French LGBTQ+ Vocabulary ๐ŸŒˆ

Author: Leyla

Learn the French LGBTQ+ vocabulary and practice your French with this bilingual article.

Our daughter Leyla has always been a gay right activist. The other day, we were talking about it and she started using French LGBTQ+ terms I didnโ€™t understand.

She explained them to me, and we spoke about the non binary pronouns in French. I thought it would make a good article for people who want to learn the LGBTQ+ French vocabulary.

How To Say Gay In French?

Just like in English, the adjective โ€œgai(e)โ€ means merry, colorful.
Cโ€™est une chemise trรจs gaie.
Itโ€™s quite a colorful shirt.

We also use it to say โ€œtipsyโ€.
Marc avait un peu trop bu, il รฉtรฉ un peu gai.
Mark had a bit too much to drink, he was a bit tipsy.

To be honest, my Mom would say thatโ€ฆ I wouldnโ€™t!

To refer to sexual, romantic or emotional attraction, youโ€™ll see both spellings used in French: the English โ€œgayโ€ as well as the French โ€œgai(e)โ€.

We also use the word homosexual to describe a sexual, romantic or emotional attraction to someone of the same sex: โ€œun homosexuelโ€, โ€œune homosexuelleโ€ (short: โ€œhomoโ€). It can be a noun or an adjective.
Il/elle est homo. He/she is homosexual.

LGBTQ+ Terms Among The French Gay Community

Not everybody within the LGBTQ+ community uses precise terms and/or pronouns. Usually, texts of LGBTQ+ associations such as a sports club will be very careful to use an all inclusive language.

Yet, among people themselves, not everybody agrees. Some may use mostly the word โ€œgayโ€ as a โ€œsummaryโ€ of all the possibilities.

30 LGBTQ+ French Words

As youโ€™ll see, many of the terms we use in French are the same as in English. Iโ€™ve added a short definition for people who may not know what the LGBTQ+ terms mean in English. Although I did my best to use the correct terminology, it changes pretty fast and Iโ€™m not an expert. A reliable resource for up to date vocabulary is this site.

