Hair plays a significant role in the lesbian style. It can signify a lesbian’s sexuality, affirm their identity and protest traditional femininity. Specific hairstyles are common within lesbian circles and become labelled as “Dyke hair”.
What is “Dyke Hair”?
As a frequent user of Pinterest, I often venture onto the Ideas for You page to find tailored inspiration. For months on end, when I clicked on this page, the top recommended board for me was entitled “Dyke Hair”. From this, it’s fair to say that Pinterest took one look at my algorithmic data and immediately concluded: Yep…that’s a dyke, alright.
While Pinterest wasn’t wrong in its assumption, it got me wondering: was my sexuality so transparent by the choices in hair inspo I was drawn to? And more importantly, what is this so-called “dyke hair”?
“Dyke” as Reclaimed?
Before discussing “Dyke hair,” it’s important to address the usage of the word “Dyke”.
Dyke has long been used as a slur hurled at lesbians, more often at those who are masculine-presenting. It has been and still is used to instil fear, shame, and disgust in them by homophobes. The origins of the word are debatable. It has been used as early as the 1920s. One example is “bulldike,” a term coined by African American queer women. It referred to more masculine-presenting sapphics.
In recent years, some lesbians and Sapphics have reclaimed the word, and many use it as a label for their sexuality, gender, or both. For some, the word holds great importance in affirming their queer identity.
Dyke is only a hateful slur when a man who knows nothing about me besides my outward gender expression uses it to make me feel othered. Dyke can only hold the power of shame and disgust if I allow it to. When used from the mouth of a partner or friend this term is ours. Dyke becomes reclaimed for the LGBTQIA+ community and is now our word. It was our word all along.
Meagan Nolasco 2022
Dyke can be used as a playful term of endearment between Sapphics but also as a political one. The Dyke Marches of the 90s saw lesbians reclaim the word as a way of rejecting traditional femininity and decentering men.
Dyke as a Personal Choice
While dyke has been reclaimed by some lesbians, there are still debates around the use of the word. Many still feel uncomfortable using dyke due to having their own experiences with the word being negatively targeted towards them and generations before them.
Sapphics referring to themselves as a dyke is a personal preference. It depends on how comfortable they feel identifying with the word. It holds different meanings for each of us based on our lived queer experiences. Thus, lesbians should not be dismissed for using or not using the word.
So just because I, as a non-binary lesbian, feel comfortable identifying with the word dyke, it does not mean others will feel the same way. However, continuing to share queer stories and understand other’s perspectives on queer topics is so important to build a safe and diverse LGBTQ+ community.
An Overview of “Dyke Hair”
Back to the question on everyone’s mind: What is “Dyke hair”?
Delving into the “Dyke Hair” Pinterest board, I came face to face with a sea of mullets, bangs, buzz cuts, locs, funky dye jobs, and layers galore.
But what about these haircuts screams dyke?
These haircuts, while not exclusively donned by lesbians, are popular styles within the community. In fact, alternative haircuts have often been associated with queer identities because they reject traditional ideas of femininity.
Lesbian signifiers often manifest in clothing and act as extensions of one’s lesbian identity. Some common lesbian signifiers include carabiners, Doc Martens, and pinky rings. These items visibly signify a lesbian’s sexuality to others in the know, something used to identify safe communities.
In the same way, hair can also signify one’s lesbian identity to other sapphics. Like Pinterest, I often find myself walking past women in the street with lesbian signifying haircuts and think to myself, “Oh, now that’s a dyke.”
I recently watched Go Fish (1994), a film about the lives of the lesbian community in Chicago. Hair, as being significant to lesbian identity, was mentioned many times throughout the film.
In a conversation between the protagonists, Max and Ely, Max goes on to say:
It’s funny. It’s like I wanna get my hair cut right now because it’s getting a little bit long. But what if people think I’m just cutting it so that I look more like a real Dyke?
Max West – Go Fish (1994)
This proposes the idea that “Dyke” signifying haircuts have always been prominent within lesbian communities.
But what are these hairstyles that both me, Pinterest, and others use to assume one’s lesbian sexuality?
Layers Layers Layers
Shags, mullets, and wolf cuts are all popular hairstyles within the sapphic community that act on the same premise: lots of choppy layers. Think Shane from The L Word, Ruby Cruz, and Gemma Chua-Tran, all Sapphics in pop culture with choppy hair in these styles.
The popularity of these hairstyles may be due to their versatility in gender expression. These styles are androgynous and thus can be tailored to more masculine or feminine styles. Take a wolf cut, a style that is worn by both mascs and femmes. This hairstyle acts as a queer signifying base that, when paired with specific clothing or makeup, can sway more masculine or feminine. This makes these styles a perfect way to signify one’s sexuality without compromising personal style. Perhaps this could explain the styles’ resurgence in popularity with lesbians.
On a personal note, when I began experimenting with style to express my queer identity, I opted for a mullet cut. At the time, I found the haircut gender-affirming and felt more connected to the LGBTQ+ community by presenting more visibly queer. It was a fun and experimental phase, but my memories of the style are tainted by my reasoning behind adopting the cut.
