On the second floor of Adorjan Hall, in an office where books crowd every shelf and the window offers a view of the historic Moolah building, English professor Ruth Evans prepares to say goodbye.

“If there are any you see that you want, please take them,” Evans said, gesturing to the double-stacked volumes that line the walls. “I have so many more at home.”

She sits comfortably at the center of it all, surrounded by decades of academic work, draped in another one of her famously stylish outfits; equal parts elegance and edge, paired with a Ph.D. in Middle English. For students and faculty alike, her departure marks the end of an era at Saint Louis University.

“I always thought academics were glamorous,” Evans said, laughing. “Not everyone does, I know … but the life of the mind, to me, is still the most exciting one there is.”

Evans, who has taught English at SLU since 2009, is retiring at the end of this semester. Her specialties — medieval literature, feminist theory and the history of the English language — have helped shape the department’s identity, while her leadership roles extended far beyond the classroom. During her time at SLU, she served as president of the Faculty Senate, helped advance inclusive university policies and mentored dozens of graduate students.

“I think three words to describe her would be brilliant, warm and a fashion icon,” said Grace Bahru, a junior political science major currently taking Evans’ “Encountering English” and previously took her “Writing Sex in the Middle Ages” course. “When she talks, I want to fully listen and take it in. She just has so much to give.”

In class, Evans is both demanding and empowering. “I really had to put my time into her class,” Bahru said. “But I know I became a better writer because of it.”

Bahru recalled sharing a personal experience while reading “Citizen” by Claudia Rankine,  a book of poetry about racism and microaggressions. “She had given me the space to share something I don’t usually talk about,” Bahru said. “Not even intentionally … it’s just the way she creates the classroom.”

Ellen Crowell, associate professor of English and a longtime colleague, said Evans’ presence as a teacher reaches beyond the curriculum.

“She engages the imaginations of students at every level,” Crowell said. “Her deep knowledge of Middle English and the origins of English words helps students understand the language they speak in ways they’ve never thought about before. And the way she reads [Geoffrey] Chaucer aloud … students are always amazed. It’s like it’s both foreign and familiar at the same time.”

Originally from South London, Evans earned her Ph.D. at the University of Leeds and taught at Cardiff and Stirling Universities before coming to SLU. She was recruited to teach medieval literature and feminism and quickly became an influential presence across departments and campus communities.

Alongside her teaching and leadership roles, Evans is a widely published scholar. She co-edited “Medieval Cultural Studies: Essays in Honour of Stephen Knight” and has authored numerous essays exploring feminist theory, medieval manuscripts and representations of gender and sexuality. Her research often bridges centuries, connecting medieval texts to contemporary conversations about identity, expression and power.

In addition to her formal work, she is an active member of five reading groups, including one on Latin led by Joan Hart-Hasler, associate professor of Classics.

“She’s a keen, skilled and engaging contributor,” Hart-Hasler said. “Kind, smart, congenial … and generous.”

Evans’ colleagues also noted her contributions as Faculty Senate president.

“She implemented new policies and procedures that made the Senate a far superior representative body,” Hart-Hasler said.

Ellen Crowell, colleague and professor, agrees. “She initiated an anonymous question box where faculty could send in concerns and she would find answers. She made everyone feel heard,” Crowell said.

Outside of academia, Evans is known just as much for her impeccable style as for her intellect. 

Bahru put it simply: “Her outfits were just the cherry on top. She used fashion to express her personality… and it always worked.”

Looking back, Evans said she will miss the classroom most. Not just for academics, but for the insight students bring.

“It’s that moment when a student says something that I’ve never thought of, and suddenly I have to go home and read something new,” Evans said. “That’s the joy of teaching. You’re always learning.”

Though retiring, Evans doesn’t plan on slowing down. She’ll continue her research, stay involved with her reading groups and mentor a Ph.D. student through completion. She is also considering a move and hopes to travel more. 

“There comes a point where you think, I want to enjoy this next stage of life while I’m still healthy,” Evans said. “And I want to do it before I become too old and decrepit to enjoy it.”

Despite stepping back from formal teaching, Evans said her curiosity isn’t going anywhere.

