URLF Project: PromotingQueerLiteracy

Butch Lesbians

Butch lesbians are a type of lesbian who presents using more traditionally masculine gender signifiers in direct opposition of the male gaze and societal expectations of femininity. Butchness and its opposite femme--or in some instances camp--were not unique to lesbians, and were used as general descriptors by gay men as well to communicate presentation and behavior, but over time, the labels became associated almost entirely with lesbians as the gay movement evolved in the 80's and 90's.
In the 70's, and earlier, deviation from feminine norms by women was significantly more taboo than it is today. As such butchness was a quick and easy way for lesbians to signal to each other their queerness. Over time this evolved into prescribed relationship roles where femmes were always supposed to date butches and vice versa. Backlash to this expectation gave butches a bad reputation, as being gross and recreating traditional straight relationship dynamics, as a result their prevalence waned over time.
Today traditional Butch lesbians are significantly less common and seen as 'stodgy or old fashion.' Nonetheless as it becomes more common for queer people to question their gender and take more control over their presentation, Butchness represents an opportunity for lesbian people to exist outside of gender expectations following in the trail of their queer ancestors.

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