The LGBTQ+ community has its own language, and in this article, we will go through some LGBTQ+ slang and their meanings. From identifying words like ‘twink’ to drag favourites like ‘werk’, expand your vocabulary with these fun and cheeky phrases.

 

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Baby gay: A gay person who is newly out

Baby dyke: A newly out lesbian

Bear: A chunky, muscular and hairy gay man who is usually over 25

Butch: Someone with masculine traits

Femme: A person with feminine traits

Soft butch: A lesbian who presents mostly masc, but they have some femme traits

Stone butch: Someone who presents very masculine and does not allow themselves to be touched sexually

High femme: A lesbian who presents extremely femme

Hey mamas: Made famous on TikTok, this is a masc lesbian who could be seen as the female version of a f*ck boy

Beard: A straight person who marries someone queer, knowing they are helping to hide their sexuality

Coming out of the closet: Opening up about your sexuality

Cub: A cub, on the other hand, is the same thing but younger

Doll: A trans woman, especially one who is very beautiful

Egg: A trans person who has not figured out they are trans

Gaydar: The ability to detect gay people

Giraffe: A particularly tall gay man

Gold star: A gay or lesbian person who has never slept with someone of the opposite gender

Gym rat: Someone who often goes to the gym

Lipstick lesbian: A lesbian who is very feminine and loves fashion

Chapstick lesbian: A person who has a mix of masculine and feminine traits

Meerkat: This recent term means a gay man who is sassy and anxious

Otter: A slim and quite hairy gay person

Wolf: A muscular, lean gay man

Pillow princess: A lesbian who is only the receiver and never the giver

Polar Bear: An older, greying bear

Trade: A masculine gay man who passes for straight, that may be closeted

Top: The person who penetrates during gay intercourse

Bottom: The person who is penetrated during gay intercourse

Queen: A reclaimed word that was first used to insult an effeminate gay man

Sapphic: Someone feminine who loves women

Stud: A lesbian of colour who is dominant or butch

Twink: A young and slim gay man

Twunk: A twink but more muscular

U-haul lesbian: Someone who moves in with their partner very quickly

Drag slang:
First, what does drag mean? Drag is the art of performing as a different gender, exaggerating the look. It originated in the theatre world in response to the long dresses that men would wear to impersonate women – the trail of the dress would ‘drag’ on the ground. 

Drag queen: A person who performs in drag as a woman

Drag king: A person who performs as a man 

Mother: This can have two meanings. A drag mother is a queen who introduces someone to drag, but a mother can also be a woman who looks out for gay men.

Read: This is when a drag performer insults someone very well, usually in a humorous manner.

Werk: To give the best look

Realness: To convincingly portray a specific gender identity

Yas: An excited ‘yes’ exclamation. Like many LGBTQ+ slang terms, this came from the ballroom scene in the 1980s.

Serving fish: Fish is a controversial term, as it could be seen as sexist. But it means to look convincingly like a woman.

Kiki: To gossip or have a chat session

Kaikai: Two drag queens having sex

Shade: Similar to reading, but more serious

Slay: To serve the best or give the best performance

Gag: An intense shock or to be shocked by something

LGBTQ+ slang has been becoming more mainstream and we hope this helps you to speak like an experienced LGBTQ+ person. Understanding the slang of the community will help to recognise the culture.