About tribadism

What is tribadism (trib)?

Lesbian tribadism:

The gay counterpart:

Does tribadism exist in heterosexual erotic behaviour?

Lesbian penetration is not trib!

Tribadism - History

The Tribade

Tribadism, how likely is it to happen?

What you should know before your first trib experience:

Tribadistic positions and terms

1) The missionary position
2) The students' position
3) The open scissors
4) The closed (dominant) scissors
5) Die Greek beach position
6) Die Dogs' Position (Doggy Style)
7) Cowgirl
8) Wrestling
8a) The sexfight
8b) Pussyfight

There are only a few women who have ever heard the word "tribadism" (or: "trib") and even less women actually know what it means; although, there are many women who have done it already or at least thought about trib in their fantasies.

Tribadism comes from the Greek word "tribo" (to rub). Its meaning originally is the mutual rubbing of the external genitalia of a woman against those of another woman, particularly clit rubbing against clit or the clit rubbing against any other sensual part of the other female body, to erect the clits and/or to obtain sexual pleasure for one or both of the two women.

"Tribadism" in its narrowest meaning is simply "the contact of two female outer genitalia."

"Tribadism (Trib)" in a broader meaning is the rubbing of the female genitalia on any parts of the other female body (e.g. on a thigh, breast, back, foot or on the flexed biceps of the female partner). Also, rubbing of breasts and/or nipples on the female partner's body might be called tribadism in a broader meaning. Trib works well in the nude and even fully dressed. Therefore, having a sexual trib experience with another woman is quite possible in many places, theoretically even in public areas. For instance, while dancing together, walking closely together in a park, sunbathing on a beach, standing together in a pool, or with their knees under the table in a restaurant, women can participate in tribadism. Trib is a perfect test for bisexual or lesbian beginners who want to try sex with another woman for the first time, particularly when they are not yet brave enough to touch the intimate parts of another female body with their tongue or with their fingers. Trib works quite well as a "quickie" in the dressing room as well as in the restroom, even better in the nude under the showers of the gym or even more excitingly in the elevator. Women who want to have fun with another woman and who find other women to be erotic could have lesbian sex without any preparations at all and come immediately when they try to do some trib.

The gay rubbing of two male bodies or two erect cocks on each other is NOT called "tribadism" but rather "frot" or "frottage." This has nothing to do with tribadism and therefore you won't find it on this website at all. However, frottage is to bisexual and gay men exactly as exciting as what trib is to women.

It is not clear if the heterosexual rubbing of two bodies, one of a man and one of a woman, can be called tribadism. There exist different opinions. We believe that it can be called tribadism as long as the woman is dominant and active and as long as there is no kind of penetration happening. However, as soon as the man becomes the sexually active part then we can no longer call this activity "tribadism." In any case, we do not plan to promote this said heterosexual tribadism on this website.

On this website, we will only regard tribadism as being between two women, but in as many possible variations and fantasies.

The attempt to penetrate another woman with their own clit, if possible, or rather using sex toys (e.g. strap-on dildos) is not called "tribadism" today as opposed to views of the older cultures. This is called "lesbian penetration" today. In the past however, men believed that the active penetration was impossible for any woman to do and therefore; all direct contact of the female genitals, including the possible female clitoral penetration, had been called "tribadism." However today, this is seen to be different.

The Greeks called any active lesbian women the "TRIBADES." The well known words "lesbian," "sapphic" or "bisexual" we have only used for a short while in our languages. Before that, all women who had sex with another woman and who were the active part in the sexual relationship have been called the "Tribades." The Tribade (from the Greek word "tribas") means, a woman who has morbid (pervert) sexual contact with another woman, particularly by rubbing her genitals on the genitals of the other woman. Please note the expression "morbid/pervert sexual contact." This negative expression was only used for tribadism, but not for any other lesbian activity like fingering or oral sex. This is because men found tribadism as some kind of challenge for them since it was similar to their own sex.

