Femme/Butch: New Considerations of the Way We Want to Go

by Michelle Gibson

What are the meanings behind constructed lesbian identities?

This unique collection brings together writing, photography, artwork, and poetry about lesbian butch and femme gender. Femme/ New Considerations of the Way We Want to Go distinguishes itself by celebrating a wide span of intellectual engagement, from reflection to traditional academic work, including both disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches.

In addition to more “serious” writing, lesbian comediennes offer their irreverent takes on femme/butch in this book. Their perspectives are almost never found in academic publications, but what Lea DeLaria, Vickie Shaw, Karen Williams, and other edgy comics have to say about femme/butch sexuality deserves to be heard. You’ll also find that Femme/Butch is essential for the global perspective it brings to lesbian gender. With chapters focused on lesbians in Chinese cultures and on the emerging lesbian community in Bulgaria, this book explores the role of femme/butch identification in cultures without recognizable lesbian institutions.

Here are a few of the questions the contributors to Femme/Butch examine in this remarkable

Genres: LGBT, Butch Femme, Queer, Nonfiction, Lesbian, Queer Studies, History

Paperback

First published January 28, 2002

About the author

Michelle Gibson, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of English and Women's Studies in the University College of the University of Cincinnati. Her articles have appeared in the Journal of Teaching Writing, Feminist Teacher, Writing on the Edge and Studies in Popular Culture.

Reviews

[Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of interesting essays. I only read a few that particularly interested me, but it was worth it for that. This is better geared towards people who are already familiar with butch and fem/me dynamics and identities, as it doesn't seek to explain them, but rather to discuss more niche aspects.

[clover · Rating 3 out of 5]

since it was published in 2002, i knew i would have to go into this book a little open-minded about some of the views, and i was right! some takes were good, and some takes were bad. it's a good reflection of the times though, i will say.