Dyke

Content warningThis article mentions reclaimed slurs, potentially offensive terms, and genital anatomy. If you are not comfortable with reading about this kind of topic, we suggest you take a step back.

The word dyke or dike commonly refers to a lesbian, particularly one with masculine or butch traits (although femmes can also be dykes). The word is commonly considered a derogatory slur, but has been reclaimed and used positively by some lesbians. Dyke is sometimes also used as an identity for non-lesbians, such as bisexuals.

A photo from the 2019 DC Dyke March. The banner says "All Dykes Celebrated Here" and lists many types of dykes including queer dykes, black dykes, bi dykes, butch dykes, femme dykes, gnc dykes, latinx dykes, trans dykes, etc.

A nonbinary person at the 2019 DC Dyke March.

A photo of the 2018 Pittsburgh Dyke and Trans March. A genderfluid flag is visible behind the main banner.

Notable nonbinary or genderqueer people who call themselves dykes include poet Eileen Myles, entrepreneur Al Sandimirova, and author Rivers Solomon.

In the 2019 Gender Census, 17 people (0.2% percent of respondents) wrote "dyke" as their identity, and one wrote "bulldyke".

History

The etymology of "dyke" is uncertain. Some hypotheses for its origin include:

• A shortening of hermaphrodite.
• Boudicca (Bou-dyke-ah), a Celtic queen who organized a revolt against the Roman Empire in 67 AD.
• From the slang term "get diked out" meaning "dress up".
• In the 19th century, "dike" was a slang term for the vulva.
• From the terms "bulldicker"/"bulldick", meaning "fake penis" or "fake man", describing the idea of "a woman with a clitoris extended enough to serve as a penis in lesbian relationships".