Femme: Difference between revisions

'''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 is common for trans and nonbinary 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="Tonic">{{Cite web |title=What Does Femme Mean? The Difference Between Being Femme & Being Feminine |last=Tonic |first=Gina |work=Bustle |date=24 August 2016 |access-date=28 April 2020 |url= https://www.bustle.com/articles/166081-what-does-femme-mean-the-difference-between-being-femme-being-feminine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228035419/https://www.bustle.com/articles/166081-what-does-femme-mean-the-difference-between-being-femme-being-feminine |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> However, this last usage is has been gatekept by the lesbian community.<ref name=":0">[http://lesbiansovereverything.com/on-the-appropriation-of-femme/ On the appropriation of femme] on Lesbians over everything (lesbiansovereverything.com) [https://web.archive.org/web/20230528162625/https://lesbiansovereverything.com/on-the-appropriation-of-femme/ Archived] on 17 July 2023</ref> A common definition of femme is someone who queers or subverts femininity, as opposed to a butch person, who rejects femininity.<ref name="Shewan">{{Cite web |title=Are you Femme? What Femme Isn’t and What it is. |last=Shewan |first=Briana |work=affirmativecouch.com |date=15 February 2019 |access-date=28 April 2020 |url= https://affirmativecouch.com/are-you-femme-what-femme-isnt-and-what-it-is/ |quote=Femmes may have any gender identity; some consider femme their gender identity, whileother femmes may have a different gender identity (such as transwoman, nonbinary, cis-woman, [[genderfluid]], [[agender]], etc.) and consider femme their gender expression|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230517180543/https://affirmativecouch.com/are-you-femme-what-femme-isnt-and-what-it-is/ |archive-date=17 July 2023 }}</ref> Femme is also sometimes used as a gender in itself.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ain't No Girl…Femme! Queer Femme Identity and Art Making (master's thesis)|date=2016|first=Elyse|last=Schauer |url =https://www.academia.edu/28231820/Aint_No_Girl_Femme_Queer_Femme_Identity_and_Art_Making_Masters_Thesis_|quote=Although some may be aware of the terms ''butch'' and ''femme'', as applied to lesbian women, there is little awareness of femme outside of a lesbian context.  Femme can actually indicate a gender that is altogether separate from ''woman'', and people across gender presentations and sexualities may embrace femme in a queer context.}}</ref>