Butch is most often a term used to describe a
lesbian
A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...
, or sometimes a
bisexual
Bisexuality is a romantic or sexual attraction or behavior toward both males and females, or to more than one gender. It may also be defined to include romantic or sexual attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity, whi ...
woman, who exhibits a
masculine
Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviors con ...
identity.
Since the lesbian subculture of 1940s America, "butch" has been present as a way for lesbians to circumvent traditional genders of women in society and distinguish their masculine attributes and characteristics from feminine women.
History
The 1940s saw the rise of visible butch culture and butch lesbians who dressed in more masculine attire and acted in a more butch manner. This usually limited them to a few jobs, such as factory work and cab driving, that had no dress codes for women.
During the 1950s with the anti-gay politics of the
McCarthy era
McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner.
The term origina ...
, there was an increase in violent attacks on gay and bisexual women, while at the same time the increasingly strong and defiant bar culture became more willing to respond with force. Although
femmes
''Femme'' (; , literally meaning "woman") is a term traditionally used to describe a lesbian who exhibits a feminine identity or gender presentation. Alternate meanings of the word also exist with some non-lesbian individuals using the word ...
also fought back, it became primarily the role of butches to defend against attacks and hold the bars as gay women's space.
The prevailing butch image was severe but gentle, while it became increasingly tough and aggressive as violent confrontation became a fact of life.
See also
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Stone butch
A stone butch is a lesbian who displays female butchness or traditional "masculinity", as opposed to a stone femme. Identification with the terms is not necessarily dependent upon the person's physical appearance or gender expression, or upon th ...
*
Soft butch
A soft butch, or stem (stud-fem), is a lesbian who exhibits some stereotypical butch traits without fitting the masculine stereotype associated with butch lesbians. Soft butch is on the spectrum of butch, as are stone butch and masculine, whereas ...
*
Butch and femme
''Butch'' and ''femme'' (; ; ) are terms used in the lesbian subculture to ascribe or acknowledge a masculine (butch) or feminine (femme) identity with its associated traits, behaviors, styles, self-perception, and so on. The terms were found ...
*
Femme
''Femme'' (; , literally meaning "woman") is a term traditionally used to describe a lesbian who exhibits a feminine identity or gender presentation. Alternate meanings of the word also exist with some non-lesbian individuals using the word, ...
Notes
References
External links
''Butch is Not a Dirty Word''magazine
English words
Butch and femme
Lesbian culture
Bisexual culture
Slang terms for women
Women and sexuality
LGBT terminology
Gender roles in the LGBT community
{{LGBT, state=collapsed