  1. Heterosexual: someone attracted to someone of the opposite sex. Straight: โ€œun hรฉtรฉrosexuelโ€, โ€œune hรฉtรฉrosexuelleโ€, โ€œun/une hรฉtรฉroโ€
  2. Bisexual: sexual, romantic or emotional attraction to someone of male or female sexes: โ€œun bisexuelโ€, โ€œune bisexuelleโ€ (short: โ€œbiโ€ โ€“ pronounce it the French way, like [bee] = il/elle est bi).
  3. Pansexual: sexual, romantic or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity: โ€œpansexuel, pansexuelleโ€ (short: โ€œpanโ€ โ€“ pronounce it the French way, with a French nasal [an] sound).
  4. Androgynous person: having the physical characteristics of both sexes: โ€œune personne androgyneโ€
  5. Bi-curious: (m) โ€œbi-curieuxโ€, (f) โ€œbi-curieuseโ€ โ€“ remember to pronounce it the French way [bee]
  6. Asexual: not interested in sexual relationships: โ€œmโ€ asexuelโ€, (f) asexuelle. Note that although itโ€™s spelled with only one โ€œsโ€ in French, we still pronounce it like a โ€œssโ€ sound, not a โ€œzโ€.
  7. Intersex: born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesnโ€™t seem to fit the typicalย definitionsย of female or male: intersexe. We also sometimes use the term โ€œhermaphroditeโ€ although some people find it offensive.
  8. Lesbian: describes a woman attracted to a woman : (f) โ€œune lesbienneโ€. Itโ€™s also an adjective: โ€œlesbien, lesbienneโ€.
  9. A bear (slang) describes a hairy, heavy-set (sometimes muscular)ย gayย or bisexual man: โ€œun oursโ€ (do pronounce the final โ€œsโ€)
  10. non-binary person: somebody who identifies as neither male nor female, or some combination of both: โ€œune personne non-binaireโ€, โ€œune personne bi-genrรฉeโ€.
  11. transgender: people having a gender identity or gender expression that differs from their sex assigned at birth = โ€œune personne transgenreโ€, โ€œun homme transgenreโ€, โ€œune femme transgenreโ€.
  12. transexual: someone who had a sex change operation/ gender affirming surgery = โ€œun transexuelโ€, โ€œune transexuelleโ€.
  13. cisgender person: Cisgender is a term for people whose gender identity matches the sex that they were assigned at birth. For example, someone who identifies as a woman and was assigned female at birth is a cisgender woman. The term cisgender is the opposite of the word transgender (wikipedia) โ€“ โ€œune personne cisgenreโ€
  14. transvestite: someone who enjoys dressing with clothes or attributes usually assigned to the opposite sexe : โ€œun travestiโ€, โ€œune travestieโ€.
    For drag queens, we often use the term โ€œun/e artiste transformisteโ€.
  15. the LGBTQ+ community: (f) โ€œla communautรฉ LGBTQ+โ€
  16. sexual orientation: (f) โ€œlโ€™orientation sexuelleโ€
  17. homosexuality: (f) โ€œlโ€™homosexualitรฉโ€
  18. heterosexuality: (f) โ€œlโ€™hรฉtรฉrosexualitรฉโ€
  19. gay rights: (m) โ€œles droits des homosexuelsโ€
  20. gay marriage: (m) โ€œle mariage gayโ€
  21. homoparental adoption: (f) โ€œlโ€™adoption homoparentaleโ€
  22. misgendering: (v) โ€œmรฉgenrerโ€ or โ€œmalgenrerโ€
  23. gender dysphoria: a state of unease or generalized dissatisfaction with life โ€“ Gender dysphoria is experienced by people whose gender identity does not align with their assigned sex : (f) โ€œla dysphorieโ€
  24. sex assigned at birth: (m) โ€œle sexe assignรฉ ร  la naissanceโ€
  25. breast binding: (v) โ€œse bander les seinsโ€
  26. sex reassignment surgery: (f) โ€œune chirurgie de rรฉassignation sexuelleโ€
  27. testosterone shots: (f) โ€œdes injections de testostรฉroneโ€
  28. to be in the closet: to be gay but without saying it openly: โ€œรชtre dans le placardโ€, โ€œรชtre secrรจtement homosexuelโ€, โ€œne pas rรฉvรฉler ses prรฉfรฉrences / son identitรฉ sexuelle(s)โ€
  29. to come out: to announce publicly that you are gay: โ€œfaire son coming outโ€.
  30. to be outed: when someone else divulges your sexual orientation or identity without your consent: โ€œrรฉvรฉler lโ€™orientation ou lโ€™identitรฉ sexuelle de quelquโ€™un contre son grรฉโ€. Itโ€™s quite long in French!

Non Binary Neutral French Pronouns

In English, when you donโ€™t want to misgender someone or if someone doesnโ€™t identify as male or female (non-binary or other), you use pronouns like โ€˜theyโ€™ and โ€˜themโ€™.

Example: Look at Chris! They look happy today! Iโ€™m going to ask them if they want to join us later.

In French, there is not neutral pronoun, but inclusive people use a new French pronoun like โ€œielโ€, โ€œielleโ€ (pronounce it like [yell] in English) or even โ€œilleโ€ (any of these 3 are fine). Some people use โ€œulโ€, โ€œolโ€, โ€œaelโ€ or โ€œeleโ€. We sometimes also use โ€œonโ€.

Examples :

  1. Regardez Chris! Iel a lโ€™air heureux/se aujourdโ€™hui! Je vais ellui demander sโ€™iel veut venir avec nous plus tard.
  2. Iels sont ensemble depuis 2 ans. (Theyโ€™ve been together for 2 years.)

The French possessive pronouns โ€œmonโ€ or โ€œmaโ€ are sometimes replaced by โ€œmoโ€ โ€œmaonโ€ and โ€œmanโ€ and the demonstrative pronouns โ€œceluiโ€ and โ€œcelleโ€ by โ€œcelluiโ€ as well as โ€œcelleuxโ€ or โ€œceuzesโ€.

โ€œToustesโ€ is used instead of โ€œtousโ€ or โ€œtoutesโ€.

