What Does “WLW” Stand For?

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Learn the history behind the acronym, plus how to incorporate "WLW" into your everyday vocab

Co-authored by Dev Murphy, MA Reviewed by John Keegan

Last Updated: July 3, 2023 Fact Checked

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Meaning

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Usage

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Origins

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If you’re active on tumblr, TikTok, or other social media platforms, you may have run into the hashtag #WLW. What does this acronym mean, and why is it showing up in more and more places? We’ve got the answer! Learn what WLW stands for, how to use it in everyday conversation (or in your TikToks), and where the term originated, below.

Things You Should Know

“WLW” stands for “women loving women.” It’s a catch-all term to describe women attracted to or dating other women, whether they’re lesbian, bisexual, or another orientation.
Some women identify as WLW because they prefer not to identify with a more specific orientation, or because they haven’t figured out their orientation yet.
WLW have often been categorized as “lesbian” or “homosexual,” but WLW is a more inclusive term in that it acknowledges alternative sexualities.

Section 1 of 3:

What does “WLW” mean on TikTok?

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“WLW” means “women loving women” on TikTok and elsewhere. Women attracted to or dating other women are often lumped into the category of “lesbians” or “homosexual,” even if they're also attracted to other genders. Similar to “Sapphic,” “women loving women” (or "woman-loving woman") is a more inclusive term that covers all sexual orientations in which women or women-presenting people may be attracted to other women, including lesbianism, bisexuality, and pansexuality. ^{[1]
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- The term is often written as simply “WLW” (or #WLW in TikTok hashtags), but is sometimes pronounced aloud as “wuh-luh-wuh” (or as simply “women loving women”).

Section 2 of 3:

Usage of WLW

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Some people use WLW if they don't conform to a specific orientation. Because WLW is a more general way to refer to women or women-presenting folks who are attracted to women, it's sometimes used by queer people who don't identify with a specific sexual orientation. ^{[2]
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Research source} It may also be used by people who haven't figured out their sexual orientation yet, but know they like women.
- In the same vein, you may use the term to refer to a woman dating a woman but whose precise sexual orientation you're unsure of.
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WLW is used in online LGBTQ+-friendly spaces, like tumblr and TikTok. Tumblr is considered one of the most queer-friendly social media sites on the web, with many users turning to the platform for community, support, and education about gender and sexuality. ^{[3]
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Research source} TikTok, though much newer than tumblr and not as popular among LGBTQ+ users specifically, caters to a younger userbase, whom studies indicate are more likely to view (and post) about gender and sexuality in more nuanced ways than older generations. ^{[4]
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- As of 2021, tumblr reports a strong queer userbase, saying that its users are 193% more likely to identify as LGBTQ+ than those on other platforms, and that 1 in 4 of its userbase is LGBTQ+. ^{[5]
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Section 3 of 3:

Origins of WLW

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WLW may originate from 1920s African American Vernacular English. Much of modern-day gay culture originates from the Prohibition-era New York City ballroom scene. During the Harlem Renaissance, many queer people of color found safety and support in this underground community. ^{[6]
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Research source} With the advent of the jazz era, lyrics like blues singer Ma Rainey’s “I don’t like no men” may have led to the coining of the acronym WLW.
- Since Sapphic relationships of any sort were still very taboo at the time, especially for women of color, the acronym may have afforded some discretion to those who wanted to keep their sexuality under wraps. ^{[7]
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