LGBTQIA+ Wiki
Register
LGBTQIA+ Wiki
Tag: Visual edit
No edit summary
Tag: Visual edit
 
(28 intermediate revisions by 11 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Stub}}
 
 
{{Infobox
 
{{Infobox
| image = [[File:The Butch Flag.png|thumb|The butch flag, made by tumblr user butchspace]]
+
| image = The Butch Flag.png
| caption =
+
| caption = The butch flag, made by tumblr user butchspace
 
| altname =
 
| altname =
| term =
+
| term =[[Gender identity]] and/or [[gender expression]]
 
| spectrum =
 
| spectrum =
 
| gender =
 
| gender =
Line 13: Line 12:
 
| different = [[Stud]]
 
| different = [[Stud]]
 
}}
 
}}
'''Butch''' is an identity - within the community - to refer to a person whose outward [[gender expression]] matches their culture's understanding of [[Masculine|masculinity]].<ref name="NAME">{{Cite_web|url=https://translanguageprimer.com/Butch|title=Butch|author=[[The Trans Language Primer]]|work=[https://translanguageprimer.com The Trans Language Primer]|archivedate=20211104030449}}</ref><ref name="NAME2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/it%E2%80%99s-butchappreciationday-and-what-butch-means-me|title=It’s #ButchAppreciationDay, and this is what butch means to me|name=Butch and What It Means to Me|author=Yassine Senghor|date=2020-08-19|work=[https://www.stonewall.org.uk/ Stonewall UK]|archivedate=20220125043843}}</ref> Most often the person takes on masculine roles and careers that are typically designated to males within their culture and time period.<ref name="NAME2" />
+
'''Butch''' is an identity within the [[LGBTQIA+]] community of some people whose outward [[gender expression]] matches their culture's understanding of [[Masculine|masculinity]].<ref name="TLP: Butch">{{Cite_web |url=https://translanguageprimer.com/Butch |title=Butch |author=[[The Trans Language Primer]]|work=[https://translanguageprimer.com The Trans Language Primer] |archivedate=20211104030449}}</ref><ref name="Stonewall: Butch">{{Cite web |url=https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/it%E2%80%99s-butchappreciationday-and-what-butch-means-me |title=It's #ButchAppreciationDay, and this is what butch means to me |name=Butch and What It Means to Me |author=Yassine Senghor |date=2020-08-19 |work=[https://www.stonewall.org.uk/ Stonewall UK] |archivedate=20220125043843}}</ref> Most often, butches take on masculine [[Norm#Gender role|roles]] and careers that are typically designated to men within their culture and time period.<ref name="Stonewall: Butch" /> Butch originally referred to a style and gender role performed by masculine [[lesbian]]s,<ref name="Nonbinary Gender Identities">{{Cite_print |author=McNabb, Charlie |title=Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |date=2018 |isbn=9781442275522}}</ref><ref name="A-Z">{{Cite_print |author=Holleb, Morgan Lev Edward |title=The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze |publisher=Jessica Kingsley Publishers |date=2019 |isbn=9781784506636}}</ref><ref name="The Queens' English">{{Cite_print |author=Davis, Chloe O. |title=The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases |publisher=Clarkson Potter/Publishers |date=2021 |isbn=9780593135013}}</ref> and is still often associated with the lesbian community, but its usage and meaning have expanded and are not exclusive to lesbians.<ref name="TLP: Butch" /><ref name="PFLAG: National Glossary of Terms">{{Cite_web |url=https://pflag.org/glossary |title=National Glossary of Terms |author=[[PFLAG]] |archivedate=20220125043743}}</ref> In current usage, butch sometimes refers to a particular [[non-binary]] [[gender identity]].<ref name="Nonbinary Gender Identities" />
   
