Sapphism

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Sapphism is an umbrella term for women loving women (WLW); any woman attracted to women or in a relationship with another woman, regardless of their sexual orientations, and encompassing the romantic love between women. It is the female equivalent of Uranian and Achillean.

Etymology

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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 included her accounts of sexual and romantic love between women.<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 a woman speaking of her love for other women in ancient history.<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Use

The term sapphic encompasses the experiences of lesbian, bisexual, gynephilic, plurisexual, and multiromantic women, and also women who are attracted to women but decline a label, experience a fluid sexuality, or are questioning their sexuality.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> Asexual and aromantic women who are attracted to a woman can also be 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 bookTemplate:Pn</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> There are also equivalent terms for relationships between men (Uranian, Achillean),<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref> between a man and a woman (duaric)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and involving at least one non-binary person (diamoric or enbian).<ref>Template:Cite bookTemplate:Pn</ref>

Sapphic is also used in Lesbian 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 bookTemplate:Pn</ref>

See also

• Androphilia and gynephilia
• Boston marriage
• History of lesbianism
• LGBTQ slang
• Queerplatonic relationship
• Romance (love)
• Sexual diversity
• Terminology of homosexuality
• Tribadism
• Women who have sex with women (WSW)