WLW (Woman-Loving-Woman)

WLW stands for "woman-loving woman" (or "women loving women"). It is an umbrella term for any woman who is attracted to women, whether she identifies as lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, or queer. The label spread through online LGBTQ+ and fandom spaces as an inclusive shorthand that centers attraction rather than a single orientation, and it often appears alongside the related term "sapphic." Many people use it to include trans women and, in some communities, nonbinary and femme-aligned people who love women. The mirror term MLW or WLM describes women who love men. Because it covers a broad range of identities, WLW is useful when someone wants to signal community without naming one exact label.