Byke

Byke is a portmanteau of bisexual and dyke. It is used, mostly playfully, by some people who identify as bisexual while also claiming the dyke identity, a reclaimed term long embraced by masculine-leaning or politically vocal lesbian and queer women. The word acknowledges that identity is often layered, and that a person can hold a bisexual orientation alongside a strong sense of belonging to dyke community and culture. Like dyke itself, byke is an in-community term. It reads as affectionate and empowering when used by people it describes, and can land differently coming from outside those communities. Usage is informal and not universal.