WLW means “women loving women.” MLM, in queer slang, means “men loving men.” Dictionary.com’s 2018 entry puts the first one plainly: “WLW is an acronym that stands for either woman-loving-woman or women who love women.”
Both are umbrella terms. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee LGBTQ+ Resource Center glossary says WLW covers lesbian, bisexual and pansexual women, plus “nonbinary people who identify with womanhood.” MLM works the same way for men. And no, it has nothing to do with the pyramid scheme your cousin keeps pitching.
WLW Meaning: Women Loving Women and Who It Includes
WLW describes attraction to women, not one specific orientation. UWM’s glossary defines it as women attracted to women “whether or not they are attracted exclusively to other women.” That is why a lesbian, a bi woman and a pan woman can all use it.
Trans women are women. They are included on the same terms as cis women. Some nonbinary people use WLW or sapphic too, which doesn’t mean every nonbinary person wants either label. Follow the words people choose for themselves.
For flags, start with the lesbian flag or our guide to 22 Pride flags. For WLW movies, see our best lesbian movies list.
MLM Meaning in Queer Slang, Not the Pyramid Scheme
MLM stands for “men loving men.” UWM’s glossary defines it as men attracted to men “whether or not they are attracted exclusively to other men.” It includes gay, bi and pan men, plus nonbinary people who identify with manhood. Trans men who love men are MLM too.
MLM also means multi-level marketing. Context tells you which one a bio means. If the profile also pitches essential oils, it’s probably not the queer one.
Where You Will See WLW and MLM
The abbreviations show up in social bios, book recommendations, playlists and fan communities. Dictionary.com notes WLW is used “for a relationship involving two female presenting people.” In fandom, the tags can describe a pairing without pinning down a character’s exact orientation.
Dictionary.com’s entry, dated June 5, 2018, includes example posts from November 2017. That documents use by then. It does not establish who coined the term or when. Claims that fix its invention to a particular decade need stronger evidence than a chain of slang sites.
Don’t confuse these terms with MSM and WSW: men who have sex with men and women who have sex with women. The NLGJA Stylebook on LGBTQ+ Terminology calls MSM “a behavioral and public health category” that “does not reference sexual identity.” The CDC’s treatment guidelines use WSW the same way and note these groups vary “in sexual identity, practices, and risk behaviors.”
Sapphic and Achillean: Greek Poetry and Myth
Sapphic Meaning
Sappho was born on the Greek island of Lesbos, “probably about 620 BCE,” according to the Poetry Foundation, which notes much of her work is “addressed to specific women or to her friends.” The Online Etymology Dictionary dates “Sapphic” to about 1500, when it meant her poetry and its meter. The sense of sexual relations between women arrived in the 1890s.
“Lesbian” took the same road. The same dictionary traces it from a 1590s word about the island of Lesbos to a word about women loving women by 1890.
Dictionary.com now lists sapphic “especially as an umbrella term for all women who are attracted to women.” UWM’s glossary adds queer women and nonbinary people who identify with womanhood.
Achillean Meaning
Achillean takes its name from Achilles, the Greek hero whose bond with Patroclus has inspired centuries of interpretation. UWM’s glossary says the term was modeled on sapphic. It covers men attracted to men, “inclusive of gay, bisexual, pansexual, and queer men,” plus nonbinary people who identify with manhood.
That broad modern usage should not be mistaken for a label Homer gave his characters. It is a modern community word with an ancient namesake.
NBLW, NBLM and Other Nonbinary-Inclusive Acronyms
UWM’s glossary lists the nonbinary variants below as other terms in the same “gender-loving-gender format.” Our explainer on what nonbinary means covers the identity itself.
| Term | Stands for | Who usually uses it |
|---|---|---|
| WLW | Women loving women | Lesbian, bi and pan women, plus nonbinary people who identify with womanhood |
| MLM | Men loving men | Gay, bi and pan men, plus nonbinary people who identify with manhood |
| NBLW | Nonbinary loving women | Nonbinary people attracted to women |
| NBLM | Nonbinary loving men | Nonbinary people attracted to men |
| WLNB | Women loving nonbinary | Women attracted to nonbinary people |
| MLNB | Men loving nonbinary | Men attracted to nonbinary people |
| NBLNB | Nonbinary loving nonbinary | Nonbinary people attracted to nonbinary people |
| Sapphic | From the poet Sappho | Women attracted to women, plus some nonbinary people |
| Achillean | From the hero Achilles | Men attracted to men, plus some nonbinary people |
| WSW / MSM | Women or men who have sex with women or men | Health researchers and clinics describing behavior, not identity |
WLW vs. Lesbian and MLM vs. Gay: Picking Your Label
WLW and MLM describe patterns of attraction and can also be identities people choose. They are broader than lesbian and gay: a bi man may use MLM while remaining bi. Use the word a person gives you. Don’t swap in an acronym because gay or lesbian feels too direct. Neither word is rude.
Our gay slang dictionary runs from shade to trade, with more in Gayety’s LGBTQ+ culture coverage.
FAQ: WLW, MLM, Sapphic and Achillean Labels
What Does WLW Mean on TikTok?
Women loving women. On social media, it can label queer women’s relationships, stories and community content without specifying one orientation.
Is WLW the Same as Lesbian?
Not exactly. WLW can include lesbians, bisexual women, pansexual women and other queer women. Some nonbinary people also use it.
What Does MLM Mean in LGBTQ Terms?
Men loving men. It covers gay, bi and pan men, plus some nonbinary people. Outside queer slang, it also means multi-level marketing.
What Is the Difference Between Sapphic and WLW?
Very little. Sapphic comes from the poet Sappho and works as an umbrella term for women attracted to women. WLW is the newer internet acronym for the same broad group.
What Does Achillean Mean?
Men attracted to men, including gay, bi, pan and queer men. The term takes its name from Achilles and was modeled on sapphic.
