Queer Slang & Expressions: English Vocabulary List

describing romantic or sexual attraction between men, often used in queer or literary contexts

"Their love was Achillean."

"His Achillean pride led to his downfall because he refused to admit that he could make mistakes."

not openly revealing one's sexual orientation or gender identity

"He is a closeted gay man."

"He is a closeted gay man and has not told his family or coworkers about his sexuality yet."

to no longer keep one's sexual preference or gender identity a secret

"He came out of the closet."

"My best friend finally came out of the closet and told his family he was gay."

a gender-inclusive or alternative spelling of "folks," used to address a group of people

"The event was open to all folx."

"The event was open to all folx and intentionally used inclusive language to welcome everyone."

a male who presents or expresses themselves in a feminine or androgynous way

"The femboy wore a skirt and thigh-highs."

"The femboy wore a skirt and thigh highs and his makeup was flawlessly applied every morning."

the supposed ability to detect someone's sexual orientation

"Her gaydar told her he was gay."

"Her gaydar told her he was gay and she was right when he introduced his boyfriend later."

an LGBTQIA+ person who plays video games

"The gaymer streamed video games online."

"The gaymer streamed video games online and his LGBTQ friendly channel attracted a loyal audience."

mostly homosexual but occasionally attracted to the opposite sex

"He is homoflexible."

"She is homoflexible and usually dates women but she is open to dating men as well."

a confident, fabulous person, often used in camp or queer contexts

"She called her friend Miss Thing."

"She called her friend Miss Thing and they laughed together at their inside jokes."

a homosexual person who has never had heterosexual sexual intercourse

"He is a gold star."

"He proudly identified as a gold star, meaning he had never engaged in heterosexual sexual activity."

mostly heterosexual but occasionally attracted to the same sex

"She is heteroflexible."

"He is heteroflexible and usually dates women but he has had romantic experiences with men too."

someone who takes the active role in sex but follows the bottom's instructions, focusing on doing what their partner wants

"He is a service top who focuses on his partner."

"He is a service top who focuses on his partner's pleasure rather than his own during intimacy."

a receptive partner in sex who is energetic, confident, or in control

"The power bottom controls the pace."

"The power bottom controls the pace and directs the action while still being the receptive partner."

a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming, switching between dominant and submissive roles in sex

"They are vers in their relationship."

"They are vers in their relationship and both enjoy taking on either role depending on their mood."

a performer, usually male, who dresses in exaggerated women's clothing and makeup

"The drag queen performed a lip sync."

"The drag queen performed a lip sync and her elaborate costume and makeup dazzled the audience."

a cisgender female drag performer, commonly used in LGBTQ+ spaces

"The bio queen performed in drag."

"The bio queen performed in drag and was a cisgender woman who loved the art of female impersonation."

a person used as a date or partner to hide someone's sexual orientation

"He is her beard."

"To avoid suspicion, she brought him along as her beard to family gatherings."

the act or practice of wearing tight clothing or compression garments to flatten the chest

"She practices binding."

"The trans community has found empowerment through the practice of binding."

characterized by exaggerated, theatrical, or playful style often linked with queer aesthetics or overt femininity

"That outfit is camp."

"The camp movie was so over the top and ridiculous that it became a cult classic among fans of bad cinema."

to no longer keep one's sexual preference or gender identity a secret

"She will come out of the closet."

"After years of hiding her true identity, she bravely decided to come out of the closet and live authentically."

to seek a casual sexual encounter in a public place, typically between gay men

"He likes to cruise."

"In the dimly lit bar, he was known to cruise, hoping to find a companion for the evening."

a person who does not conform to normative taboos or self-centered community norms

"He is an outsider."

"As an outsider, he challenged the established norms and questioned the status quo."

a straight-passing male partner, often used by gay men or trans women

"He is her trade."

"She prefers a stable partner and considers him her trade for their relationship."

a same-sex significant other with whom one lives

"He is her roommate."

"They decided to live together, and he quickly became her roommate and confidante."

the dominant or active sexual partner in a homosexual encounter

"He wanted to be the top."

"In their dynamic, he consistently took on the role of the top during sexual encounters."

a receptive sexual partner, typically in a homosexual encounter

"She preferred being the bottom."

"She found comfort and pleasure in the receptive role, preferring to be the bottom."

a person who enjoys both topping and bottoming, or alternating between dominant and submissive roles

"They are a switch."

"As a switch, they enjoy exploring both dominant and submissive dynamics in their relationships."