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What is a 'Hey Mamas lesbian' and why is it so popular on TikTok?
The new Gen Z slang explained!
When you first download TikTok, you’re inundated with videos of straight girls dancing to pop songs, but once the algorithm has learned your tastes, if you’re anything like us, you end up on the queer side of the app. It’s here that you’ll come across new Gen Z slang like “Hey Mamas lesbian.”
So what is a “Hey Mamas lesbian?"
A “Hey Mamas lesbian — not to be confused with a “chapstick lesbian,” which describes someone who is masculine but doesn’t completely fit into the butch stereotype — wears traditionally masculine clothing and picks up women by saying, “Hey mama.”
In a TikTok where one Gen X lesbian is describing the new term to another, one explains, “It’s a masculine lesbian with an undercut, a top bun, wears a sports bra, and picks up girls by saying: ‘Hey mama.’”
“So, a ‘90s lesbian?” the other responds.
@sue_kessler Hey Mamas 🤷🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🏳️🌈 #wlw ##lesbian #lesbianterms #nowvsthen #lgbtq #gorgeousgorgeousgirls #heymamas #viral #fyp #alphabetmafia🌈 ♬ original sound - Sue
She’s not wrong. Add a plaid flannel and an Indigo Girls CD, and you’ve got a ‘90s lesbian.
But Gen Z was quick to jump into the comments to clarify, “Gen z lesbian here, a hey mamas lesbian isn’t the look it’s like the personality. She’s trendy, a bit douchy and not gonna call you in the morning lol,” someone wrote.
“Hey Mamas lesbians” tend to be closer to the butch end of the queer spectrum and describes TikTokers who make flirtatious videos where they are lip-syncing while sticking out their tongues or biting their lips.
@kdaddy443 Hey mama’s!! How you doing! #heymama #duetwithme #fypシ゚viral #lesbiansoftiktok #lesbiantiktoks #lgbt🌈 #confidence #getinthecarelizabeth ♬ original sound - Good Girls Posts
@tcemily happy pride month mamas, let’s not forget where we came from 🏳️🌈 #pride #fyp #alpha #heymamaslesbian ♬ original sound - minionlover69
There has also been some discourse about how these women have appropriated Black lesbian identity by using the term “stud,” but for the most part, the criticism these videos get is for being too “try hard.”
While the term seems to have originated as a way to describe a group of lesbian content creators on the app and point out how cringey they were for posting thirst traps, now most videos that pop up when you search for “Hey Mamas lesbian” are explainers and ones poking fun at the women who this new term describes.
@emgracedawg WISHING YOU ALL SO MUCH LUCK ON THIS SPECIAL JOURNEY! xoxoxo, emgrace😫💕 #fyp #lesbians #inneed #igotyou #heymamas ♬ original sound - emgracedawg
@urstringbean My neighbor caught me filming this so now i have to move #laundryday #heymamas #lesbiansoftiktok #wlw ♬ original sound - Datboy cam
It will be interesting to see if this newish term gains traction and joins the ranks of “U-haul lesbian” and “lipstick lesbian.”
@sar_carolyn Which ones are you?🤣👀 #chooseyourcharacter ♬ original sound - Kristin Chirico
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
