| Phrase | Explanatory Note | Time/Region | References |
|---|
| ace queen | A 1970s colloquialism denoting a "terrific queen." Prison jargon for a man who has a more 'feminine' appearance, such as shaved legs or plucked eyebrows. Might be construed as part of the imprisoned homosexual milieu. This shouldn't be mixed up with the more familiar term "ace," which is short for "asexual." See "asexual." | UK, USA, 1970s | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| alphabet people | Contemporary pejorative term for LGBTQ+ individuals, frequently used by right-wing groups reacting to perceived advancements in LGBTQ+ people's rights. | 2020s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| bathroom queen bog queen | Gay slang expression for individuals who regularly visit public lavatories looking for intimate encounters. Synonyms: Bathsheba (a blend of bathroom and Sheba to generate a moniker akin to the Queen of Sheba), Ghost (50s, ghost, because they traverse the passages of the bathroom). | USA, UK | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| batting for the other team | An allegorical expression that denotes somebody (of any gender) is gay. This saying isn't a slur or particularly offensive, and is generally employed with a touch of levity. However, it's antiquated, as the euphemistic unwillingness to normalize terms like "gay" or "lesbian" infers that LGBTQ+ people should not be openly discussed. Risks hampering discoverability if deployed instead of more direct terms. | 20th and early 21st century |
| bean queen | Slang employed in male homosexual communities in the USA to describe Mexican homosexuals. Racist undertones. Also utilized to depict Latinx drag queens, along with white men drawn to Latino men. | Mexico, USA | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| bear | Community term with several connotations. 1. A gay or bisexual male who possesses facial/body hair and a corpulent physique. 2. An umbrella term referring to members of a subculture within the gay and bisexual male communities and is often defined as an attitude or feeling of ease with innate masculinity and physiques. Might be replicated as a self-descriptor, but bear in mind utilizing quotation marks to signify this is their terminology. | 20th Century- | "LGBTQ+ Terminology," Montclair State University [1] |
| beard Miss Beard | Individuals who masquerade as the date or companion of somebody they are not in a romantic relationship with, usually to prevent that person's sexual orientation from becoming general knowledge; most commonly used to denote a woman pretending to be involved with a gay man. | 20th Century-, Europe, USA | Homosaurus |
| bicycle | Utilized as slang for bisexual in the 1960s. Likewise more widely utilized to imply promiscuity, especially for women; this usage is deemed offensive. | 1960s-, UK | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| bottom | A "bottom" is an individual who acts as the "receiving" partner in sexual interactions. Broadly utilized, but should be encompassed by quotation marks and contextualized if needed in archival description. Sometimes employed as a self-descriptor inside queer communities, but should be replicated with caution. Occasionally used as a verb ("to bottom for someone"). Offensive if applied to LGBTQ+ people from outside of queer communities. Refer also to "top" and "switch." | Homosaurus |
| bronco bronc | A juvenile gay man, or someone recently initiated into the gay community. | 1930s-, USA | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| butterfly butterfly boy | Gay community slang for an effeminate man. Not presently in widespread usage. | 1960s-1970s | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| capon | Deriving from a word in animal husbandry for a castrated rooster, the term was, from the 1600s, assigned to castratos. During the 20th century, it was adopted by American gay communities to portray a young or inexperienced gay man. No longer in use, however would be considered offensive. | USA, 1930s-1970s | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| Charlie Ronce Charley | British rhyming slang for 'ponce,' in the sense of "pimp." | UK | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| chaser | Short for "tranny chaser." An individual who regards trans people (typically trans women) as inherently sexual, and sexually objectifies them. As opposed to somebody who simply is predominantly attracted to trans women; a chaser doesn't view trans women respectfully as individuals with humanity and agency, but rather as participants in a sexual fantasy. reminder - "tranny" is extremely offensive - avoid speaking aloud | 20th Century-, Europe, USA | GenderMinorities.com - Trans 101: glossary of trans words and how to use them |
| cornhole cornholer | American rural slang denoting anal sex, or a gay man. Generally considered offensive. Should not be confused with the game of the same name, which requires tossing beanbags into a hole in a wooden platform. | 1920s-, USA | Oxford English Dictionary. |
