Explainers

What do MLM and WLW mean in LGBTQ+ slang? Here’s what you need to know

Jun 05
Written by Michele Theil

a gay couple with one man kissing the other (MLM) and a lesbian couple with one woman kissing the other on the face (WLW)

MLM can also refer to a Multi-Level Marketing scheme. (Getty)

There’s plenty of LGBTQ+ slang out there to help describe people’s sexual orientation and gender identity, and MLM and WLW are two of the most popular. But what do they mean? Let’s find out.

MLM is an acronym that stands for “men loving men” – not to be confused with another MLM acronym, which stands for a multi-level marketing scheme – sometimes referred to as a pyramid scheme!

The acronym refers to men who are attracted to men or non-binary people, but it doesn’t have to exclusively apply to people who are only attracted to men, so it can include gay, bisexual and pansexual men as well as non-binary people who are either romantically or sexually attracted to men.

WLW is an acronym stands for – you can see where we’re going with this – “women loving women”. This is often used online to refer to women or non-binary people who are romantically or sexually attracted to women, or both.

Even if you are attracted to other genders, you can also be referred to as a WLW because it is inclusive of bisexual and pansexual women and non-binary people who like women, but it is more commonly used by lesbians.

There are other similar terms that follow the same format, such as NBLNB (non-binary loving non-binary), NBLW (non-binary loving women), WLNB (women loving non-binary), MLNB (men loving non-binary), and NBLM (non-binary loving men).

The terms and definitions referring to sexuality and gender identity change and evolve regularly, particularly as internet slang changes so quickly and so often.

These terms can also often mean different things to different people because some individuals might not associate themselves with the term WLW or MLM and don’t feel like the label applies to them.

At the end of the day, it’s always important to respect people’s preference when it comes to any form of label, and use the correct terms as set out by them personally. If you’re not sure what those terms are – just ask!