However, those women who were behaving just passively during tribadism were not seen as being morbid. They were the "submissive women" who were said to be "raped" by the Tribade for the purpose of her masturbation goal. The Tribade was overtaking the part of the man in the imagination of the antique man's' world. Female homosexuality was not viewed as being immoral before the 20th century so long as the woman took part as the usually passive woman. Even lesbian tribadism was seen as natural then except for the role of the active female Tribade.

In Islamic countries, men did tolerate tribadism. They compared the sexual demand of women for other women with a natural desire creating a strong itching and demand for warmth in the female genitals. Only the rubbing of the vagina on another woman would solve the itching. Therefore, they compare the trib love of two women with the grinding of saffron that is made into powder between two tiny plates. It was not just the demand for pleasure that pushed the women of the harem to have sex with other girls. They did not have to fear losing their virginity or becoming pregnant.

We are finding many reports about tribadism from Oriental bath houses where the women, isolated from men, could care for their bodies and their beauty. Of course, there was a law that women had to cover their genitals in the bath houses, but they usually either did not care or they covered their own genitals with the genitals of their girlfriends; although, in the Orient it was also considered obscene when women had sex with other women. The little "difference" creating the tolerance, not unlike the Occident, was the fact that there was no penetration possible between two women, at least in the belief of men. There has not been any big difference regarding the tolerance of tribadism in comparing the Orient to the West.

Lesbian love did not exist officially as recently as 100 years ago. Since it did not officially exist, it could not have been prosecuted. However, the active Tribade always looked fishy and dubious to men since she represented the demand for "penetration" of "defenceless" women. Therefore, the Tribade was always seen as morbid and pervert as she was a competitor of male sexuality while the passive woman was seen just as the poor victim. Men did not see any REAL penetration being possible in tribadism, since in their old imaginations "a woman had nothing to penetrate another woman with." However, the positions of direct clit to clit contact were dubious enough for men, particularly when the tribade had a huge clit and when the passive woman got any pleasure thereof. It's interesting that in the old genre picture regarding tribadism, the men did always think about one active and one passive woman. In their imaginations, they translated one woman always into the role of the active and dominant man. They did not imagine that women can always change their roles during tribadism, often more than once, from active to passive, both active, or even both being passive. They did not imagine that women can receive pleasure by exchanging their roles with the other women during sex. Men probably did not even want think about it.

Up to today, many men view tribadism rather negatively. Sadly, most available lesbian pictures and clips do not accept tribadism as an exciting sexual pleasure for women. Of course, men like to watch lesbian women, but particularly when the women are having oral sex or when they are using dildos on each other. Tribadism, however, isn't represented enough compared to how important it is for lesbians and bisexual women in real life. This is probably because many men still fear the competition of women when they are taking on (at least part of) the male role without using any kind of artificial sex toys.

One should know some facts about tribadism better, at least today, before calling a woman a Tribade. In the ancient times, women were called Tribades when they did attempt to penetrate another woman (or sometimes even a man). In other words, they were believed to have the ability to insert their clit into the vagina of another woman (or even to penetrate the anus of a man).

By definition, Tribades must have a penis-like clit (erect usually longer than 1.5 inches and the diameter more than 0.5 inch). They are able to use their clits to penetrate other women like men. Tribades, in the ancient times, were usually fit and athletic women. Some were even warriors and they did a lot to care for their bodies. Tribades worked out like men did, particularly in physical sports like wrestling and boxing and some were even trained for battles and warfare. The use of the word "Tribade" for the woman in ancient times sometimes had more to do with her position in society than with her sexual orientation. Therefore, not all of these women who were called "Tribades" in ancient times were lesbians or had any lesbian sexual relationships. However, it should be mentioned too that not all people who had been called "Tribades" were actually even women. Sometimes hermaphrodites or homosexual young men who displayed female behaviours were called Tribades as well.