โ€œElluiโ€ is used instead of the object pronouns โ€œluiโ€ and โ€œelleโ€.

If youโ€™re talking about multiple non identified people, add an โ€œsโ€.

Things are also changing about the adjective agreements. For example, you could add a โ€œ.eโ€ or โ€œ/eโ€ to be inclusive.

Chacun.e fait comme iel veut !
To each their own!

The French language being so stuck on feminine / masculine (everything has gender, even thingsโ€ฆ) using โ€œielโ€ etcโ€ฆ is not very common yet.

And itโ€™s a bit complicated. Even among the LGBTQ+ community, people donโ€™t agree. Some people really push for the changes, some feel being that inclusive hurts the language.

Unfortunately, all kind of inclusive writing is so far being rejected by lโ€™Acadรฉmie franรงaise. Maybe it will change one day!

I have to admit Iโ€™ve never heard โ€œielโ€ used myselfโ€ฆ Again, not much opportunity here in Paimpol! Here is an article (in French) which will explain, or at least give you a good look at the French neutral pronouns and adjective agreements.

French neutral pronouns

LGBTQ+ French Pronunciation

LGBTQ+ is pronounced like enunciating the letters of the alphabet in French: [el, gรฉ, bรฉ, tรฉ, cu, pluS โ€“ do say the final S]

Being LGBTQ+ in France

Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below or just click here.

Bonjour, moi cโ€™est Leyla, je suis la fille de Camille et Olivier de French Today, je suis bilingue franรงais-anglais, et je vais bientรดt avoir 15 ans.

Hi Iโ€™m Leyla, Iโ€™m Camilleโ€™s and Olivierโ€™s daughter, Iโ€™m French English bilingual, and Iโ€™m almost 15 years old.

Depuis que je suis petite, les droits des homosexuels mโ€™ont intรฉressรฉe, et jโ€™ai toujours pensรฉ que tous les types dโ€™amours devraient รชtre acceptรฉs, tant que tout le monde est consentant. Plus tard, jโ€™aimerais peut-รชtre รชtre avocat ou lรฉgislatrice dans ce domaine.

Since I was a little, gay rights have been an interest of mine, and Iโ€™ve always thought that all types of loves should be accepted, as long as the all people involved are consenting. When I grow up, I may want to become a lawyer or legislator in that domain.

Quand jโ€™habitais ร  Boston, aux ร‰tats-Unis, on รฉtait entourรฉs de personnes qui faisait partie de la communautรฉ LGBTQ+. Mais quand on a dรฉmรฉnagรฉ dans une petite ville de Bretagne en France, plus du tout ! Cโ€™รฉtait assez surprenant pour moi, et jโ€™ai souvent dรฉfendu les droits homosexuels dans la cour dโ€™รฉcole, quand jโ€™entendais des enfants utiliser des insultes comme โ€œpรฉdรฉโ€.

When I lived in Boston in the States, we weโ€™re surrounded by people that were part of the LGBTQ+ community. But not anymore when we moved to a little town in Brittany, France! It was pretty surprising for me and I often spoke up in defense of homosexual rights in the school yard when I heard kids using insults such as โ€œfaggotโ€.

Selon moi, lโ€™acceptation des homosexuels est en train dโ€™รฉvoluer en France.

In my opinion, gay acceptance is evolving in France.

Comparรฉ ร  la gรฉnรฉration de mes grand-parents, รชtre ouvertement gay ou mรชme de sexe inidentifiable est beaucoup plus acceptรฉ quโ€™avant. Cโ€™est un sujet de conversation dont je peux discuter avec mes amis sans problรจme, et rappelez-vous quโ€™on habite dans une petite ville !

Compared to my grandparentsโ€™ generation, itโ€™s now much more accepted to be openly gay, or even fluid gender wise. Itโ€™s a subject I can discuss with my friends without any problem, and remember we live in a small countryside town!

Mais je pense que pour beaucoup de personne, รชtre homosexuel, รงa passe, tant que รงa ne concerne pas la famille ou les amis proches.