It has similarities with [[boi]], [[transmasculine]], and other masculine of center identities. Butch is often associated with the [[lesbian]] community,<ref name="TLP: Butch">{{Cite_web|url=https://translanguageprimer.com/Butch|title=Butch|author=[[The Trans Language Primer]]|work=[https://translanguageprimer.com The Trans Language Primer]|archivedate=20211104030449}}</ref><ref name="PFLAG: National Glossary of Terms">{{Cite_web|url=https://pflag.org/glossary|title=National Glossary of Terms|author=[[PFLAG]]|archivedate=20220125043743}}</ref> although not exclusively, and is often understood on a spectrum of butch to [[femme]].<ref name="PFLAG: National Glossary of Terms" /> One variation is "soft butch," a masculine expression that is closer to neutrality than extreme masculinity.<ref name="TLP: Butch" />
+
Butch has similarities with [[boi]], [[transgender|transmasculine]], and other masculine of center identities. It is often understood on a spectrum of butch to [[femme]].<ref name="PFLAG: National Glossary of Terms" /> One variation is "soft butch," a masculine expression that is closer to neutrality than extreme masculinity.<ref name="TLP: Butch" />
   
{{Clear}}
 
 
{{Stub}}
 
{{Stub}}
   
 
==Etymology==
 
==Etymology==
  +
The word butch may have been coined by abbreviating the word butcher, as first noted in George Cassidy's nickname, Butch Cassidy.<ref name="Butch Bottom Femme Top">{{Cite_print |author=Walker, Ja'nina |titlepart=Butch Bottom–Femme Top? An Exploration of Lesbian Stereotypes |title=Journal of Lesbian Studies |version=vol. 6, no. 1 |date=2012-01-12 |archiveurl=https://doi.org/10.1080%2F10894160.2011.557646}}</ref> The specific term was first coined in the 1940s by [[lesbian]] and [[queer]] women, but the concept developed earlier.<ref name="A-Z" />
''Elaborate on the origins of the name.''
 
   
 
==Community==
 
==Community==
Line 27: Line 25:
 
In the United States, butch/[[femme]] roles were common in lesbian communities during the first half of the 20th century.<ref name="Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold">{{Cite_print|author=Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky and Davis, Madeline D.|title=Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community|version=20th anniversary edition|publisher=Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group)|date=2014}}</ref>
 
In the United States, butch/[[femme]] roles were common in lesbian communities during the first half of the 20th century.<ref name="Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold">{{Cite_print|author=Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky and Davis, Madeline D.|title=Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community|version=20th anniversary edition|publisher=Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group)|date=2014}}</ref>
   
=== Flag ===
+
===Flag===
[[File:The Butch Flag.png|thumb|The butch flag, made by tumblr user butchspace in 2017.]]
+
[[File:The Butch Flag.png|thumb|The butch flag, made by Mod Q of the Tumblr account butchspace in 2017.|alt=]]
   
On June 27th 2017, Mod Q of the Tumblr blog ''butch positivity'' (butchspace) and princechaotic posted a seven-striped orange and yellow butch flag design.<ref name="NAME4">{{Cite web |url=https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162316889795/a-new-butch-flag |title=A new butch flag|author=Mod Q of butchspace |date=2017-06-27|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607105836/https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162316889795/a-new-butch-flag|work=[https://butchspace.tumblr.com/butchpostivity butchpositivity] |archivedate=20190607105836}}</ref> The color meanings (posted June 30th 2017):<ref name="NAME3">{{Cite web |url=https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162452543535/based-off-of-princechaotics-suggestions-and-my |title=Color meanings|author=Mod Q of butchspace and princechaotic|date=2017-06-30|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017075347/https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162452543535/based-off-of-princechaotics-suggestions-and-my|work=[https://butchspace.tumblr.com/butchpostivity butchpositivity] |archivedate=20211017075347}}</ref>
+
On June 27, 2017, Mod Q of the Tumblr blog ''butch positivity'' (butchspace) and Tumblr user princechaotic posted a seven-striped orange and yellow butch flag design.<ref name="NAME4">{{Cite web |url=https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162316889795/a-new-butch-flag |title=A new butch flag|author=Mod Q of butchspace |date=2017-06-27|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190607105836/https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162316889795/a-new-butch-flag|work=[https://butchspace.tumblr.com/butchpostivity butchpositivity] |archivedate=20190607105836}}</ref> The color meanings are as follows (posted June 30, 2017):<ref name="NAME3">{{Cite web |url=https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162452543535/based-off-of-princechaotics-suggestions-and-my |title=Color meanings|author=Mod Q of butchspace and princechaotic|date=2017-06-30|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017075347/https://butchspace.tumblr.com/post/162452543535/based-off-of-princechaotics-suggestions-and-my|work=[https://butchspace.tumblr.com/butchpostivity butchpositivity] |archivedate=20211017075347}}</ref>
   