If a woman today enjoys lesbian tribadism for her sexual pleasure, then she isn't necessarily a Tribade. Regardless of if the woman prefers to be active or passive, she isn't necessarily a Tribade just by enjoying tribadism or by sexually acting as a lesbian.

Today, tribadism is not just defined by being a lesbian. Of course, real tribadism can only be enjoyed by two or more women. However, a woman doesn't necessarily have to be a lesbian to enjoy tribadism or trib games because tribadism stimulates heterosexual sexuality quite similarly. Many heterosexual women have already had some trib experiences and they have enjoyed themselves in doing so without being Tribades or even lesbians. Today, as opposed to in ancient times, tribadism isn't just the "active Tribade" versus the "passive woman." Tribadism is enjoyed by sexually confident women and it is an exciting sexual activity without any significant passive or active role playing.

Tribadism is by far the most preferred activity in lesbian sexuality.

95% of all bisexual women who have had lesbian sex only once or twice in their lives answered, in a questionnaire from a sexual science institute when asked about trib, that they preferred the trib style for their sexual pleasure. It's a normal answer since tribadism is the most simple, most natural and, for many women, the most exciting way to give sexual pleasure to each other. Tribadism enables women to look into each other's eyes. They can kiss each other. Their arms are free to caress the other female body, particularly the breasts. The positions aren't new for heterosexual women either; it is just that the sex partner is a female. Women can perform trib in the standing position, as a so called "Quickie" (e.g. in dressing rooms or in the showers), as well as when they are sitting or flat on the floor or bed. They do not even need to take their dresses off to enjoy some exciting trib sex. The chance for a female to have her climax during trib activity is most likely greater than any other thinkable lesbian activity, particularly because trib enables both women to control the speed of their body rubbing, the intensity and the pressure of their own and of the opposite body during their sexual activity. Both women are always able to do what they feel is best for them and for their climax.

Interestingly enough, even 70% of experienced lesbians who have had lesbian sex more than twice in their lives have said that they prefer tribadism. Lesbian sex with hands/fingers (15%), oral sex (12%), sex toys (dildos and strap-on dildos) (2%) and the other (1%) does not even come close to tribadistic sexual activities preferred by lesbians.

Also interesting, is that many men expect lesbian women to have sex like they see it happen in usual porn movies. If you ask men about "what lesbian women are doing," they will always say that oral sex is the most popular technique followed by the use of strap-on dildos.

Since in reality, some kind of trib is actually the most popular female lesbian fantasy; the male dominated porn industry and many men's fantasies too often ignore this matter of fact. This is probably because, not unlike the ancient times, tribadism even today is seen by men as a competition and as a female challenge to their own heterosexual activity. Men would feel challenged by a woman if she would fuck another woman perhaps better than they can or when a woman can make another woman come by touching her genitals with her erect clit. Many men do not want this to be true. Only recently, tribadism has been made more popular by some special erotic movies and by some websites.

Women who like to enjoy the genitals of their female partners and particularly women who do not become wet easily when aroused should use some oil or cream for their genitals because it makes it easier to glide and grind across the other woman. Alternatively, one might also want to wear a thong. The sexual excitement created from trib can be as strong as or even more sensational when wearing a thong than if you were nude. Although an infection with sexually transmitted disease is quite unlikely while doing tribadism as compared to most other sexual activities, everybody should always think about it before doing, for example, a "Quickie" with an unknown partner since there is always a danger of an infection possible, as little as it might be. Tribadism does allow either one or both females to wear a thong during their sex play. It is quite unlikely that a woman would lose a lot of sexual excitement by wearing a thong. On the contrary, if both women do not have a very well shaved crotch, then the excitement and the sexual pleasure will particularly rise when one wears the thong since it will feel to be much smoother. Some women even prefer to have their trib sex when both wear tight jeans or even pantyhose.