| curry queen | A gay man who is attracted to Indian men. Offensive, racist undertones. | 1990s-, USA | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| Doric love | A 1920s expression for gay sex/romance referencing classical Greece, on occasion with hints of pederasty. | 1920s, UK | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| double-gaited | Slang for "bisexual." | 1920s-, USA | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| drag family drag mother house of | In the US, a collective of drag queens who have been mentored by a "mother," also known as a "house." These groups often adopt family drag names and form tightly-knit communities. See also 3.1.1 LGBTQIA+ Communities and History, "chosen family." | 20th Century-, US | Wikipedia - Drag Race Terminology [2] |
| dyke bulldyke bulldagger | Contentious terminology. Slur for lesbian, highly offensive if applied to a lesbian or transmasc person externally. Term has been reclaimed by certain lesbians communities, and is sometimes employed in an affirming way inside communities. Only utilize if someone self-describes in this fashion, and place in quotation marks to signify this. "Bulldyke" and "bulldagger" are often employed to denote butch or masculine queer women, sometimes with hints of toughness or aggression. Only use these terms if someone self-describes in this way, and enclose in quotation marks to indicate this. | 1930s-, US, UK | LGBTQ+ Terminology, Montclair State University [3] Oxford English Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| egg | Slang phrase (originating online) for an individual who hasn't yet realized they are transgender, hasn't yet come out, or is in the initial phases of transitioning. Commonly used (affectionately) by trans people to recognize when characteristics of someone's personality or actions call to mind gender-related facets of themselves before they realized they were trans. If indispensable to refer to this in a description, utilize "speculations about transness" or "discussion about pre-/early-transition experience." | 21st century, online | Wikipedia - List of LGBT Slang Terms Emily St. James, Vox[4] |
| faggot fagot faggotry faggoty fag faggy fagged | Extremely offensive slur for a gay man, often utilized to imply somebody is effeminate; lacking power or vigour; weak, cowardly; ineffectual. Hate speech when employed about a gay man, especially in the US. Not to be conflated with other meanings: "Fag" also serves as British English slang for a cigarette. Extensively used in this manner in the UK, inoffensive. "Faggot" can denote a bundle of sticks or herbs, frequently for a fire. Historically (Middle Ages) associated with the bundles of wood utilized to burn people accused of heresy/witchcraft. Now primarily obsolete. There is speculation that the term came to be a slur because of this association with immorality and punishment, but there is no consensus on its origins. "Faggot" is also utilized in the UK Midlands to indicate a regional cuisine - a kind of meatball. Inoffensive in this context, though uncommon. "Fagged" or "fagged out" were historically (18th-20th century) employed to signify tired or exhausted. If utilized in these alternative contexts, consider incorporating further explanation or quotation marks in the description, to make this clear. | (as a slur) 1940s-, US, later UK | Oxford English Dictionary Moscas de Colores |
| fag hag | A woman, typically a heterosexual one, perhaps aging, who prefers, relishes, or seeks out the company of homosexual men. This term is offensive to gay men and misogynistic toward heterosexual women. Once common, now seldom utilized within queer communities. | 1960s- | Oxford English Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| fag stag | A heterosexual male who enjoys the company of gay men. Rare. | 1990s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| fairy | Slang for a homosexual man, likely derived from earlier slang use meaning a promiscuous woman. See 3.2 Women's History. Contested term - originally offensive, however reclaimed by gay men in the 1960s. Only utilize if an individual self-describes in this fashion. | 1890s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| fairy lady | Some sources quote this term to indicate a feminine lesbian, others to signify a bisexual person of any gender. Primarily appeared originally in 1920s-onwards in casual dictionaries of slang, which were not always reliable. Cannot corroborate from other sources. | 1920s-? | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| flame flamer flaming | "Flaming" can be broadly utilized as an intensifier or curse, but has become especially correlated with feminine gay men and campness. Frequently still deployed fondly, especially by older generations of gay men, but offensive if applied by others. Only utilize if an individual self-describes in this manner, and signal this with quotation marks. | 20th Century- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| flip-flop flip flop | Slang to denote either 1) bisexuality or 2) a person who likes to alternate between "top" and "bottom" roles during sex. Particularly utilized by incarcerated individuals in the US. | 1970s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| flower daisy pansy tulip water-lily | Diverse flowers are employed to allude to feminine gay men, though "pansy" is perhaps the most widespread. Associates gay men with misogynistic concepts of femininity; implies weakness, unthreatening appearance, cowardice. Offensive, frequently employed as an intentional slur. | 1890s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| flute