Lesbian community, gather round. Do you know the history of the iconic lesbian salute? It’s a wild ride. It involves comedy legend Kate McKinnon, Ghostbusters and even Taylor Swift.
The nifty two-fingered hand gesture has become a staple of sapphic groups and has even bled into pop culture, with many people wondering where it came from, what it means and who invented it.
While the LGBTQ+ community has many silent ways of communicating queerness, the lesbian salute is particularly iconic.
But what is it? Where does it originate? And what does it really mean? Here’s the tea.
What is the ‘lesbian salute?‘
The salute consists of two fingers pressed together against the forehead, before they’re quickly moved away again with a flick of the wrist.
The silent marker of lesbianism is sometimes used by queer women as a greeting or farewell gesture.
Where does the lesbian salute originate?
Actor and comedian Kate McKinnon is widely credited as the originator of the lesbian salute.
The SNL comedian and Barbie star coined the salute, which was soon adopted by the wider WLW (Women Loving Women) community.
The above video montage demonstrates the numerous times McKinnon has used the gesture.
During an interview with BuzzFeed, which featured a lot of puppies, McKinnon was asked about the backstory of the salute.
Kate McKinnon, the inventor of the lesbian salute pic.twitter.com/UNd6mXtRpL
— devon
(@milkamitdaim) July 30, 2016
She explained: “That’s an interesting question… there is no backstory. I just like to salute and I guess it became a thing.”
On the often dubious, but undeniably useful slang website Urban Dictionary, a 2016 entry about the lesbian salute points to “that part in Ghostbusters (2016) when Kate McKinnon points with two fingers.”
A 2018 entry on the site adds: “A salute a woman uses to signal she’s gay. Most commonly and famously used by actress and comedian Kate McKinnon.”
Another example of it being used in a sentence is: “I came out by using the lesbian salute.”
What is the wider history of the salute?
Silent markers of LGBTQ+ identity are no new thing, especially for lesbians.
From the thumb ring to the carabiner, lesbian identity crossing over with fashion choices has become a well-known visual indicator.
Such markers, which are often subtle, are usually ways to communicate with other queer, WLW people in a covert, under-the-radar way.
The lesbian salute in pop culture?
The lesbian salute has gone on to have a life of its own in pop culture, especially in the eyes of lesbians.
As mentioned above, Kate McKinnon used the lesbian salute in Ghostbusters (2016).
McKinnon played Jillian Holtzmann in the film and performed the gesture in character, which had many declaring Holtzmann a gay icon, even though her sexuality wasn’t made clear in the movie.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift also did a lesbian salute on stage during The Eras Tour. On Reddit, Swift fans theorised about the singer’s Salute in “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”.
“My lesbian queen,” one reply jokes. Another says: “There was absolutely no straight reason to do that, based on the lyrics being sung at that moment.”
Other fans noticed that Swift’s backup singers also seemed to do the Salute at the 1989 world tour in 2015.
It’s clear to see that the lesbian salute has infiltrated queer pop culture, all thanks to McKinnon! She’s our true lesbian queen, for sure.
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