A Longsword Lesbian (LSL) is an exclusionary lesbian fighting against lesbian erasure. It is an autonym for those who believe the label of "lesbian" has been eroded or diminished by non-binary, pronoun non-conforming, and multisexual-spectrum lesbians. Longsword lesbians may also use the terms vixenamoric and sapphomoric to distinguish themselves from those they exclude from their definition of lesbianism.
The vincian counterpart is Gravity Knife Gay.
Etymology
The term is based on "sword lesbian", a label for lesbians whose weapon of choice is a sword. A longsword is used specifically for the alliteration. The weapon takes on additional meaning with this identity, signifying intent to "defend" the label from anyone who isn't a binary woman using she/her pronouns exclusively attracted to women.citation needed
Flag
A tweet by Twitter user missyxthirteen indicates that the primary flag was created by now-deactivated Instagram user flop._.shop on or before June 27, 2020. The tweet also provided the significance of the flag's seven stripes. From top to bottom, the colors represent being against he/him, they/them, and neopronoun lesbians; the purity of lesbianism; exclusive attraction to women; the safety felt around others with she/her pronouns; and the label only being applicable to binary women.[1]
Identities Excluded
Longsword lesbians exclude pronoun non-comforming lesbians from the belief that pronouns indicate or influence gender. However, lesbianism has long been associated with gender nonconformity and experimentation throughout history. These discrepancies have generated a large amount of controversary over the use of the longsword lesbian term. Many languages exist that lack gender-specific pronouns, making the claim not universally applicable.
Longsword lesbians mandate that a lesbian must be a binary woman attracted exclusively to binary women. Traditionally, this definition has been used by dictionaries, such as the Oxford English Dictionary, which defines a lesbian as a homosexual woman. This is the most common use of the word lesbian.
Other identities excluded include: