesbian.png|Lunian (mspec lesbian) flag by kenochoric on Tumblr |
||
| + | File:Bi Lesbian.png|Bi lesbian flag by Mod Hermy of pride-color-schemes on Tumblr |
||
| + | File:Lesboy.png|Lesboy flag by Mod AP of beyond-mogai-pride-flags on Tumblr |
||
| + | File:Trans Lesbian by Catastrfy.png|Trans Lesbian pride flag by Catastrfy on Twitter |
||
| + | File:BIPOC Lesbian.png|BIPOC Lesbian flag by an unknown creator, via Pride-Flags on DeviantArt |
||
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
||
| − | ''See also: [[Mspec gay]]'' |
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==Sources== |
==Sources== |
||
<references /> |
<references /> |
||
| − | [[Category:Orientation]][[Category:FIA/FIN |
+ | [[Category:Orientation]][[Category:FIA/FIN Attraction]] |
[[Category:Lesbian]] |
[[Category:Lesbian]] |
||
| + | [[Category:NIA/NIN Attraction]] |
||
| + | [[Category:Needs Image Description]] |
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| + | [[Category:Needs Work]] |
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Latest revision as of 22:36, 19 January 2022
Lesbian is a term for someone who experiences strong queer attraction to women and/or feminine aligned people, often exclusively. This attraction may be sexual, romantic, queerplatonic, or any other form of attraction that is significant to oneself. Lesbian individuals may identify as sapphic, gay, a combination, or another term entirely.
The MLM/NBLM counterpart to lesbian is turian.
Contents
Etymology
The word lesbian is derived from the name of the Greek island of Lesbos, home to the 6th-century BCE poet Sappho who was believed to experience homosexual attraction. Her name is also the root for "sapphic" and the outdated term "sapphist."[1]
Pronunciation
/Leh-z-bee-ehn/
Definitions
- Queer attraction to women (the experience shared by all lesbians). However, a lesbian does not have to identify with this specific experience to be a lesbian. - Lesbian Label History Carrd, 2021[2]
- A woman whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay (adj.) or as gay women. - GLAAD (Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation)[3]
- of, relating to, or characterized by sexual or romantic attraction to other women or between women - Merriam-Webster[4]
- [Has been described as] women who have sex with women ... women who self identify as lesbian ... and women whose sexual preference is for women. - Committee on Lesbian Health Research Priorities, 1999[5]
History
The term "lesbian" as well as the culture itself has deep and extensive roots. Lesbian, originally, referred to a resident of the island of Lesbos in Greece. This was the island on which the ancient Greek poet Sappho resided. While Sappho's true sexual orientation is not known, it is known that she wrote of her love for women, and given cultural context and ambiguous translations, was also most likely attracted to men on some level. She may be described as pansexual, bisexual, and of course, lesbian or sapphic by many in the modern day.
Her poetry was studied and referenced by lesbians throughout history. In 20th century Paris, a community refered to simply as "Paris Lesbos" grew, leading to a rise in violets as a symbol of lesbian love. The terms "Sapphist" and "lesbian," both from her name, referred to women who loved, were attracted to, and/or had sex with women from the 18th century. Before that, "tribade"--also derived from Greek--was used as early as 1601 in reference to lesbian sex, though this fell out of fashion.[6]
It is of note that, for centuries, sapphic was not a seperate umbrella term to lesbian but simply the adjective form. For example, a lesbian is a sapphic person, not "a sapphic."[7] In the modern day, it is often assumed that "sapphic" refers to WLW, and that "lesbian" refers to sapphics not attracted to men. While it is true that many sapphics are WLW, and many lesbians are not attracted to men, neither requires one to be. In historic usage, and to some now, sapphic and lesbian are and were entirely interchangeable.
Presentation
Various terms rose over time to refer to lesbians and their culture, each with its own history; for example, butch, stud, and femme, as well as the reclaimed slur and identity dyke--all four of which were popularized by lesbian bar and prison culture. In their most condensed definition, these terms refer to:
- Butch: A masculine queer individual, especially a lesbian
- Stud: A black masculine lesbian often rooted in hip-hop culture and aesthetics
- Femme: A feminine queer individual, especially a lesbian
- Dyke: Anyone associated with queerness and womanhood and especially butch lesbians
More detail can be found on their respective pages.
