Butch is an identity - within the community - to refer to a person whose outward gender expression matches their culture's understanding of masculinity.[1][2] Most often they take on masculine roles and careers that were/are typically denoted to males within their culture and time period.[1]
It has similarities with boi, transmasculine, and other masculine of center identities. Butch is often associated with the lesbian community,[3][4] although not exclusively, and is often understood on a spectrum of butch to femme.[4] One variation is "soft butch," a masculine expression that is closer to neutrality than extreme masculinity.[3]
Etymology
Elaborate on the origins of the name.
Community
History
In the United States, butch/femme roles were common in lesbian communities during the first half of the 20th century.[5]
Distinction
Optional section: If the topic has similarities to another gender/orientation, use this section to highlight the differences between them.
Perceptions and discrimination
Although working class butch/femme culture of the 1940s and 1950s was not a simple imitation of heterosexuality, that assumption led to stereotyping and dismissal by many lesbian feminists, the medical establishment, and more affluent lesbians and gay men. The dominant discourse of feminism and lesbian feminism in the 1970s and early 1980s regarded butch/femme communities as incompatible with feminism and marginalized them in lesbian history. From that perspective, butch/femme roles were criticized as reproducing patriarchy and hierarchies within women's relationships; they were not seen as being distinct, transformative, or a form of resistance to the oppression of women.[5]
In the 20th anniversary edition of Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community co-author Elizabeth Lapovsky Kennedy noted that there is more work to be done regarding the history of transgender men. Masculine-presenting people who were assumed to be butch women may have been trans men or otherwise had a different understanding of their gender. The assumptions of gender led to mistakes in documentation, oversimplifying a history that is more complicated.[5]
Media
This section should be used to elaborate on the portrayal and representation of this identity in various forms of media, which can include a listing or links to various artists or movies, series, etc. Subheadings like Film, Television, Literature, and Music should be used where appropriate.
Resources
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Butch" by The Trans Language Primer on translanguageprimer.com (Archived on November 4, 2021).
- ↑ "Butch Appreciation Day and What Butch Means to Me" by Yassine Senghor on stonewall.org.uk. Published 2020-08-19
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Butch" by The Trans Language Primer on translanguageprimer.com (Archived on November 4, 2021).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "National Glossary of Terms" by PFLAG on pflag.org
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community, 20th anniversary edition by Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky and Davis, Madeline D.. Published 2014 by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group)