Whatever positions during trib one chooses, it is certainly recommended to shave your pubic area when you prefer it in the nude. It is not a disadvantage to use some oil or cream to make the grinding easier. Hair, particularly when it is cut short, can often create real pain or red skin when the grinding becomes erratic. This can reduce the pleasure and could even prevent a climax. Of course, lots of unshaved pubic hair will always prevent the feel of your partner, what you originally wanted to feel ….

Positions during trib are various and there are almost no limits when trying to cover any and all female fantasies. We are trying to submit as many different trib fantasies on our website as possible.

The most popular position in trib activity is the missionary position. One woman rests between the legs of her female partner and both can move with their hips to rub their crotches, particularly their clits, on each other. The passive female can wrap her legs around the body of the other female, or even get a good grip on her back or her ass to pull her closer. The active part is recommended for those women who want to control the speed and strength of the rubbing. Particularly if you need quick, strong and powerful moves to reach a climax you should be in the dominant position. The passive part we recommend for the women who do not care if lots of pressure rests on their pubic bone. Some women need that kind of pressure for their climax. Of course, whatever position one chooses, the two partners can always change their positions and roles as often as they would like.

Another more popular position is the crossed missionary position. The bodies rest on each other in a position so that each clit touches the upper thigh of the other woman but not the other clit. Since the bodies are resting closely on each other, often breast to breast and intense kissing is involved. Their thighs are intertwined so there is no way that the crotches can touch each other in that position. Although there is hardly any clit to clit contact possible, this position can still have its advantages and create lots of pleasure for both women. It's rather easy to reach a climax quite quickly in this position since both can control the power, speed and strength of their rubbing. This position is often used by young women who are having their first lesbian experience (that's why it is called "the students' position"). Actually, this position often isn't real lesbian sexuality, but rather mutual masturbation when they are rubbing their clits across the upper thigh of their friend. It's some kind of lesbian petting that has some tribadistic expressions. Although this position is only under a broader meaning of tribadism, many women prefer this position for coming by rubbing their clits on the (muscular) thighs of their female partner. They are finding this more convenient, more relaxing and often less painful than the real tribadism.

The open scissors has one big advantage, but has also several smaller disadvantages. The big advantage is that both females can easily find the crotches and clits of their partner. They can find and actually touch the top of the other clit exactly with theirs if they like. They can both control the intensity, pressure and strength of the actual contact as much as they find it to be convenient and exciting. The weight and size of the partner, opposed to other positions, is irrelevant. Too much pressure from their partner can be controlled by moving their own hips in the other direction. Many women may find great pleasure when performing this position and it creates a wide variety of additional positions if more than two women are involved. However, beginners should know that this position does not satisfy all women. Some even hate it. Although most female trib fantasies are about this position, in reality it lacks visual contact (for many women it is important to see the face of the partner!) and it lacks the possibility to touch the rest of the body, except for the thighs, of the other woman (e.g. breasts, mouth, arms). It also lacks the chance of being touched and caressed by their partner.

This position is probably the most important amongst all trib positions; however, it demands of the dominant woman some flexibility, fitness and endurance. Not unlike the open scissors position, one female rests on her back and she opens her legs like a scissors upwards. The dominant female sits or kneels with her spread legs on the genitals of the female below her. She controls the intensity, the moves and pressure of the activity with her own hips. The more flexible both females are (allowing their legs to be spread further apart), the deeper and more intensely the two women will feel each other and the deeper the woman with a big clit could theoretically insert her clit into the vagina of the other female. Some women are even able then to stimulate the G-spot of her counterpart with her clit. Of course, touching each other with their two clits is easy to do in that position too. The two women can look each other in the eyes. They can touch their girlfriend's breasts and they can intensely feel and see all four legs and thighs too. It is intriguing and exciting for many women who trib in that position when they can then even have a look at both of their clits while they're touching or even "fighting" each other. Those who have the necessary fitness and endurance can probably climax quite quickly and easily by caressing each other in that position. Multiple orgasms are possible.