Lavender Menace
- A lesbian is the rage of all women condensed to the point of explosion. - The Woman-Identified Woman[8]
In 1970, soon after the Stonewall riots, co-founder of feminist organization National Organization for Women (NOW) Betty Friedan referred to lesbians as a "Lavender Menace" to women's liberation. In the midst of the firing of an openly lesbian NOW editor, many lesbians and allies quit in protest, branching off from the organization. As a response, lesbians Karla Jay and and Ellen Shumsky wrote the revolutionary and now famous lesbian manifesto "The Woman-Identified Woman." They, along with a group of about 40 women all wearing hand made Lavender Menace shirts, stormed the stage of the Second Congress to Unite Women, and turned the focus from ignorance of the plight of any non-heterosexual non-white woman to a discussion and acknowledgement of the fear of lesbianism. The Lavender Menace, then, became an identity for revolutionary and feminist lesbians, as well as a group pushing for lesbian, BIPOC, and lower class liberation.[9][10]
Lesbian Flags
Lesbian flags and their history have been highly controversial for decades. There are now over 100 known lesbian flags, so not all can be discussed. This section focuses on the most notable flags and their history.
The first explicitly lesbian flag was created in 1999 by gay graphic designer Sean Campbell in a series of LGBT+ flags he created. This was the labrys lesbian flag, featuring a labrys superimposed over a black triangle on a purple background.[11] This flag featured multiple established lesbian symbols, and while there is controversy over the flag being by a non-lesbian, all symbols used were popularized by lesbians.[12] More pressing and significant is the flag's modern popular use by TERFs, as well as the use of the black triangle by non Romani being anti-Roma erasure and racism.[13]
On July 28 2010, Natalie McCray created the Lipstick Lesbian flag on her blog thislesbianlife. It was a seven striped pink flag with a kiss mark in the top left, modelled after colors of lipstick, and specifically intended to represent lipstick (femme) lesbians.[14] This flag was controversial due in large part to being highly exclusive, and because Natalie was casually transphobic and blatantly ableist, butchphobic, and racist on her blog. On December 8 2013, a flag compilation post by trans-wife on Tumblr featured a Lipstick Lesbian flag with no kiss mark, marking the first known instance online of the flag without it.[15] On October 7 2015, DeviantArt user Pride-Flags posted the Lipstick Lesbian flag without a kiss mark simply titled "Lesbian." In the post, it's alleged that the kiss mark was removed by someone at some point to represent all lesbians, though this is unsourced and likely false.[16]
In July 2017, Tumblr user shapeshifter-of-constellation posted a combination butch and lipstick lesbian flag which they proposed as a lesbian pride flag.[17] On June 6 2018, sadlesbeandisaster on tumblr--AKA Emily Gwen--posted a virtually identical but flipped lesbian flag proposal.[18] This has been a source of massive controversy in the lesbian community, with accusations of plaigerism levied against Gwen especially in inclusionist circles.[19] Emily Gwen has frequently made stelliphobic (anti stellian) and other exclusionist statements on her platforms, further stoking lesbian controversy and discourse.[20] Emily Gwen's flag, most often referred to as the Sunset Lesbian or Community Lesbian flag, is currently the most popular lesbian flag. It was the winner of the survey put out by now defunct Tumblr blog official-lesbian-flag to find the lesbian community's flag.[21]
On June 26 2018, Ledia on Medium posted their proposal for a lesbian flag based on sapphic poetry in response to the racism of the Lipstick Lesbian flag's creator. This flag is often referred to as the Sappho Lesbian flag, and has been confused for a sapphic flag. It is one of the most popular alternative flag designs, and was specifically created to be butch inclusive and not hyperfeminine in appearance. The same flag with an alternate stripe order by Maya Kern was featured in an edit.[22] In January 2019, a version of the Sappho Lesbian flag with a white stripe in the center was created by Twitter user lesflagisracist.[23]
On October 16 2020, ferretwlw on Tumblr created the all inclusive lesbian pride flag. This flag was specifically designed to include stellians, nonbinary lesbians, and transgender lesbians. The flag is nicknamed the Aurora Lesbian flag, as well as the All-Inclusive Lesbian flag.[24]
Some other notable but less popular lesbian flags include the Violet Lesbian flag,[25] apersnicketylemon's lesbian flag,[26] and the Lykoi Lesbian flag.[27]
Community
Controversy
For label-specific controversies, see the controversy section on: Bi Lesbian, Stellian, Lesboy, Nonbinary Lesbian, Dyke, and He/Him Lesbian.
Lesbian controversies tend to revolve around community discourse, TERF ideology, or a combination of both. The majority of these discourses are deeply rooted in lesbian seperatism.
