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Halberstam further argues that butch–femme is uniquely geared to work in lesbian relationships. [15] Stereotypes and definitions of butch and femme vary greatly, even within tight-knit LGBTQ communities. Jewelle Gomez mused that butch and femme women in the earlier twentieth century may have been expressing their closeted transgender identity.
Davis and Kennedy argue that for the working-class women of Buffalo in mid-century America, the frequent adoption of a butch-femme framework for relationships was not a conservative replication of heterosexuality, but instead was born of resistance to a homophobic environment in which women who went out alone or only in the company of other women were at significant physical risk.
Soft butch women might want to have a more passive role sexually or romantically in their relationships, which is generally associated with feminine sexual behavior. [2] This is an example of how a soft butch's sexuality and outward appearance are not completely masculine, but have some feminine traits.
As equality was a priority for lesbian-feminists, disparity of roles between men and women or butch and femme were viewed as patriarchal. Lesbian-feminists eschewed gender role play that had been pervasive in bars, as well as the perceived chauvinism of gay men; many lesbian-feminists refused to work with gay men, or take up their causes.
Lesbian portrayal in media is generally in relation to feminism, love and sexual relationships, marriage and parenting. Some writers have stated that lesbians have often been depicted as exploitative and unjustified plot devices. Common representations of lesbians in the media include butch or femme lesbians and lesbian parents. "Butch" lesbian ...
It was often understood in conjunction with femme identity, and butch–femme relations have been studied at great length. [6] As a result, butch identity on its own remains somewhat ill-defined. [6] Butch people are often described as sexually dominant lesbians who are interested in having sex with femmes. [6]
Some lesbian feminists have argued that butch–femme is a replication of heterosexual relations, while other commentators argue that, while it resonates with heterosexual patterns of relating, butch–femme simultaneously challenges it. [56] In the 1970s, the development of lesbian feminism pushed butch–femme roles out of popularity.
Femme lesbian scholar Joan Nestle describes the femme lesbian identity as being underrepresented in historical records, with femme women having been often attacked for passing as straight while also being accused of imitating heteronormativity for pairing with a butch partner. In Nestle's text on femme identity, "The Femme Question", she ...