Underground Rainbow Ministries - Words to Know

A preferentially active lesbian (who is most often a transvestite or transsexual) is known as a butch or dyke, while the usual passive agent is called a femme.
Ref: Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology : Principles and Practice, By Krishan Vij – 5/e, p322 

A list of words that are common in gay and lesbian circles.

This is not at all an extensive lexicon, but it will provide some basics that will help you, if nothing else, avoid unintentional double meanings.

Bear -- a hairy and usually well-built man

B.F. -- boyfriend

Bottom -- the man who is penetrated during sex, often a more or less fixed role

Breeder -- a derogatory name for a heterosexual

Butch -- manly, especially when referring to a woman or the dominant partner in a lesbian relationship

Camp -- over-the-top flamboyant tackiness that is often celebrated by gay men

Chicken -- a young, skinny gay male

Clubkid -- usually a young, wild gay man who frequents dancehalls and nightclubs, often in outrageous outfits

Cruise -- to go looking for sex

Daddy -- an older man who sleeps with younger men

Drag -- impersonating a person of the other sex in dress and manner, often seen as an important identity piece for the gay community

Femme -- feminine, especially when referring to the more passive partner in a lesbian relationship

Flamer -- a flamboyantly gay man

Friend of Dorothy -- one of many clever names for those in the gay community

Gaydar -- the perceived ability to recognize other homosexuals

Gender -- refers to personality differences such as masculine and feminine as opposed to biological sex (male, female)

GLBT -- gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual -- a term of solidarity for all queers

The Life, The Lifestyle -- the closed culture of gays, often including drug use, promiscuity, clubs, drag, S&M, and/or personae

Mother -- the head of a community of gay men, often a queen

Nelly -- overly femme (refers to a gay man)

Practicing -- used by Christians to designate gays who are sexually active

Queen -- a man who makes extensive use of drag and adopts a very flamboyant and feminine persona

Queer -- refers to anything, especially sexuality, that does not conform to the heterosexual majority standard, often a fluid and unbounded sexuality

Top -- the man who penetrates during sex, often a rather fixed role

Twink -- young, seemingly innocent gay boys