Trashing the Past: Butch and Femme Labels in the Lesbian Community
Project Type
Event
Start Date
3-4-2009 12:00 AM
End Date
3-4-2009 12:00 AM
Trashing the Past: Butch and Femme Labels in the Lesbian Community
Since the 1970‘s, there has been an ongoing argument within the lesbian community overwhether the genders butch and femme should be rejected or embraced. Some lesbian feminists and now queer theorists have gone to great lengths to convince lesbians to reject the labels of butch and femme. They claim that lesbians of the past were forced into these gender roles because of the necessity to conform to a heterosexist society. On the other hand, scholars of gay and lesbian cultural studies oppose the rejection of these genders based on the importance they have played in lesbian history. After a brief review of lesbian history and its relationship with the labels of butch and femme it is evident that modern day lesbians are not being forced into the binary roles of butch and femme. Therefore, it is not necessary to disparage and reject the genders set by lesbian predecessors. Rather, along with other emerging genders, these should be welcome
within the community.
