Lesbian (noun & adj.)

Lesbian as an activist term

The word origin of the term lesbian (noun and adjective) can be traced back to the Greek island of Lesbos, where the poet Sappho lived around 600 BC. Sappho is still known today for her poems in which she spoke about same-sex love and sexuality between women (GRA, 2015). The term sapphism has also been used as a synonym for „sexual relationships between women“ (Harper, n.d.) since the 1890s. In the 1950s, sapphic became popularized in the US to describe women loving other women (Hamou, 2022). Today, while there is no one true definition for sapphic, it is mainly used as an umbrella term that describes attraction between „lesbian, bisexual, and pansexual trans femmes, mascs, nonbinary folks, and cis women“ (Hamou, 2022). 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“ and describes „more a vibe of queer love“ (Hamou, 2022).

Before the term lesbian became established, homosexual women also used the word gay (GRA, 2015). In the USA, the self-descriptions butch and femme also became established in the 1940s (Rost, 2018 & Levitt et al., 2003). It was not until the feminist women's movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s that lesbian women increasingly began to distance themselves from the gay movement and join the women's movement (GRA, 2015). This change in thinking was partly due to their own experiences as women and the associated sexist forms of discrimination and oppression. This also led to a strong politicization of the lesbian movement and had a lasting impact on its self-image.

Development of the political lesbian movement in Germany

The political lesbian movement in Germany developed in the 1970s in close connection with the New (German) Women's Movement (GRA, 2015). Lesbian activists organized themselves into autonomous groups, founded their own magazines and centers and contributed to feminist issues such as violence prevention, peace policy and social justice (FrauenMediaTurm, 2021). The founding of the Deutscher LesbenRing (1982) marked an important step towards nationwide networking and visibility. Lesbians took part in women's congresses, resistance camps and demonstrations - often together with feminist initiatives. At the same time, they demanded legal equality, for example by abolishing Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code, which criminalized same-sex intercourse. It was only removed from the penal code in 1994 following pressure from the lesbian and gay movement (LSVD, 2020).

Social and political dimension

In the past 50 years, a lot has changed for lesbians in Germany, both socially and legally. An important milestone, as for other homosexual people, was the introduction of "Ehe für Alle" (=marriage for all) (Will, 2023), which not only brought legal marriage equality, but also set an important sign of social recognition. Nevertheless, lesbians continue to experience various forms of exclusion and devaluation.
The LGBTI Survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA, 2024) in 2024 illustrates this with current figures: 7 % of lesbian respondents reported experiencing harassment or violence due to their sexual orientation in the last twelve months - an increase from 5 % in 2019. In addition, 45 % of respondents had experienced discrimination in at least one key area of their lives in the last twelve months (FRA, 2024). Fear of discrimination is particularly high in school environments, which is why 54 % of lesbian students hide their sexual orientation (FRA, 2024).
Lesbian women and lesbians who are perceived as women are often affected by twofold discrimination: not only are they exposed to prejudice and discrimination due to their queerness , but they also experience patriarchal and sexist realities. The Swiss Competence Center for Human Rights cites the situation of a lesbian applicant for a management position as an example of intersectional discrimination against lesbian women, whose application was not only rejected because sexist superiors did not trust her with a management position due to her gender, but also "because she is not wanted in this position as a same-sex loving person" (SKMR, 2020).
The intersection of homophobia and misogyny shapes the reality of life for many lesbians and makes it clear how important social and political engagement for more equality and visibility continues to be.
 

If you would like to find out more about how to get involved, you can find networking and advice services on our Sexual and gender diversity page.
 

Status: March 2026