Femme: Difference between revisions

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'''Femme''' is a term that refers to a queer person whose [[gender expression]] is considered to be feminine. It was originally used to distinguish feminine lesbian and bisexual women from [[butch]] women, and it is still one of the main uses of the term. It's common for trans and non-binary individuals to use the term to refer to their identity or expression even if they do not identify as lesbian or bisexual women.<ref name="bustler">[https://www.bustle.com/articles/166081-what-does-femme-mean-the-difference-between-being-femme-being-feminine What Does Femme Mean? The Difference Between Being Femme & Being Feminine] on Bustler (bustler.com)</ref> However, this last usage is a bit controversial.<ref name=":0">[http://lesbiansovereverything.com/on-the-appropriation-of-femme/ On the appropriation of femme] on Lesbians over everything (lesbiansovereverything.com)</ref>
'''Femme''' (or '''fem''') means an [[LGBTQ|LGBTQ+]] feminine [[gender expression]] or [[gender identity|identity]]. While many people who identify as femme use the term in reference to their gender expression, others claim it as a [[Nonbinary gender|non-binary gender identity]] in itself. Many think of "femme" as a word that only LGBTQ+ people can use for themselves, and perhaps even only by [[lesbian]] [[women]] (and therefore only by people who identify as [[women]]). This is because this identity emerged in the lesbian community, as a counterpart for [[butch]], a LGBTQ+ masculine female identity. There are many types of femme, such as [[stone]] femme.


==See also==
== Difference between ''femme'' and ''feminine'' ==
The word ''femme'' can only be used to describe people in the LGBTQ+ spectrum. That means that [[cisgender]] straight women should not use the term to describe themselves, as it would be considered appropriation.<ref group="note">Note that, in French, ''femme'' means ''woman.''This articles is about the English usage of this word.</ref> Because there are many stereotypes surrounding femininity, the term ''femme'' is often used to subvert cultural expectations about how a woman should look like. For this reason, many (but not all) people that identify as ''femme'' do not try to adhere to these stereotypes.<ref name="bustler" /> This is similar to how the word ''queer'' was reclaimed by the LGBTQ community.
 
== Usage within the nonbinary community ==
Although originally the term ''femme'' was used to describe women only, its usage has been expanded to the nonbinary community. It is rarely used as a standalone identity, as it normally describes nonbinary people that have a feminine gender expression. This might lead to difficulties for the femme-identifying individual caused by the false assumption that all nonbinary people have an [[Androgyny|androgynous]] expression.<ref>[http://meloukhia.net/2015/04/beyond_the_binary_yes_nonbinary_femmes_exist/ Beyond the binary: Yes, nonbinary femmes exist] on ''this ain't livin''' (meloukhia.net)</ref>
 
=== Controversy ===
The usage of this term by people who do not identify as women is a bit controversial. Some people claim that in the same way that nobody uses the words ''bear'' or ''twink'' unless they are gay men, nobody should use words such as ''femme'' or ''butch'' unless they are women. Therefore, they consider it appropriation.<ref name=":0" />
 
== See also ==
*[[Butch]]
*[[Butch]]
*[[Demigirl]]
*[[Demigirl]]
*[[Boi]]
*[[Boi]]


[[Category:Identities]] [[Category:Nonbinary identities]]
== References ==
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<references/>
{{imported from nonbinary.wiki| type = page|It is part of nonbinary.wiki's import of the original Nonbinary Wiki and is licensed under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC BY 3.0].}}
 
== Notes ==
<references group="note" />
 
[[Category:Nonbinary identities]]