Lesbian is most often identified as a woman that is attracted some other feminine romantically, sexually, otherwise each other, one of a great many other meanings. Regardless if lesbians are often defined as women that is actually entirely drawn in order to women, he has been recently called women generally attracted to almost every other women. Some like to have fun with or also use « gay » otherwise « gay lady » once the a keen identifier.

Lesbians have contended just who offers their term in fact it is part of the brand new lesbian people for more than a century. He has got variously come laid out predicated on sexual routines, sexual attractions, otherwise care about-pinpointing into the identity. As an example, women that thinking-identify since each other bisexual and you will lesbian [mention step 1] wouldn’t be included in a meaning you to specifies lesbians is actually simply created into women, but would-be inside the a broader definition you to definitely border most other labels. Significance also will vary during the whether they explore extended code out of gender, including a person who worry about-relates to since the a lady otherwise phrasing you to clearly includes people that do not choose only because the women, such as for instance lady-aligned [notice dos] and lots of genderqueer and you can/otherwise non-binary people who getting a link with womanhood.

Lesbians tends to be cisgender otherwise transgender; once the gender try a unique layout of sexual orientation, some body is one another trans and you may lesbian. [mention step three] Depending their assigned gender in the birth and you can interest to women, and before recognizing their gender name and transitioning, particular trans women (assigned men during the delivery) previously identify because straight and many trans men (assigned women at the beginning) as lesbian. Trans feminine drawn to feminine could possibly get after that understand themselves since lesbian women. Given that lesbian teams are more acknowledging out-of male and you will gender non-conforming people that was indeed assigned feminine during the beginning than straight organizations, trans men usually very first choose as lesbians before transitioning; however, this does not mean that butch if not masculine lesbians are transgender. According to individual factors, specific trans guys care for the lesbian identities and you can society involvement since the dudes.

Specific lesbians purchased this new title to describe the gender in the introduction on their attractions. Regarding the Gender Census, an annual on the web international survey of individuals who do not purely pick into gender digital, members indicated their individual identifiers; the thing « lesbian (partially otherwise completely with regards to gender) » is actually selected by the a dozen.9% of your people in 2021 and you may 13.8% in 2022.

Information

• step one Etymology
• 2 Area
• dos.step one Background
• 2.step one.step 1 During the Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
• dos.1.2 When you look at the Nazi routine (1933–1945)
• dos.step 1.step three Courtroom pressures to lesbian literary works
• 2.step one.cuatro Middle-20th century, Us
• 2.step 1.5 Stonewall riots
• 2.1.six Lesbian-feminism and also the lesbian sex wars

Etymology

The expression « Lesbian » to begin with known some body otherwise anything from the Greek area out-of Lesbos. It’s of well-known poet Sappho, a community commander regarding the isle out of Lesbos which published multiple like poems to other women circa 600 BCE. Brand new adjective « sapphic » is also produced by Sappho. Sappho plus wrote erotic and you may close passages one to integrated men, but in English code messages, her particular relationship to the sensual love ranging from feminine could have been old so you can 1732 otherwise in advance of. By the 1870, « lesbianism » had become an ovat kiinalainen-naisia kauneimpia effective noun to possess a beneficial female’s erotic interest in other female or homosexual connections among them, given that phrase « lesbian love » was in use by the 1883, to begin with releasing when you look at the You.S. scientific journals you to definitely presented sexual intimacy ranging from women once the pathological. Used since an enthusiastic adjective regarding the brand new isle away from Lesbos or even to amatory poetry, « lesbian » has been around carried on play with because the 1890 to explain personal and you will/or sexual conclusion anywhere between feminine aside from the certain sexualities, eg « lesbian few », « lesbian sex », or « lesbian kiss ». From the 1904, lesbian was at fool around with as the a great noun.