Sapphism

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Infobox sexuality Sapphism is an umbrella term for any woman attracted to women or in a relationship with another woman, regardless of their sexual orientations, and encompassing the romantic love between women.

The term is inclusive of individuals who are lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, aromantic, asexual, or queer. There are also sapphic people who are non-binary.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> It is the female equivalent of achillean.

Etymology

File:Simonet - Safo.jpg

Sappho, by Enrique Simonet.

The term sapphism has been used since the 1890s,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and derives from Sappho, a Greek poet whose verses mainly focused on love between women and her own homosexual passions.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She was born on the Greek island Lesbos, which also inspired the term lesbianism.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sappho's work is one of the few ancient references to sapphic love. Her poetry, significant in quality, is a rare example of female sexuality separated from reproduction in history.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Use

The term sapphic encompasses the experiences of lesbians and bisexual women, for example, among other plurisexual and multiromantic individuals.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> Asexual and aromantic women who are attracted to a woman are also sapphic.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Using the term more broadly, some sapphic individuals may be non-binary.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are also equivalent terms for relationships between men (Uranian, Achillean<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>) between a man and a woman (Dionian, duaric), and involving at least one non-binary person (diamoric or enbian).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Sapphic is also used in LGBT literature for works involving at least one relationship between women, regardless of whether they are lesbian or not.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

See also

• Androphilia and gynephilia
• Gray asexuality
• History of lesbianism
• LGBT slang
• Monosexuality
• Pomosexuality
• Questioning (sexuality and gender)
• Sexual diversity
• Terminology of homosexuality
• Tribadism
• Unlabeled sexuality
• Uranian (sexuality)
• Women who have sex with women (WSW)