*'''Red:''' Passion and sexuality; inspired by the meaning of red in Gilbert Baker’s pride flag and the complicated yet passionate ways butches relate to their sexualities
+
*'''Red:''' Passion and sexuality; inspired by the meaning of red in Gilbert Baker's pride flag and the complicated yet passionate ways butches relate to their sexualities
*'''Red Orange:''' Courage; being butch is often stigmatized--it symbolizes the strength butches share in learning to find and love themselves
+
*'''Red Orange:''' Courage; being butch is often stigmatized—it symbolizes the strength butches share in learning to find and love themselves
*'''Light Orange:''' Joy; light and soft and symbolizes the joy of being butch that comes despite the hardships
+
*'''Light Orange:''' Joy; the color is light and soft and symbolizes the joy of being butch that comes despite the hardships
*'''White:''' Renewal; discovering oneself as butch is a sort of rebirth and marks the beginning of a new existence
+
*'''White:''' Renewal; discovering oneself as butch is a sort of rebirth and marks the beginning of a new existence
*'''Beige:''' Chivalry; butches have a kind and chivalrous nature--they seek to protect others
+
*'''Beige:''' Chivalry; butches have a kind and chivalrous nature—they seek to protect others
*'''Orange:''' Warmth; how warm butches and butchness can be; finding comfort in being butch
+
*'''Orange:''' Warmth; how warm butches and butchness can be; finding comfort in being butch
*'''Brown:''' Honesty; butches admitting to themselves it is who they are<ref name="NAME3" />
+
*'''Brown:''' Honesty; butches admitting to themselves it is who they are<ref name="NAME3" />
   
 
===Distinction===
 
=== Distinction===
 
 
''Optional section: If the topic has similarities to another gender/orientation, use this section to highlight the differences between them.''
 
''Optional section: If the topic has similarities to another gender/orientation, use this section to highlight the differences between them.''
   
 
=== Perceptions and discrimination===
 
=== Perceptions and discrimination===
Although working class butch/femme culture of the 1940s and 1950s was not a simple [[Heteronormative|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.<ref name="Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold" />
+
Although working class butch/femme culture of the 1940s and 1950s was not a simple [[Norm#Heteronormative|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.<ref name="Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold" />
   
 
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.<ref name="Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold" />
 
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.<ref name="Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold" />
   
 
==Media==
 
==Media==
 
 
===Literature===
 
===Literature===
  +
*''Stone Butch Blues'' by [[Leslie Feinberg]]
 
*[https://lesliefeinberg.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Stone-Butch-Blues-by-Leslie-Feinberg.pdf Stone Butch Blues] by [[Leslie Feinberg]]
 
 
*''Tomboy Survival Guide'' by Ivan E. Coyote
 
*''Tomboy Survival Guide'' by Ivan E. Coyote
  +
*''Girl Mans Up'' by M-E Girard
 
*''Female Masculinity'' by J. Jack Halberstam
 
*''Female Masculinity'' by J. Jack Halberstam
  +
*''Dagger: On Butch Women'' by Lily Burana
  +
*''Life Rewired'' by Lynn Galli
  +
*''Rules of the Road'' by K. Aten
  +
*''Homecoming'' by Nell Stark
  +
*''Something True'' by Karelia Stetz-Waters
  +
  +
=== Film ===
  +
* ''The Watermelon Woman'' (1996)
  +
* ''Rafiki'' (2018)
  +
* ''Go Fish'' (1994)
  +
* ''Fun Home'' (2006)
  +
* ''Better Than Chocolate'' (1999)
   
 
==Resources==
 
==Resources==
 
*[https://lesliefeinberg.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Stone-Butch-Blues-by-Leslie-Feinberg.pdf ''Stone Butch Blues''] by Leslie Feinberg, 20th Anniversary Author's Edition, available as a free PDF through hir estate
   
 
==References==
 
==References==
Line 63: Line 72:
   
 
[[Category:LGBTQIA+ identities]]
 
[[Category:LGBTQIA+ identities]]
  +
  +
[[es:Butch]]
  +
[[de:Butch]]