“I’ll still be reading. I’ll still be studying language. I’ll still be in love with ideas,” she said.

For students like Bahru, the impact of Evans’ teaching reaches beyond the classroom.

“She’s one of the rare professors that students truly admire,” Bahru said. “It’s not just about academics. You leave her class with more confidence in who you are.”

Her colleagues share that admiration, as Crowell echoes that sentiment.

“She’s a renaissance scholar,” Crowell said. “She teaches medieval lit and sexuality studies. She reads theory and contemporary literature. Any topic… she’s already thought about it. She’s constantly expanding her sense of where her ideas fit into the world and she helps the rest of us do that too.”

The news of her retirement has come as a surprise to some students and colleagues.

“I don’t think I’ve even processed it,” Crowell said. “We’re losing something huge.”

Still, Evans is leaving her mark in every direction: in language, in literature, in feminism and in the people who got to learn from her.

“She’s the professor you wish you had more time with,” Bahru said. “The kind you wish every department had. The kind you don’t forget.”

One of the most important lessons I have had to learn is that happiness is never just going to float gracefully down and land in my lap, fresh on a silver platter. For as long as I can remember, during my most difficult times, a voice in the back of my mind has promised me that one day, once I meet this goal, accomplish this thing or go to this place, I will finally be free of my severe depression.

As I look around my small, cozy and eclectically decorated apartment, I take in the sight of my partner sitting on the other side of the couch, doing their homework. My sweet dog, Louie, rests atop one of the cushions. These are the physical manifestations of all the hard work I have put in to feel the light of optimism grace me with a ray. 

My depression is not cured, but my once-dark, black days are now sprinkled with moments of contentment and peace. However, I know that happiness is not, nor should it be, circumstantial. What has truly made me feel happy are the ways I have adjusted my mindset. Mental health struggles can seem like impossible roadblocks on the path to happiness, and although mental illness certainly can impede one’s ability to reach happiness, it is important to remember that there are always factors in our control. 

As simple as it may seem, our happiness is truly in our own hands.

The habit that heals:

My resolution this year was to journal every day. Like many others, this goal has somewhat slipped through my fingers, but the consistency I have managed has made a difference. When I journal, I give myself the space to be as vulnerable as possible. I make an effort not to lie to myself and write about what is occupying my mind. 

If writing does not feel comfortable, doing video diaries or text-to-speech in a notes application works just as well. The goal of this habit is to track emotions, recognize patterns in behavior and reflect on personal growth. As long as those intentions remain, the results will follow.

Get to know yourself:

As awkward and strange as it may seem, I love to talk to myself. When I sit down at my vanity and look into my mirror, I talk to the girl staring back at me as if she were another person. I say things to her that I would say to my best friend. To quote Hillel the Elder, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” 

It has grown all too common for people to indulge in self-hatred. Yet, there is no way to be happy with oneself if the thoughts running through one’s mind are nothing but self-deprecating negativity. I believe that the first step to stop hating oneself is to get to know oneself. 

I like myself because she likes to read the same books I do. We both cry when dogs die in movies or when we see roadkill on the street. She prides herself on working hard and overcoming hardships, and so do I. Look in the mirror and say kind things. Get to know the person you never allowed yourself to love.

Find ways to get yourself out of a rut:

Even the happiest people on Earth have bad days. I am nowhere close to the happiest person on Earth, but when I feel really low, I have a mental checklist of things I do in an attempt to make myself feel better, as well as a few things I do when I anticipate that I will have a particularly rough week. 

For immediate relief, I like to utilize a “dopamine menu,” a working list in my journal that details various activities that can raise my spirits in a pinch. Menu items for me include listening to my current favorite playlist, doing my nails, journaling, doing something creative, reading a chapter from my book or buying myself a coffee. It is important not to include “doomscrolling” on this menu, as it is a short-term solution that is not actually effective because it will not fulfill the need for dopamine once you stop.

When I know I have a hard week ahead of me, I try to find an activity or event to look forward to. I plan a reward for myself for my hard work that week, like going to see a movie with my partner at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Sometimes, we just need a reason to keep pushing forward. We have the power to create that reason.