As so many femmes do, I struggled with whether I looked queer enough (as if that’s a thing) and was looking for a way to “look more like a lesbian”. I liked the mullet style and wanted to try it out, but it’s a shame that I felt more secure in my sexuality when I adopted a “Dyke hair[style]”. As I grew more confident in my queer identity, I became more comfortable expressing it in my own way.
Hair, if you choose so, should be an extension of your queer identity, not the entirety of it!
What About Bangs?
Not all lesbian-signifying haircuts are necessarily alternative, one example of such being bangs.
While bangs can lean more alternative based on style and length, e.g., micro-bangs (extremely “Dykey”), a longer bang is a more mainstream style that can still signify lesbianism.
I’m not exactly sure what it is about bangs that scream “Dyke” to me. Perhaps it’s my own biased due to being a bang-sporting dyke, or perhaps it’s their prominence within lesbian pop culture.
One of the most prominent bang-sporting lesbians in current pop culture is actress and singer Reneé Rapp. Reneé’s bangs are prefecrtly wispy and nonchalant, they just ooze lesbian.
Whether you love her or you hate her, we can all agree that Jenny Schecter, from The L Word, had an iconic look. This had a great deal to do with her signature bangs, which she wore throughout the majority of the show’s 6 seasons. To me, Jenny’s bangs deserve the same lesbian pop culture icon status as Shane’s shag. It was a simple haircut but one that made her stand out as a feminine-presenting lesbian.
So maybe it’s just that. That bangs are still a standout choice even if they are simple, which feels very queer.
Buzz! A Lesbian’s Favourite Noise
Other hairstyles that scream “Dyke hair” are buzz cuts, undercuts, and any style that has a shaved aspect to it.
Buzz cuts are one of the most visible lesbian signifiers to those both in and not in the LGBTQ+ community. They completely reject heteronormative ideas of femininity and allow lesbians to express their gender identity at a distance from the male gaze. Double Dyke points for if the buzz cut is dyed with a funky pattern.
Thinking back to when I was dating a woman with a buzz cut, she would often bring up her visible queerness in relation to her hair. She mentioned that she would often wonder if strangers could tell she was a lesbian, but then on remembering she had a buzz cut, she concluded that yes, “everyone could tell”.
Undercuts are a less daring option for a buzzed-style haircut. They allow one to express their queerness while still having some length in their hair. Much like mullets, this style can be styled in feminine and masculine ways. This cut, if styled femininely, has a queer edge to it that helps to signify one’s sexuality to other lesbians.
Are Curls Inherently Queer?
While lesbians sport many different hairstyles, one thing remains consistent amongst many of them: curls.
Why do so many lesbians have curly hair?
What about curls gives off lesbian signals?
Are curls inherently queer?
Now, we’re asking the hard-hitting questions.
No hairstyle screams “Dyke hair” quite like curls. Short, long, you name it, they all feel extremely queer.
Next time you’re in a queer space or scrolling through the dating apps, have a look. I’m sure you’ll find it easy to spot all the “Dykes” with curls. Once you notice it, it’s hard to miss. Where lesbians go, curls follow.
Perhaps it’s because a lot of the lesbian signifying hairstyles, such as mullets and shags are more suited to curly or wavy hair. Or perhaps it’s because nobody pulls off curly hair quite like a lesbian.
I spoke to one of my curly hair Dyke friends about why curls feel related to lesbianism and she had this to say:
[Curly hair] is at least anti-establishment. Straight hair is the beauty standard. So, refusing to tame your hair is definitely a statement. It feels very queer…like Natasha Lyonne! There’s no way she’s straight!
Josephine Maxwell
So, once again, it boils down to the refusal to adhere to traditional ideas of femininity that gives the style a lesbian flair.
“Thanks, I did it Myself”
It’s not just the style that makes a haircut considered “Dyke hair”, but where and by whom it’s cut.
You’re unlikely to catch a lesbian in your average salon. Why? Because “Dyke hair[cuts]” happen elsewhere.
There’s a real DIY nature when it comes to lesbian-signifying haircuts. You can often find a lesbian in their bedroom chopping into their hair 5 minutes before they have to leave the house.
Whether they’re professional or self-taught, most lesbian friendship groups contain a designated “hairdresser”. Ask any group of lesbians who cut their hair, and best believe they’ll point you to their friend at the bar. Make friends with this lesbian, and your haircuts will be on “mate’s rates” for the rest of your life.
Many lesbians feel less pressure to adhere to traditional femininity, which could be the reason they feel more freedom with DIY haircuts. Pristine, professionally done hair are major factors of traditional femininity, so removing these ideas allows them to have more fun experimenting with hairstyles on their own terms.
Wear Your “Dyke Hair” Proud
“Dyke hair[styles]” have always been present within lesbian circles from as early as the 18th century. They act as identifiers between Sapphics due to their popularity and visibility in lesbian fashion history.
This identifiable nature continues today, whereby adopting a “Dyke hair[style]” can signify your sexuality to other Sapphics. Signifying your sexuality can be important because it positions you as a safe person for other queers to approach.
Wear your “Dyke hair” proudly. Each strand holds the history of lesbian style and politics.
The conversation of lesbian signifiers in style is beginning to grow in writing. Most of the conversation focuses on clothing, but giving more attention to style signifiers, like hair, can develop our understanding of lesbian culture.