Latest revision as of 02:05, 2 February 2024

Butch is an identity within the LGBTQIA+ community of some people whose outward gender expression matches their culture's understanding of masculinity.[1][2] Most often, butches take on masculine roles and careers that are typically designated to men within their culture and time period.[2] Butch originally referred to a style and gender role performed by masculine lesbians,[3][4][5] and is still often associated with the lesbian community, but its usage and meaning have expanded and are not exclusive to lesbians.[1][6] In current usage, butch sometimes refers to a particular non-binary gender identity.[3]

Butch has similarities with boi, transmasculine, and other masculine of center identities. It is often understood on a spectrum of butch to femme.[6] One variation is "soft butch," a masculine expression that is closer to neutrality than extreme masculinity.[1]

Site-logo Stub
This article is a stub. You can help LGBTQIA+ Wiki by expanding it.

Etymology

The word butch may have been coined by abbreviating the word butcher, as first noted in George Cassidy's nickname, Butch Cassidy.[7] The specific term was first coined in the 1940s by lesbian and queer women, but the concept developed earlier.[4]

Community

History

In the United States, butch/femme roles were common in lesbian communities during the first half of the 20th century.[8]

Flag

The Butch Flag

The butch flag, made by Mod Q of the Tumblr account butchspace in 2017.

On June 27, 2017, Mod Q of the Tumblr blog butch positivity (butchspace) and Tumblr user princechaotic posted a seven-striped orange and yellow butch flag design.[9] The color meanings are as follows (posted June 30, 2017):[10]

  • Red: Passion and sexuality; inspired by the meaning of red in Gilbert Baker's pride flag and the complicated yet passionate ways butches relate to their sexualities
  • Red Orange: Courage; being butch is often stigmatized—it symbolizes the strength butches share in learning to find and love themselves
  • Light Orange: Joy; the color is light and soft and symbolizes the joy of being butch that comes despite the hardships
  • White: Renewal; discovering oneself as butch is a sort of rebirth and marks the beginning of a new existence
  • Beige: Chivalry; butches have a kind and chivalrous nature—they seek to protect others
  • Orange: Warmth; how warm butches and butchness can be; finding comfort in being butch
  • Brown: Honesty; butches admitting to themselves it is who they are[10]

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.[8]

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.[8]

Media

Literature

  • Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg
  • Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan E. Coyote
  • Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard
  • Female Masculinity by J. Jack Halberstam
  • Dagger: On Butch Women by Lily Burana
  • Life Rewired by Lynn Galli
  • Rules of the Road by K. Aten
  • Homecoming by Nell Stark
  • Something True by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Film

  • The Watermelon Woman (1996)
  • Rafiki (2018)
  • Go Fish (1994)
  • Fun Home (2006)
  • Better Than Chocolate (1999)

Resources

  • Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg, 20th Anniversary Author's Edition, available as a free PDF through hir estate

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Trans Language Primer: "Butch". The Trans Language Primer. (Archived on November 4, 2021).
  2. 2.0 2.1 Yassine Senghor: "It's #ButchAppreciationDay, and this is what butch means to me" (2020-08-19). Stonewall UK. (Archived on January 25, 2022).
  3. 3.0 3.1 McNabb, Charlie. Nonbinary Gender Identities: History, Culture, Resources. Rowman & Littlefield, 2018. ISBN 9781442275522.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Holleb, Morgan Lev Edward. The A-Z of Gender and Sexuality: From Ace to Ze. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2019. ISBN 9781784506636.
  5. Davis, Chloe O.. The Queens' English: The LGBTQIA+ Dictionary of Lingo and Colloquial Phrases. Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2021. ISBN 9780593135013.
  6. 6.0 6.1 PFLAG: "National Glossary of Terms". pflag.org. (Archived on January 25, 2022).
  7. Walker, Ja'nina. "Butch Bottom–Femme Top? An Exploration of Lesbian Stereotypes". Journal of Lesbian Studies. vol. 6, no. 1, 2012-01-12.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Kennedy, Elizabeth Lapovsky and Davis, Madeline D.. Boots of Leather, Slippers of Gold: The History of a Lesbian Community. 20th anniversary edition, Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group), 2014.
  9. Mod Q of butchspace: "A new butch flag" (2017-06-27). butchpositivity. (Archived version).
  10. 10.0 10.1 Mod Q of butchspace and princechaotic: "Color meanings" (2017-06-30). butchpositivity. (Archived version).