Lesbian seperatism or political lesbian is a radical feminist ideology that posits that to resist patriarchy, women should totally reject all forms of heterosexuality and interaction with men.[28] Of note is that a political lesbian is not required to be attracted to women, and instead, the rejection of men is centered. Lesbian seperatism was the beginning of pushing bisexuals, transmasculines, and other non-homosexual women out of the lesbian community; since bisexual woman were still affiliated with men, they were often portrayed as sleeping with the enemy. The belief that a "true lesbian" must never be attracted to or romantically/sexually involved with men rose from this ideology. It is also of note that in lesbian seperatism, a "woman" is defined as a cisgender woman, and this ideology specifically and actively excludes transgender people; trans men are "gender traitors," and trans women are viewed as trying to encroach on women's spaces.
There are many objections to this ideology and its descendents of m-spec, transgender, and lesboy exclusionism. First, lesbian seperatism is an explicitly TERF ideology. Even non-TERF lesbian seperatists advance TERF ideology and talking points. Political lesbianism also erases lesbian history, and divides lesbians. Dogwhitles originating from lesbian seperatism are still common in lesbian discourse today; "Lesbians don't like men," "men can't be lesbians," and "the point of being a lesbian is not being attracted to men" are the most prominent. All three center the rejection of men as central to lesbianism instead of the love of women. All three are also transmisogynistic (oppressive of trans women and femmes), due to the origins of lesbian seperatism and the common labeling of trans women as men infiltrating the lesbian community. These dogwhistles are often included even more subtly in defining a lesbian as a "non-man," centering some rejection of manhood in lesbian identity.
In fact, lesbianism is and has always been centered on the queer love of women. Love of womanhood defined the works and actions of historic lesbians, and rejection of men being at the core of lesbianism was solely an invention by lesbian seperatists in the 1950s.
Perceptions and Discriminations
Lesbophobia (bigotry against lesbians) is one of the most well-known forms of anti LGBTQ bigotry in the community. This often takes the form of sexualizing lesbian attraction and relationships, demonizing lesbianism, insinuating that lesbians are lying or experiencing a phase, and framing all lesbians as simply "man haters." These attitused, especially the belief that lesbians are hypersexual or going through a "phase," can factor into corrective rape (sexual assault to try to "change" lesbians). It should be mentioned that lesbians who are in fact hypersexual, attracted to men, or who feel their lesbianism was a "phase" are not responsible for these lesbophobic actions and attitudes.
Lesbians face higher rates of intimate partner violence than their straight counterparts, with 44% of lesbians and 61% of bisexual women having been stalked, sexually assaulted, or physically assaulted by an intimate partner, as compared to 35% of straight women.[29] Lesbians also lack marriage equality in most of the world, with only 30 countries and territories in the world that have legalized same sex marriage.[30]
Related Terms
Subsets
See Also
Gallery
Flags
Presentation/Subculture Flags
Combinations
Sources
- ↑ Merriam-Webster on "sapphism"
- ↑ Lesbian Label History Carrd
- ↑ https://www.glaad.org/reference/lgbtq
- ↑ Merriam-Webster on lesbian
- ↑ Lesbian Health: Current Assesment and Directions for the Future
- ↑ The "Sodomite" and the "Lesbian"
- ↑ Merriam Webster definition of Sapphic
- ↑ The Woman Identified Woman
- ↑ them. on the Lavender Menace
- ↑ From Lavender to Violet
- ↑ Why Don't Lesbians Have Our Own Flag?
- ↑ Putting Out Sean Campbell's Flags
- ↑ romaniuprising on the Black Triangle
- ↑ This Lesbian Life coining of the Lipstick Lesbian flag
- ↑ trans-wife's flag compilation
- ↑ Lesbian flag by Pride-Flags
- ↑ Combination butch and lipstick lesbian flag
- ↑ Emily Gwen's sunset lesbian flag
- ↑ Twitter thread on the alleged plaigerism of the sunset lesbian flag
- ↑ A Tumblr post compiling sources on Emily Gwen's exclusionist remarks
- ↑ The results of the official-lesbian-flag survey
- ↑ Creation of the Sappho Lesbian flag
- ↑ Lesflagisracist's white stripe des
- ↑ Aurora Lesbian flag coining by ferretwlw
- ↑ allukazaoldyeck's violet lesbian flag
- ↑ apersnicketylemon lesbian flag coining
- ↑ LGBTA Wiki's Lesbian page, where the Lykoi Lesbian flag was created
- ↑ Lesbian Seperatism
- ↑ HRC on sexual assault and the LGBTQ community
- ↑ Pewforum Gay Marriage Fact Sheet