A chickenhawk or chicken hawk is slang used in American and British gay culture to denote older males who prefer younger males for partners, who may less often be called "chickens", i.e., the prey of the chickenhawk. Other variations include chicken queen
"Chickenhawk" also indicates a man who uses underage boys for his sexual pleasure. The usage was publicized by members of the controversial group NAMBLA in the 1994 documentary film Chicken Hawk: Men Who Love Boys, although Time magazine reported it in this sense in 1975.
The use and significance of this term have been the subject of academic discussions and popular reports.
See also
- Age disparity in sexual relationships
- Cougar (slang)
- Ephebophilia
- Troll (gay slang)
- Chicken (gay slang)