If tasks feel overwhelming and the weekend seems too far away, it helps to take things one step at a time. Whatever I am doing at the moment, I focus only on that. Right now, I am writing this article. The project due tomorrow, the work I have in the morning and the essay I still have not turned in do not, and cannot, matter at this moment. Right now, my only task on Earth is writing this article. Focusing on what is immediately within one’s control can sometimes make all the difference.

Nothing changes if nothing changes. At some point, it is no longer sustainable to live in self-pity and sorrow. Happiness does not have to be a faraway, foreign concept, it is something that can be sought after and achieved if one genuinely allows oneself to do so.

One of the most important lessons I have had to learn is that happiness is never just going to float gracefully down and land in my lap, fresh on a silver platter. For as long as I can remember, during my most difficult times, a voice in the back of my mind has promised me that one day, once I meet this goal, accomplish this thing or go to this place, I will finally be free of my severe depression.

As I look around my small, cozy and eclectically decorated apartment, I take in the sight of my partner sitting on the other side of the couch, doing their homework. My sweet dog, Louie, rests atop one of the cushions. These are the physical manifestations of all the hard work I have put in to feel the light of optimism grace me with a ray. 

My depression is not cured, but my once-dark, black days are now sprinkled with moments of contentment and peace. However, I know that happiness is not, nor should it be, circumstantial. What has truly made me feel happy are the ways I have adjusted my mindset. Mental health struggles can seem like impossible roadblocks on the path to happiness, and although mental illness certainly can impede one’s ability to reach happiness, it is important to remember that there are always factors in our control. 

As simple as it may seem, our happiness is truly in our own hands.

The habit that heals:

My resolution this year was to journal every day. Like many others, this goal has somewhat slipped through my fingers, but the consistency I have managed has made a difference. When I journal, I give myself the space to be as vulnerable as possible. I make an effort not to lie to myself and write about what is occupying my mind. 

If writing does not feel comfortable, doing video diaries or text-to-speech in a notes application works just as well. The goal of this habit is to track emotions, recognize patterns in behavior and reflect on personal growth. As long as those intentions remain, the results will follow.

Get to know yourself:

As awkward and strange as it may seem, I love to talk to myself. When I sit down at my vanity and look into my mirror, I talk to the girl staring back at me as if she were another person. I say things to her that I would say to my best friend. To quote Hillel the Elder, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” 

It has grown all too common for people to indulge in self-hatred. Yet, there is no way to be happy with oneself if the thoughts running through one’s mind are nothing but self-deprecating negativity. I believe that the first step to stop hating oneself is to get to know oneself. 

I like myself because she likes to read the same books I do. We both cry when dogs die in movies or when we see roadkill on the street. She prides herself on working hard and overcoming hardships, and so do I. Look in the mirror and say kind things. Get to know the person you never allowed yourself to love.

Find ways to get yourself out of a rut:

Even the happiest people on Earth have bad days. I am nowhere close to the happiest person on Earth, but when I feel really low, I have a mental checklist of things I do in an attempt to make myself feel better, as well as a few things I do when I anticipate that I will have a particularly rough week. 

For immediate relief, I like to utilize a “dopamine menu,” a working list in my journal that details various activities that can raise my spirits in a pinch. Menu items for me include listening to my current favorite playlist, doing my nails, journaling, doing something creative, reading a chapter from my book or buying myself a coffee. It is important not to include “doomscrolling” on this menu, as it is a short-term solution that is not actually effective because it will not fulfill the need for dopamine once you stop.

When I know I have a hard week ahead of me, I try to find an activity or event to look forward to. I plan a reward for myself for my hard work that week, like going to see a movie with my partner at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Sometimes, we just need a reason to keep pushing forward. We have the power to create that reason.

If tasks feel overwhelming and the weekend seems too far away, it helps to take things one step at a time. Whatever I am doing at the moment, I focus only on that. Right now, I am writing this article. The project due tomorrow, the work I have in the morning and the essay I still have not turned in do not, and cannot, matter at this moment. Right now, my only task on Earth is writing this article. Focusing on what is immediately within one’s control can sometimes make all the difference.