fluter flute-player | Outdated slang for fellatio, or someone performing fellatio. | 1900s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| foop | Uncommon slang for a gay man. | 1890s | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| forty-one 41 | 'Forty-one' is an expression employed in the state of Texas (USA) to refer to homosexual men. The origin of this expression is discovered in adjacent Mexico, where the same expression is employed in Spanish, because of a scandal that transpired in 1901 in Mexico City. Forty-one individuals were apprehended at a private dance, where nearly half were cross-dressing. This episode is known as 'The Dance of the Forty-One'. It's said that in reality, there were 42, but one of them was the son-in-law of President Porfirio Diaz, who was allowed to escape. Those who couldn't afford liberty or silence were sentenced to hard labor in the Oaxaca National Valley. So the number 41 transformed into a euphemism for illicit sexuality, and was shunned. | Texas, USA; Mexico | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| friend of dorothy | Coded slang for gay. Pertaining to gay icon Judy Garland's Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. | UK, USA, 1970s- | Moscas de Colores Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| frit | Rare slang for a gay man. | UK, USA, 1970s | Moscas de Colores Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| fruit fruity | Slang for a gay man, especially for a feminine gay man. Outmoded and frequently offensive, because it implies somebody is effortlessly "picked," or associates somebody with its other slang meanings of "dupe," "victim," or someone coping with mental illness. There are various iterations of this term employed for queer people across the 20th century and across distinct regions, including bowl of fruit, fruitcake, fruit-eater, fruitloop, and fruit-picker. | 20th Century- | Moscas de Colores Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| gay cat gaycat | Slang utilized primarily in unhoused and/or criminal communities from the initial half of the twentieth century in the US. Generally implying a younger homosexual companion. | 1900s-1950s, USA | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| gay lord gaylord | Slur for a gay man. | 1970s-, UK, USA | Oxford English Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| gentleman of the back door | 18th-century slang for a gay man. Only found in prevalent slang dictionaries of the era - scant corroborating evidence that this was actually employed. | 18th Century-, UK | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ Norena Shopland, A Practical Guide to searching LGBTQIA historical records (Routledge 2021 |
| ginger ginger beer Brighton Pier jere gear King Lear | Cockney rhyming slang for "queer." | 20th Century-, UK | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| girl | Occasionally employed as a slur for a gay man, presuming that being "feminine" is "lower status." Therefore offensive to gay men and to women more broadly. More often deployed as a (by now extensively recognized) term of affection between gay men, though more likely as a friendly term than as a romantic one. | 1910s- | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| giver | Slang for the "active" role during gay sex. The giver/taker binary is currently largely recognized as artificial and heteronormative. | 20th Century-, UK, USA | Moscas de Colores |
| gold star | Slang for someone who has never had sexual contact with someone of the opposite gender, sometimes inclusive of bisexual people of their own gender. Most usually deployed in lesbian communities, now broadly acknowledged as biphobic. | 20th Century- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| gonsel gunsel gunshel gunsil | Slang utilized by incarcerated and unhoused communities in the US to denote a young gay man or boy. | 20th Century, USA | Moscas de Colores Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| gump | Slang utilized by incarcerated men in the US to indicate a person in the "passive" role in gay sex. | 1980s-, USA | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| gym rat gym bunny muscle mary | A sports enthusiast; usually one who frequents gyms and training grounds; frequently employed of young gay men fixated on body building. | 1970s-, USA, Scotland | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| Harry Hoofter iron hoofter iron hoof iron woolie woofter wooly | Cockney rhyming slang - slur for gay men (rhyming with "poofter" or "poof"). | 20th Century- | Wikipedia - List of LGBT Slang Terms |
| hip-hitter | A 1970s term for "top" gay man. | 1970s, USA | Moscas de Colores Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| homo | Abbreviated form of "homosexual." Often derogatory. Always utilize the complete term in description. | 1920s- | Moscas de Colores Oxford English Dictionary |
