I love identifying as a sapphic woman because for one, it sounds fancy AF. For another, the derivative of the word — which we will get to in a minute — is as poetic as my love for femmes can feel.
There have been points in my life where I have felt more comfortable identifying as “bisexual,” while at other times I have preferred “lesbian.” Regardless of the label, it is my sapphic love that has remained constant.
Sapphic is also a less-often used term in the queer community, so if you’re wondering what I mean by “sapphic,” you’re not alone. Prior to 2020, I couldn’t confidently define it despite being openly queer.
What I’ve learned since is that while “sapphic” and “lesbian” are related terms, they are distinct from one another.
Sapphic is an umbrella term that includes lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual trans femmes, mascs, nonbinary folks, and cis women. Yet unlike these sexualities, "sapphic" strives to conjure an experience more akin to an intention toward attraction — one oriented less to any specific gender identity and more to the fullness of a potential lovers' humanity.
The term sapphic has a long history, one that dates all the way back to ancient Greece, and has become an umbrella word that refers to a wide spectrum of sexualities and genders. If you want to learn more about sapphic love and its intertwined history with lesbian identity, read on!
What Does It Mean to Be Sapphic?
At its core, sapphics can be lesbians, bisexuals, and pansexual people of a variety of genders. Trans femmes, mascs, nonbinary people, and cis women can all fall under the sapphic umbrella if the term resonates with them.
Being sapphic can mean different things to different people, and can depend on whom you ask within the community.
Victoria Williams, who discusses being sapphic on TikTok, says that for her, being sapphic is a culmination of her love for not only all women, but her woman.
“In my relationship, I have romanticized my own sapphic love beyond words,” Williams told Them. “I’ve memorized her from head to toe, freckle to dimple. I’ve read, taken notes and devoured her heart and soul.”
The peer-led sex education advocate Katie Haan told Them that being sapphic means having a “community where everyone has a mutual understanding of what it means to experience attraction, love, sexual desire, romance, community, friendship, companionship, inspiration and creativity through a similar lens, on our terms.”
It’s important to remember that not all queer people are sapphic. Being a queer person means using whichever phrases work best for you, so if sapphic doesn’t feel right, you don’t have to claim it.
When Did the Term Sapphic Become Popular?
According to Merriam-Webster, the term sapphic derives from the Greek goddess Sappho, who notoriously resided on the Isle of Lesbos (love that for us WLW).
Sappho was an incredibly popular poet whose work explored desire and love, specifically the kind that exists between two women. As a result, the women of Lesbos were said to prefer each other — hence, the origin of the term lesbian.
After a few scrolls of Sappho’s poems were discovered in the late 1800s, “sapphic” became an adjective to describe women whose emotional and sexual preferences were other women. It wasn't until the 1950s, however, that “sapphic” became a popular term to describe women who loved women in the U.S.
In recent years, sapphic has evolved to be more inclusive, expanding beyond being a woman attracted to women. The modern community of sapphics offline and in online spaces like TikTok is vast, including nonbinary transmascs and trans femmes, trans men, and women of many sexualities. “Sapphic” has become less about the gender of who one is attracted to and is more a vibe of queer love.
“It has slowly evolved into a safe word that, when spoken, just lets you feel comfort in knowing that you are in the company of other like-minded individuals,” Williams said.
What Is the Difference Between Being Sapphic and Being a Lesbian?
While many lesbians claim sapphic identity, it’s important to note that there is a distinction between being a lesbian and being sapphic. While lesbians can be sapphics, not all sapphics are lesbians.
Sapphics can be bisexual, pansexual, and omnisexual people of many genders.
The term goes beyond sexuality and the gender of the person one is attracted to. Rather, it encompasses a spectrum of genders and sexuality and captures love rooted in one’s full humanity.
There can be overlap, but the two terms are not interchangeable.
Can Trans People Be Sapphic?
The only people saying trans people can’t be sapphic are trans-exclusive to begin with. Sapphics can be trans femmes, trans mascs, nonbinary people, and cis women of all sexual orientations. What matters is feeling that the term suits you.
“Sapphic is gender expansive,” sex educator Tia Freeman told Them. “It strips away rigid control of how someone is ‘supposed’ to present and at its root embraces love.”
However, it’s important to understand that as with all identity labels, just because trans people can be sapphic doesn’t mean all trans people are sapphic. As always, it’s best to never assume a person’s identity and ask if they feel sapphic suits them before using it.
When I was in the throes of figuring out my sexual orientation throughout adolescence, and even in my college years, sapphic felt like a term that was welcoming and broadly encompassing. It seems almost impossible that I have identified as anything else.
For me, sapphic evokes the soulful, “I want a cottage core lifestyle on a farm with just us” type of emotions that I feel for my femme partner. It reflects the intensity of the crushes on girls I had in high school that blossomed deep in my chest before I could find the right language to describe them.
Sapphic is a word that resides on an island outside of the world of binaries and chooses deep connection with another queer person. It’s an identity I’ve found a home within — and maybe one that you can, too.
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