Hello, there! We are so happy to write this post! In this beautiful pride month, we want to teach you the best LGTB vocabulary in Spanish! When it comes to slang about the LGTBQI+ community, remember we are always talking about words that have been used as an insult, for discriminate against our community, but now we have taken these words and we resignify them. We use these words with PRIDE! Let’s get started!
The best guide of LGTB slang in Spanish
Firstly, let’s say that the word “gay” it’s also used in Spanish. We use the word gay as it sounds in English. But, of course, we use different words to represent all the identities covered under the LGTBQI+ umbrella.
Let’s start with the L! The translation of lesbian is lesbiana, but, what other words we use to say lesbiana?
The lesbian community of Argentina and Uruguay uses the word torta to call themselves. Torta comes from the word tortilla and it represents the fact of turn around (like the Spanish meal tortilla). Torta also means cake. We recommend you to listen to this artist, she’s a lesbian reggaeton singer and she uses a lot of slang in our community. Listen to her and tune your ear!
Variations of this word are: tortera, torti or tortilla.
Related to this word we have the terms arepera (in Colombia), cachapera (Venezuela and Puerto Rico), pastelera y panadera (Peru).
Secondly, let’s go to the G! We know that gay is very wide, is not only used with man but let’s look for the words that talk about the gay sexual orientation of men.
The word most used in Latin America is marica. We love this word. Of course, stupid people use the word marica as an insult, but we are proud of saying that we are maricas. In Chile, you also have the word coliza. We highly recommend to advanced students to read Pedro Lemebel. We leave you his manifest, prepare the tissue to cry in tears. In Mexico, joto. In the link, you can find a great song about fragile masculinity.
Now the T and the B!
Let’s go with the T! The T references transexual and transgender people. In Argentina, we also use another identity and this is the TRAVA identity. Trava comes from the word travesti, and at the beginning of times, it meant transvestite, someone who uses the other-gender clothes. Something very old, really! Trava is used with pride for those who don’t really want to use the words trans-woman because they don’t really identify either as a woman, or neither as a man, just as TRAVA (regardless of if they use feminine, masculine or non-binary pronouns). Read here the most beautiful poem /manifest about TRAVA identity by Susy Shock.
Now give me the B! Okay, there are no so many words to say bisexual in slang. Usually, we just say “bi”.
Okay, I hope you enjoyed this post as much as we did! Contact us and book your trial class today! See you in the next post!