Nothing changes if nothing changes. At some point, it is no longer sustainable to live in self-pity and sorrow. Happiness does not have to be a faraway, foreign concept, it is something that can be sought after and achieved if one genuinely allows oneself to do so.

One of the most important lessons I have had to learn is that happiness is never just going to float gracefully down and land in my lap, fresh on a silver platter. For as long as I can remember, during my most difficult times, a voice in the back of my mind has promised me that one day, once I meet this goal, accomplish this thing or go to this place, I will finally be free of my severe depression.

As I look around my small, cozy and eclectically decorated apartment, I take in the sight of my partner sitting on the other side of the couch, doing their homework. My sweet dog, Louie, rests atop one of the cushions. These are the physical manifestations of all the hard work I have put in to feel the light of optimism grace me with a ray. 

My depression is not cured, but my once-dark, black days are now sprinkled with moments of contentment and peace. However, I know that happiness is not, nor should it be, circumstantial. What has truly made me feel happy are the ways I have adjusted my mindset. Mental health struggles can seem like impossible roadblocks on the path to happiness, and although mental illness certainly can impede one’s ability to reach happiness, it is important to remember that there are always factors in our control. 

As simple as it may seem, our happiness is truly in our own hands.

The habit that heals:

My resolution this year was to journal every day. Like many others, this goal has somewhat slipped through my fingers, but the consistency I have managed has made a difference. When I journal, I give myself the space to be as vulnerable as possible. I make an effort not to lie to myself and write about what is occupying my mind. 

If writing does not feel comfortable, doing video diaries or text-to-speech in a notes application works just as well. The goal of this habit is to track emotions, recognize patterns in behavior and reflect on personal growth. As long as those intentions remain, the results will follow.

Get to know yourself:

As awkward and strange as it may seem, I love to talk to myself. When I sit down at my vanity and look into my mirror, I talk to the girl staring back at me as if she were another person. I say things to her that I would say to my best friend. To quote Hillel the Elder, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” 

It has grown all too common for people to indulge in self-hatred. Yet, there is no way to be happy with oneself if the thoughts running through one’s mind are nothing but self-deprecating negativity. I believe that the first step to stop hating oneself is to get to know oneself. 

I like myself because she likes to read the same books I do. We both cry when dogs die in movies or when we see roadkill on the street. She prides herself on working hard and overcoming hardships, and so do I. Look in the mirror and say kind things. Get to know the person you never allowed yourself to love.

Find ways to get yourself out of a rut:

Even the happiest people on Earth have bad days. I am nowhere close to the happiest person on Earth, but when I feel really low, I have a mental checklist of things I do in an attempt to make myself feel better, as well as a few things I do when I anticipate that I will have a particularly rough week. 

For immediate relief, I like to utilize a “dopamine menu,” a working list in my journal that details various activities that can raise my spirits in a pinch. Menu items for me include listening to my current favorite playlist, doing my nails, journaling, doing something creative, reading a chapter from my book or buying myself a coffee. It is important not to include “doomscrolling” on this menu, as it is a short-term solution that is not actually effective because it will not fulfill the need for dopamine once you stop.

When I know I have a hard week ahead of me, I try to find an activity or event to look forward to. I plan a reward for myself for my hard work that week, like going to see a movie with my partner at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Sometimes, we just need a reason to keep pushing forward. We have the power to create that reason.

If tasks feel overwhelming and the weekend seems too far away, it helps to take things one step at a time. Whatever I am doing at the moment, I focus only on that. Right now, I am writing this article. The project due tomorrow, the work I have in the morning and the essay I still have not turned in do not, and cannot, matter at this moment. Right now, my only task on Earth is writing this article. Focusing on what is immediately within one’s control can sometimes make all the difference.

Nothing changes if nothing changes. At some point, it is no longer sustainable to live in self-pity and sorrow. Happiness does not have to be a faraway, foreign concept, it is something that can be sought after and achieved if one genuinely allows oneself to do so.

