invertje

Invertje is a historical Dutch term that was used to refer to a person whose sexual orientation or gender expression was believed to be inverted relative to heterosexual norms. The word is now considered outdated and offensive in contemporary language. It was most common in the Netherlands and Flanders during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, appearing in medical, legal, and popular discourse.

The term derives from the broader concept of sexual inversion, a idea developed by early sexologists such as Richard von Krafft-Ebing. In that framework, homosexuality was described as an inversion of heterosexual sexuality. The diminutive form invertje conveyed both a descriptive label and a stigmatizing, pejorative nuance, and it could be applied to men or women.

In historical use, invertjes were often subjected to pathologizing assumptions and social controls, with implications for exclusion or coercive “treatments.” As attitudes toward sexuality shifted and homosexuality ceased to be viewed as a mental disorder, the term faded from professional usage and became regarded as insulting.

Today, invertje is generally avoided in respectful speech. It may appear only in discussions of history or past literature to illustrate earlier attitudes toward sexuality. Contemporary Dutch terminology uses neutral terms such as homoseksueel (homosexual) and other inclusive language within the broader LGBT framework.