Afag hag is, ingay slang, a heterosexual woman who associates either mostly or exclusively withgay andbisexual men. The phrase originated in gay male culture in the United States and United Kingdom and was historically an insult.[1] Some women who associate withgay men object to being calledfag hags while others embrace the term. The male counterpart, for heterosexual men who have similar interpersonal relationships with gay and bisexual men, isfag stag.
Fag hags are frequently stereotyped as outgoing women who are seeking a substitute for heterosexual relationships, or who are secretly (or openly) sexually attracted to gay men.[2][3] In fact, many women who identify as fag hags are already in romantic relationships, either with straight men or with women,[3] but seek out the alternative experience of socializing with gay men.
Americanfag hag synonyms includefruit fly,[4]queen bee,homo honey,fruit loop,Goldilocks,flame dame,fairy princess,gabe (aportmanteau of "gay" and "babe") andfairy godmother.[citation needed]
In the case of friendships between lesbians and gay men, the termdyke diva describes the gay man in the relationship. A straight man of platonic affinity with gay men is afag stag; again, the usage is rare in mainstream sexual culture.
For men who have manylesbian friends the slang termsdutch boy,lesbro ordyke tyke apply.[5][6]
Heterosexuals who associate with lesbian, gay, and bisexual people may be calledfruit flies regardless of their sex.[4]
Fag hags, fag stags, etc. are regarded as belonging to the phenomenon of "hagism", the attachment of a person to a group defined bysexuality, even though they do not personally share that identity.[7]
In thePhilippines, heterosexual women who develop deep friendships or almost exclusively associate with the nativebakla LGBT subculture are known asbabaeng bakla (literally "a woman who is abakla [gay man]"). They stereotypically acquire the mannerisms, campy sense of humor, lingo (swardspeak), and fashion sense of thebakla. They are also usually more extroverted and socially dominant. It is commonly perceived as a positive self-identification, and various prominent local celebrities (likeMaricel Soriano andRufa Mae Quinto) openly identify asbabaeng bakla.[8][9]
Girlfag is a term similar tofag hag, but designate specificallyattraction, eithersexually orromantically, to gay men, sometimes to the point ofidentifying asqueer orgenderqueer.[10] Men who are attracted to lesbians/sapphics also have their slangs, such aslesboy,[11]guydyke, andboydyke.
The term has often been used in entertainment. It was used in the lyrics of hip hop groupGrandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's 1982 hit "The Message". ComedianMargaret Cho has written and regularly talks in her stand-up routines about being a fag hag.[12] In an episode of the British TV sitcomGimme Gimme Gimme,Tom refers toLinda as a fag hag.[13] The term was used in multiple episodes of the sitcomWill and Grace when referring to charactersGrace Adler andKaren Walker as their best friends are both gay men. The term was also used in one of the episodes ofSex and the City, in whichSamantha overheard two women discussing her relationship with the actorSmith Jerrod, calling her a fag hag.[14] English singerLily Allen released a song called "Fag Hag" in 2008 as the B-side to "The Fear".[15]
The first annualMiss Fag Hag Pageant took place inNew York City on May 17, 2009 atComix with judgesCaroline Rhea,Michael Musto,Hedda Lettuce and Katina Corrao. Heather Shields took the first prize.[16][17][18][19]