One of the most important lessons I have had to learn is that happiness is never just going to float gracefully down and land in my lap, fresh on a silver platter. For as long as I can remember, during my most difficult times, a voice in the back of my mind has promised me that one day, once I meet this goal, accomplish this thing or go to this place, I will finally be free of my severe depression.

As I look around my small, cozy and eclectically decorated apartment, I take in the sight of my partner sitting on the other side of the couch, doing their homework. My sweet dog, Louie, rests atop one of the cushions. These are the physical manifestations of all the hard work I have put in to feel the light of optimism grace me with a ray. 

My depression is not cured, but my once-dark, black days are now sprinkled with moments of contentment and peace. However, I know that happiness is not, nor should it be, circumstantial. What has truly made me feel happy are the ways I have adjusted my mindset. Mental health struggles can seem like impossible roadblocks on the path to happiness, and although mental illness certainly can impede one’s ability to reach happiness, it is important to remember that there are always factors in our control. 

As simple as it may seem, our happiness is truly in our own hands.

The habit that heals:

My resolution this year was to journal every day. Like many others, this goal has somewhat slipped through my fingers, but the consistency I have managed has made a difference. When I journal, I give myself the space to be as vulnerable as possible. I make an effort not to lie to myself and write about what is occupying my mind. 

If writing does not feel comfortable, doing video diaries or text-to-speech in a notes application works just as well. The goal of this habit is to track emotions, recognize patterns in behavior and reflect on personal growth. As long as those intentions remain, the results will follow.

Get to know yourself:

As awkward and strange as it may seem, I love to talk to myself. When I sit down at my vanity and look into my mirror, I talk to the girl staring back at me as if she were another person. I say things to her that I would say to my best friend. To quote Hillel the Elder, “If I am not for myself, who will be for me?” 

It has grown all too common for people to indulge in self-hatred. Yet, there is no way to be happy with oneself if the thoughts running through one’s mind are nothing but self-deprecating negativity. I believe that the first step to stop hating oneself is to get to know oneself. 

I like myself because she likes to read the same books I do. We both cry when dogs die in movies or when we see roadkill on the street. She prides herself on working hard and overcoming hardships, and so do I. Look in the mirror and say kind things. Get to know the person you never allowed yourself to love.

Find ways to get yourself out of a rut:

Even the happiest people on Earth have bad days. I am nowhere close to the happiest person on Earth, but when I feel really low, I have a mental checklist of things I do in an attempt to make myself feel better, as well as a few things I do when I anticipate that I will have a particularly rough week. 

For immediate relief, I like to utilize a “dopamine menu,” a working list in my journal that details various activities that can raise my spirits in a pinch. Menu items for me include listening to my current favorite playlist, doing my nails, journaling, doing something creative, reading a chapter from my book or buying myself a coffee. It is important not to include “doomscrolling” on this menu, as it is a short-term solution that is not actually effective because it will not fulfill the need for dopamine once you stop.

When I know I have a hard week ahead of me, I try to find an activity or event to look forward to. I plan a reward for myself for my hard work that week, like going to see a movie with my partner at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. Sometimes, we just need a reason to keep pushing forward. We have the power to create that reason.

If tasks feel overwhelming and the weekend seems too far away, it helps to take things one step at a time. Whatever I am doing at the moment, I focus only on that. Right now, I am writing this article. The project due tomorrow, the work I have in the morning and the essay I still have not turned in do not, and cannot, matter at this moment. Right now, my only task on Earth is writing this article. Focusing on what is immediately within one’s control can sometimes make all the difference.

Nothing changes if nothing changes. At some point, it is no longer sustainable to live in self-pity and sorrow. Happiness does not have to be a faraway, foreign concept, it is something that can be sought after and achieved if one genuinely allows oneself to do so.

TikTok’s repopularization of literature for Gen-Z audiences has sparked a renaissance in various subgenres, including “weird girl” books. Featuring strange, complicated female protagonists and unsettling aspects of the female experience, these titles have surged in popularity thanks to their absurdity, relatability and overall weirdness. Whether it’s a resonance with the title “weird girl” or sheer curiosity, here are five recommendations to envelop oneself in the grotesquely beautiful and surreal world of “weird girl” books. 