This position is called the beach position since some lesbian women rest in such positions on public and private beaches. Their bodies can touch each other in this position and it is called "Greek" since the genitals of one woman touch the bottom and ass cheeks of the other woman. On public beaches (e.g. nude beaches), the women often rest on their sides while touching the back of their partner with their pubic bone. This is also known as "Spooning." One woman rests crabwise flat on the floor and she'd edge her knees towards her belly. The second woman rests in a similar position but she can press her pubic area towards the ass of her partner. In that position, the second woman can trib her crotch well over the whole back and bottom of the other woman. She could then touch the breasts of her friend from behind and kiss her neck too. This trib variation could support the woman who is actively trying to climax. Another possibility is when one woman lies flat on her belly and the other one does the same, resting flat on top of her friend, rubbing her crotch across the back and bottom and thighs of the other woman.

This is a position not recommended for beginners since it is quite complicated to find the right angle and waste of time could kill the excitement. One woman kneels not unlike a dog in front of her partner while the other woman, who kneels behind her, tries to rub her crotch against the crotch of the kneeling woman. One variation would be when one partner rests on her back with her legs up in the air. The other woman gets on all fours facing in the other direction and lowers her crotch onto the one below hers. The girl on all fours in this variation controls the rubbing in a downward motion on the girl lying on her back. It's easy to touch each others clits in this position, but you can't see your partner's face and it's not easy to perform. It might be useful as a short variation for lesbian experts though. .

In this position one girl is in complete control of all of the trib action. One girl lies on her back. The other girl sits astride her partner's waist, straddling and facing her partner. The woman on top begins grinding down on the other girl, pushing her ass backwards through the lying girl's spread legs and then pumping forward rubbing her clit on the lower clit on every pass. The girl on top completely controls the speed and power of every thrust as the other girl is pinned beneath her. Sometimes the woman on top will pin the lying girl's wrists down to the floor or even reach back to massage her labia with her hand. She might even reach back for the ankles of the girl on the floor, lift her legs straight up in the air into a "V" and continue her ride. This position allows for deep kissing, breast kissing and massaging, but it is all up to the woman on top.

Wrestling is not tribadism by definition. Since it is a sport, no sexual elements exist. However, as an erotic foreplay, wrestling each other can be certainly erotic, and some of its accidental positions could be quite similar to tribadism. Particularly, the so called "sexfight" between two women will systematically ignore the sport and instead introduce its erotic elements. If two females move each other into tribadistic positions during an erotic wrestling match, perhaps sometimes even by accident, and if the two females like and agree to enjoy their bodies, then sometimes they will end up in tribadism. Ideally this kind of competitive tribadism will end in mutual orgasms for both women.

Any sexfight can emerge from a wrestling match between two confident women who enjoy their bodies, enjoy competing and who enjoy comparing each others strength and muscles. This kind of intimate sporting activity can sometimes, if agreed to, lead to exciting tribadism. Of course, most sexfights will not and do not have anything in common with wrestling. A sexfight is always some sort of competition between two rival women who decide to settle it in an erotic competition. The everlasting question therefore is: "Who is the better woman?" Usually, it is agreed that the loser is the woman who comes first. A sexfight does not always show any form of tribadism. Some women prefer other lesbian positions or even sextoys to decide their sexfights. However, if we're talking on this website about a sexfight then we shall have either tribadism and/or wrestling positions paramount. The minimum requirement for a sexfight, however, is that there always must be a rivalry between the two women, not unlike this question: "Who is the better woman?"

The so called pussyfight is a sole lesbian, tribadistic competition between two women. Both women will try to use many different trib positions either to make their opponent submit or to make her come first. However, the pussyfight is more a popular male fantasy than that it is a lesbian reality. However, there are rumours existing that some fashion models who, due to their jobs, cannot afford to get any bruises from catfighting would often agree to have a pussyfight with each other to settle their differences and to prove to her rival who the better woman is. It is perhaps the softest, but, for the two females, most sexually exciting form of a catfight.