A lipstick lesbian is a slang term used to describe gay (lesbian) and bisexual women who exhibit feminine gender attributes, such as wearing make-up (thus, lipstick), wearing dresses or skirts and perhaps having other characteristics associated with feminine women. In 1999, columnist Mark Steyn called actress Anne Heche, who was dating DeGeneres at the time, "the world's most famous lipstick lesbian." The term has also been reinterpreted as a derogatory reference to feigned lesbianism — implying that it is as easy as lipstick to add or remove.