1. “Bunny” by Mona Awad /336 pages

Samantha Mackey is a creative writing graduate student at the elite Warren University. A scholarship student whose only friend is an eclectic art school dropout, she is repelled by the rest of her fiction-writing cohort: a clique of unbearably preppy, rich and beautiful girls who refer to each other exclusively as “Bunny.” Her hatred turns to curiosity when one day, Samantha receives an invitation to their elusive “Smut Salon” where the bunnies workshop their creations together. As the story progresses, reality blurs and both Samantha and the readers struggle to separate truth from imagination. 

2. “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottessa Moshfegh / 289 pages

The unnamed narrator is thin, blonde, beautiful, extremely wealthy and freshly graduated from Columbia University. Set in the year 2000 in the Upper Eastside of Manhattan, the narrator should be happy, but is not. Not because of the death of her parents, her easy job at an art gallery, her evil Wall Street boyfriend, or her sadomasochistic friendship with Reva — it’s something deeper and stronger. The narrator decides that the only way to get rid of this pervasive depression is to seek out sleep as salvation. With the help of an over-prescribing therapist and VHC tapes of iconic 90’s movies, the narrator begins her year of rest and relaxation. 

3. “Carmilla” by J. Sheridan Le Fanu / 108 pages

“Carmilla” is for the new fans of  Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” who were hoping for more sapphic romance. Preceding Bram Stoker’s “Dracula,” the original story that inspired “Nosferatu,” by 26 years, “Carmilla” follows Laura, a young, isolated girl whose only companion is her father. That is, until a horse-drawn carriage crashes, carrying the beautifully mystifying Carmilla. As the story progresses, the entrancing connection between the two young women grows stronger, while Laura grows ever weaker. The original vampire story, “Carmilla” is filled with gothic imagery and sexual tension. 

4. “Big Swiss” by Jen Beagin / 336 pages

Greta, peculiar and introverted, spends her days transcribing therapy sessions for a sex coach named Om. Greta soon becomes infatuated with Om’s newest client, a sexually repressed, Swedish married woman she affectionately refers to as Big Swiss. One day, Greta recognizes Big Swiss’s voice while in town and the two quickly form a strong whirlwind relationship. Greta’s desire for Big Swiss overpowers any ounce of guilt she feels for keeping the fact that she knows the Swede’s most intimate secrets to herself, meaning she’ll do anything to protect their connection. 

5. “Nightbitch” by Rachel Yoder / 256 pages

The main character, referred to only as Mother, is a full-time stay-at-home mom of a two-year-old son, having set aside her art career to do so. Never home, her husband is always calling from faraway hotel rooms while he travels extensively for work. She fears she might lose her mind when her child can’t sleep one night, and she feels her canines grow sharper in her mouth, mysterious patches of fur grow on her neck, and a strange new appetite rise from deep within herself. At night, she finds herself transforming into a dog, but her husband is quick to dismiss her fears. As her symptoms begin to intensify, she seeks out information from her local library and finds herself involved with a group of other moms who are more than they seem. 

Whether darkly humorous, eerily surreal, or deeply unsettling, these books capture the weird, wonderful, and often chaotic nature of the female experience, offering stories that linger long after the final page.

Open Instagram or TikTok today, and you’ll see English like you have never seen before. From “She ate” to “le$bian,” LGBTQ+ social media is full of phrases that would make an English teacher’s eye twitch. But these unconventional compliments and phrases are not just random expressions — they are a linguistic transformation. They challenge traditional English, defy algorithms and offer LGBTQ+ communities a distinct and powerful voice.

Historically, Standard English has been the language of power, used in formal institutions, government agencies and educational systems. This article is for anyone scratching their heads over queer slang and wondering why someone would say “She slayed” or use “le$bian” instead of “lesbian.” These terms aren’t just fun expressions; they are part of creative language that reflects a long tradition of marginalized groups shaping English in unique ways to express identity, connect with each other and stand out.

