Butch is most often a term used to describe a lesbian, or sometimes a bisexual woman, who exhibits a masculine 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.

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''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

History

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External links