A soft butch, or stem (stud-fem), is 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 ...
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 on the contrary, ultra fem, high femme, and
lipstick lesbian
"Lipstick lesbian" is slang for a lesbian who exhibits a greater amount of feminine gender attributes, such as wearing make-up, dresses or skirts, and having other characteristics associated with feminine women. In popular usage, the term is also ...
are some labels on the spectrum of lesbians with a more prominent expression of femininity, also known as
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 ...
. Soft butches have gender identities of women, but primarily display masculine characteristics; soft butches predominantly express masculinity with a touch of femininity.
The "hardness", or label depicting one's level of masculine expression as a butch is dependent upon the fluidity of her
gender expression
Gender expression, or gender presentation, is a person's behavior, mannerisms, interests, and appearance that are associated with gender, specifically with the categories of femininity or masculinity. This also includes gender roles. These cat ...
.
Soft butches might want to express themselves through their clothing and hairstyle in a more
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 ...
way, but their behavior in a more traditionally
feminine
Femininity (also called womanliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviors considered fe ...
way.
For example, these traits of a soft butch may or may not include short hair, clothing that was designed for men, and masculine mannerisms and behaviors. Soft butches generally appear
androgynous
Androgyny is the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics. Androgyny may be expressed with regard to biological sex, gender identity, or gender expression.
When ''androgyny'' refers to mixed biological sex characteristics i ...
, rather than adhering to strictly feminine or masculine norms and
gender identities. Soft butches generally physically, sexually, and romantically express themselves in more masculine than feminine ways in the majority of those categories.
In addition to a soft butch's gender expression through her outward appearance, she also has a distinctive way of sexually expressing herself. Soft butch women might want to have a more passive role
sexually or
romantically
''Romantically'' is an album by American pop singer Johnny Mathis that was released on November 18, 1963, by Columbia Records and was also the final original studio album recorded by Mathis for the label prior to his moving to Mercury Records. ...
in their relationships, which is generally associated with feminine sexual behavior.
This is an example of how a soft butch's sexuality and outward appearance are not completely masculine, but have some feminine traits. Conversely,
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 ...
es are less fluid in their sexuality and do not want to receive sexual contact from their sexual partners.
This desire to express both masculinity and femininity through one's gender and sexuality is clearly seen in soft butch women, but also across many people of a variety of
sexual orientations.
See also
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Drag king
Drag kings are mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. A typical drag show may incorporate dancing, acting, stand-up comedy and singing, eit ...
*
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 ...
*
Stone femme
A stone butch is a lesbian who displays Butch and femme, 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, gende ...
*
Tomboy
A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...
References
Further reading
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; Books and journals
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; Collections
''Vintage Photographs'' ''Isle of Lesbos'', Sappho.com.
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soft Butch
Butch and femme
Gender roles in the LGBT community
Lesbian culture
LGBT terminology
Slang terms for women
Women and sexuality