A compliment with a history 

A phrase like “She ate” might sound strange to anyone unfamiliar with LGBTQ+ slang. Traditionally, “ate” simply means the past tense of “eat.” But in LGBTQ+ circles, particularly within Black and Latinx ballroom culture, “she ate” has transformed into a high compliment, meaning someone impressed, exceeded expectations or performed exceptionally well. This term was born in the 2000s and gained popularity through the underground ballroom scene, where queer Black and Latinx performers and drag artists took the spotlight, often despite cultural resistance and marginalization.

In this context, “She ate” doesn’t need to follow traditional grammar rules or rely on a literal meaning. Instead, its power lies in the community-based meaning: recognizing someone’s skill, resilience or authenticity. When we understand where it came from, “She ate” becomes a phrase of pride, history and shared culture, rather than just slang.

“Mother” redefined 

Similarly, the word “mother” doesn’t have to mean a biological parent. In LGBTQ+ slang, particularly in drag culture, “mother” describes a revered community leader who offers guidance and care. The phrase is about respect, admiration and familial bonds that aren’t defined by biology. “Mother,” as a term of respect, reflects the LGBTQ+ community’s resilience and its creation of chosen family structures. Now, “mother” has expanded to be used as a compliment, meaning “a woman who’s iconic and constantly serves cunt.”

The word “cunt,” traditionally considered vulgar slang for a woman’s genitals, has been reclaimed to mean someone that radiates fierce feminine energy.  This is a language that serves, includes and redefines rather than separates.

Breaking rules for visibility 

If you’ve noticed “le$bian” tagged on TikTok or Instagram, you’re not alone. It may seem strange at first, but the dollar sign isn’t just a random quirk — it’s a response to censorship. On many platforms, LGBTQ+ content creators face suppression or bans for even using words related to their identities. By swapping the “s” for a dollar sign, creators reclaim their content’s visibility while sidestepping censorship algorithms that often flag LGBTQ+ terms as “inappropriate.”

This spelling shift is about more than evading filters; it’s a form of digital protest, a way for LGBTQ+ creators to stay visible and amplify their voices in spaces that may otherwise silence them.

Reclaiming language 

The word “sickening” might seem like an insult in Standard English, but in LGBTQ+ slang, it describes something incredible. Following the tradition of reclaiming words with negative connotations, “sickening” has become a term of awe and praise. Much like hip-hop’s redefinition of “bad” to mean “good,” the LGBTQ+ community often reframes language to celebrate rather than diminish.

These adaptations reveal how marginalized communities reclaim the words that once confined them, turning them into expressions of strength and community pride. When LGBTQ+ social media users call something “sickening,” they’re not just adding flair — they’re asserting their place in language itself.

It is tempting to dismiss nonstandard English as incorrect or sloppy, but this perspective misses the mark. Nonstandard English, especially within communities like LGBTQ+, is a space for innovation. These adaptations aren’t mistakes; they’re purposeful and deliberate shifts in language that reflect cultural creativity and resilience. From using “girl” as a gender-neutral term to adding extra vowels for emphasis (like “yaaas”), these shifts expand the expressive possibilities of English.

While Standard English is taught as the “correct” form, it’s only one of many dialects. Nonstandard forms of English reveal the fluidity of language, often adapting faster and with more creativity than standardized forms. Those who create and use nonstandard English are the true pioneers of the language, exploring new meanings and uses that enrich our collective understanding. Instead of looking down on these variations, it’s time to celebrate them as vital threads in the fabric of our evolving language.

The linguistic creativity within LGBTQ+ social media isn’t just a matter of quirky language. It’s a resistance to the idea that one way of speaking is inherently “right” or “wrong.” LGBTQ+ social media users are showing that language evolves to meet cultural needs, not just grammatical rules. By creatively adapting language, they challenge the dominance of Standard English and celebrate their community’s unique experiences and perspectives.

Language is more than words on a page; it’s a medium of identity, connection and transformation. LGBTQ+ social media is a vivid reminder that language doesn’t belong to institutions alone — it belongs to those who use it to tell their stories and honor their communities. So next time you see someone “slaying” or “serving” on your feed, remember: this isn’t just internet slang. It’s a living, breathing testament to the power of language to empower, connect and uplift.