| jocker | Slang utilized by incarcerated and unhoused communities in the US to denote an older or "predatory" gay man. | 1890s-, USA | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| left-handed | Term utilized pejoratively in 1930s USA as slang for gay. Offensive to both left-handed and gay people, as the association presumes that both are "wrong." | 1930s, USA | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| lipstick lesbian | Usually refers to a lesbian with a feminine gender expression. Can be utilized in a constructive or a derogatory way, contingent on who is employing it. Is sometimes also utilized to allude to a lesbian who is perceived as automatically "passing" for heterosexual. Only deploy if someone self-describes in this fashion, and place in quotation marks to signal this. The expression femme lesbian may be more suitable. | 20th Century- | "LGBTQ+ Terminology," Montclair State University [5] |
| Nancy Nancy boy Nance Mary Mary-Ann Molly Nelly | Women's names have often been appropriated as slurs for gay men, particularly for effeminate gay men and transfeminine people. "Nancy" is likely the most common, across the 20th Century globally. All are offensive and shouldn't be replicated in a description unless essential. See 3.1.1 LGBTQIA+ Communities and History, "Molly" for a historically-specific usage of this name. | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| prushon | Slang employed by unhoused communities in the US to denote a young gay man who travels with an older companion. | 1890s-1980s | Moscas de Colores Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| punk punker | Originating as a term for a sex worker, in the late 19th Century, it progressed to signify a gay man, frequently a "bottom" or someone coerced into gay sex. Originally utilized by incarcerated and unhoused communities, subsequently as a slur for a gay man in African-American communities. "Punk rock" emerged as a musical and political movement in the 1970s. | (as slang for gay) 19th Century- | Oxford English Dictionary |
| rough trade | Slang for a man who identifies as straight, but sometimes has sex with queer men (usually as a "top"). | 1960s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ Claire Hayward, "Queer Terminology: LGBTQ Histories and the Semantics of Sexuality." [6] |
| stoke Stoke-on-Trent | Cockney rhyming slang for gay, rhyming with "bent." | 1980s-, UK | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| stud | Community term for an African-American and/or Latinx masculine queer woman. Also known as "ag." Only utilize if someone self-describes in this manner, and refrain from employing for white people, as this is a term specifically developed by and for African-American and Latinx communities. | 20th Century-, USA | "LGBTQ+ Terminology," Montclair State University [7] |
| sugar daddy | Expression of the Black community in the 1920s, to refer to an older, wealthy partner. Over time, this expression also came to be utilized by the LGBTQIA+ community. | 1920s- | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary |
| swings the other way swinging both ways | An allegorical expression denoting that somebody (of any gender) is gay or bisexual. These phrases are not a slur or specifically offensive, and are generally employed with a touch of humor. However, they are outdated, because the euphemistic reluctance to normalize terms such as "gay," "lesbian," or "bisexual" implies that LGBTQ+ people should not be openly discussed. Risks impeding discoverability if utilized instead of more direct terms. Not to be confused with the expression "swinging" on its own, which can denote non-monogamous practices. | 1960s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang - https://greensdictofslang.com/ |
| swish swisher swishy | Slang for a feminine gay man, originating from 1930s USA. Not particularly offensive, but ought to still be accompanied by clearer LGBTQ+ terminology to help discoverability. | 1930s-, US | Mosca de Colores - Gay Dictionary Green's Dictionary of Slang [8] |
| switch vers | LGBTQ+ community slang for someone who "alternates" between the "giving" and "receiving" during sex. See also "top" and "bottom." "Vers" is short for "versatile." "Switch" is sometimes also employed in a BDSM context, to denote someone who "alternates" between the dominant and submissive roles. | 20th Century- | Homosaurus |
| switch-hitter | USA slang for bisexual, originating from baseball terminology. | 20th Century-, US | Moscas de Colores |
| top | A "top" is an individual who acts as the "giving" partner in sexual interactions. Widely used, however should be enclosed in quotation marks and contextualized if needed in archival description. Sometimes utilized as a self-descriptor within queer communities, however should be replicated with caution. Sometimes utilized as a verb ("to top someone"). Offensive if applied to LGBTQ+ individuals from outwith queer communities. See also "bottom" and "switch." | Homosaurus |
| tranny | Extremely offensive slur for a trans individual. Originally utilized to conflate "transsexual" individuals," "transvestites" and drag queens. Primarily deployed about transfeminine individuals, but offensive to all trans people. reminder - "tranny" is extremely offensive - avoid speaking aloud | 1970s- | Green's Dictionary of Slang [9] Oxford English Dictionary |
| twink | Slang expression commonly utilized in gay communities to delineate a youthful or young-looking male with minimal to no facial or body hair. Can be pejorative, but can similarly be a self-descriptor. Always enclose in quotation marks if imperative to deploy in description, and contextualize. | 20th Century- | "LGBTQ+ Terminology," Montclair State University [10] |