A lot of people think that trans men, he/him lesbians, and what are now sometimes called "lesboys" are brand-new identities that only came from the internet. In reality, people with these experiences have existed for a very long time.
Throughout the 1900s, many lesbian communities included people who didn't fit neatly into the idea of being "just women." Masculine or butch lesbians often dressed in men's clothing, went by masculine names, used masculine titles like "sir" or "dad," and some even used he/him pronouns. For many of them, this was simply the most comfortable way to express themselves.
Back then, there weren't as many words for gender as there are today. Someone who identified as a butch lesbian in the 1950s might identify as a trans man, transmasculine, or nonbinary person today—or they might still identify as a butch lesbian. There wasn't a clear line between these experiences, and many people moved between them throughout their lives.
Lesbian communities were also one of the first places where many trans men found acceptance. Before there were large trans communities or widespread access to transition-related care, lesbian spaces often gave transmasculine people somewhere they could safely explore who they were. Because of that, some trans men have continued to feel connected to lesbian culture even after transitioning, since it shaped their identity, friendships, relationships, and activism.
One of the best-known people connected to this history is Leslie Feinberg, author of Stone Butch Blues. Feinberg wrote about how butch lesbian and trans experiences often overlap and argued that queer history is much more complicated than simple labels can describe. Another important figure is Stormé DeLarverie, a masculine lesbian performer and activist who is widely associated with the Stonewall Uprising. People like them helped pave the way for modern LGBTQ+ rights.
He/him lesbians also have a long history. Using he/him pronouns doesn't automatically mean someone is a man. Throughout history, some lesbians have chosen masculine pronouns because they better reflected their masculinity or their place within lesbian culture. Pronouns and gender identity have never always matched in the simple way many people assume today.
The word "lesboy" is much newer, but the experiences behind it are not. Today, some transmasculine, genderfluid, multigender, or otherwise masculine lesbians use the term because they feel connected to both masculinity and lesbian identity. While the label itself is recent, the people it describes have existed for generations.
These communities are an important part of queer history because they helped build LGBTQ+ spaces, supported one another during times of discrimination, and fought for rights that many queer people benefit from today. Their stories also remind us that gender and sexuality have always been diverse and complex, even if the language we use to describe them has changed over time.