Yet, I feel that for many people, being gay is okay as far as itโ€™s doesnโ€™t concern their own family or close friends.

En dโ€™autres mots, ils acceptent le concept, tant que cela ne concerne pas leurs proches.

In other words, they accept the concept, as far as it doesnโ€™t hit home.

Jโ€™espรจre que cela changera bientรดt.

I hope this will change soon.

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4 Gay French Expressions

To say someone is gay, one may say โ€œil/elle/iel est de la jaquetteโ€ or โ€œil/elle/iel est du bรขtimentโ€.

Among the community, itโ€™s common to hear โ€œil/elle/iel est de notre paroisseโ€ or โ€œil/elle/iel est de la familleโ€.

Homophobic French Insults

I hate to have to write these down but I think they are important for educational purposes. If you were to hear them in a French movie, youโ€™d need to understand them.

DO NOT use these, theyโ€™re hurtful but theyโ€™re in this list so you can recognize them and get away from the people using them!

French Insult to Say โ€œGayโ€

  1. un PD (or pรฉdรฉ): itโ€™s a shortened version of โ€œpรฉdรฉrasteโ€: from Ancient Greek paiderastแธ—s, โ€œlover of boysโ€. Itโ€™s not always an insult: itโ€™s so commonly used that some people use it without ill-intention, a bit like โ€œqueerโ€ in English. Itโ€™s also used inside the community LGBTQ+ and itโ€™s fine then.
    But it can be an insult as well, and often is.
  2. une tafiole โ€“ all the following insults use the feminine to describe a man. They are roughly the equivalent of โ€œfaggotโ€ in English.
  3. une pรฉdale
  4. une tarlouze / une tantouze
  5. une folle, une folasse

French Insult to Say โ€œLesbianโ€

  1. une gouine (ou โ€œune goudouโ€ ou โ€œune gouinasseโ€). Same remark as โ€œpรฉdรฉโ€, itโ€™s not always used as an insult but it can be.
  2. une camionneuse (literally a female truck driver)
  3. un broute-minou (very vulgar)

Unfortunately, there are many more, but I donโ€™t think itโ€™s necessary to list more here. I repeat, these are hurtful, so donโ€™t use them.

French Song About Gays & Transvestites โ€“ Charles Aznavour

I wanted to finish this article on a more positive note and thought about sharing this beautiful song by French singer Charles Aznavour, released in 1972.

At that time being gay, or even talking about it was still quite a taboo in France, and I admire Aznavour for taking the risk to sing about that subject and create such a beautiful, sensitive, respectful and loving song, especially since he was not gay himself.

Note the play on words: โ€œJe suis un homme, oh! Comme ils disentโ€. I think this may have been to avoid potential censorship (homosexuality was still illegal in those days) yet itโ€™s so poetic!

The lyrics are copyright, but I hope he wonโ€™t mind me sharing them here with you. Aznavour also sang this song in English (called โ€œWhat Makes A Manโ€ but I donโ€™t find the English version as poetic even though it rhymes nicely. So I translated it the best I could.

โ€œComme Ils Disentโ€ de Charles Aznavour โ€“ French Lyrics

Jโ€™habite seul avec maman
Dans un trรจs vieil appartement
Rue Sarasate
Jโ€™ai pour me tenir compagnie
Une tortue, deux canaris
Et une chatte
Pour laisser maman reposer
Trรจs souvent je fais le marchรฉ
Et la cuisine
Je range, je lave, jโ€™essuie
ร€ lโ€™occasion je pique aussi
ร€ la machine
Le travail ne me fait pas peur
Je suis un peu dรฉcorateur
Un peu styliste
Mais mon vrai mรฉtier
Cโ€™est la nuit
Oรน je lโ€™exerce travesti
Je suis artiste
Jโ€™ai un numรฉro trรจs spรฉcial
Qui finit a nu intรฉgral
Aprรจs strip-tease
Et dans la salle je vois que
Les mรขles nโ€™en croient pas leurs yeux
Je suis un homme, oh!
Comme ils disent
Vers les trois heures du matin
On va manger entre copains
De tous les sexes
Dans un quelconque bar-tabac
Et lร , on sโ€™en donne a cล“ur joie
Et sans complexes
On dรฉballe des vรฉritรฉs
Sur des gens quโ€™on a dans le nez
On les lapide
Mais on le fait avec humour
Enrobรฉ dans des calembours
Mouillรฉs dโ€™acide
On rencontre des attardรฉs
Qui pour รฉpater leur tablรฉe
Marchent et ondulent
Singeant ce quโ€™ils croient รชtre nous
Et se couvrent, les pauvres fous
De ridicule
ร‡a gesticule et parle fort
ร‡a joue les divas, les tรฉnors
De la bรชtise
Moi, les lazzis, les quolibets
Me laissent froid, puisque cโ€™est vrai
Je suis un homme, oh!
Comme ils disent
ร€ lโ€™heure oรน naรฎt un jour nouveau
Je rentre retrouver mon lot
De solitude
Jโ€™รดte mes cils et mes cheveux
Comme un pauvre clown malheureux
De lassitude
Je me couche mais ne dors pas
Je pense ร  mes amours sans joie
Si dรฉrisoires
ร€ ce garรงon beau comme un dieu
Qui sans rien faire a mis le feu
ร€ ma mรฉmoire
Ma bouche nโ€™osera jamais
Lui avouer mon doux secret
Mon tendre drame
Car lโ€™objet de tous mes tourments
Passe le plus clair de son temps
Au lits des femmes
Nul nโ€™a le droit en vรฉritรฉ
De me blรขmer, de me juger
Et je prรฉcise
Que cโ€™est bien la nature qui
Est seule responsable si
Je suis un homme, oh!
Comme ils disent

โ€œComme Ils Disentโ€ de Charles Aznavour โ€“ English Translation

I live alone with Mom
In a very old apartment
On Sarasate Street
I have to keep my company
A turtle, two canaries
And a pussycat
So that mom can rest
I very often do the grocery shopping
And the cooking
I clean, I wash, I swipe
Occasionally I also sew
On the sewing machine
Work doesnโ€™t scare me
Iโ€™m a bit of a decorator
A bit of a stylist
But my real job
Itโ€™s at night
that I do it transvestite
Iโ€™m an artist
I have a very special show
That ends fully naked
After stripping
And in the showroom I can see that
Males canโ€™t believe their eyes
Iโ€™m a homo
Like they say
Around 3AM
We go out to eat among friends
Of every gender
In a random bar
And there, we have a blast
And without any complexes
We gossip the truth
About people we canโ€™t stand
We stone them
But we do it with humor
Wrapped in puns
Wet with acid
We meet stupid people
Who to amaze their table
Walk and wave
Mimicking what they think is us
Covering themselves, the poor fools
With ridicule
They gesture and speak loud
They act like divas, tenors
Of stupidity
As for me, their bad jokes and mean words
Donโ€™t get to me, since it is true
I am an homo
Like they say
At the time when a new day comes
I go back to find my routine
Loneliness
I take off my eyelashes and my hair
Like an old clown sad
of weariness
I lay down but I donโ€™t sleep
I think about my unhappy loves
So ludicrous
About this boy handsome as a god
Who did nothing yet sat fire
To my memory
My mouth will never dare
Admit to him my sweet secret
My tender drama
Because the reason of all my torments
Spends most of his time
In womenโ€™s beds
no one truly has the right
To blame me, to judge me
And let me point out
That it is indeed nature
who is the only responsible if
I am an homo
Like they say

I hope this French LGBTQ+ vocabulary will be useful to you. My parents will be monitoring this article very closely and will turn off the comments section if need be. Please refrain from any hurtful, preachy or disrespectful remarks โ€“ we will remove them, blacklist your IP and report you as spam.

If youโ€™d like to help me and suggest some words for the French LGBTQ+ vocabulary list, Iโ€™ll be happy to add some: please provide the English word, the French word and if need be an English explanation. Merci!

Author: Leyla

Leyla

Hi, My name is Leyla and I'm Camille and Olivier's daughter. I'm 17 years old now, but I was born in the US and lived there till I was 4. I'm a bilingual child and I love speaking French AND English (my secret language here in France).

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