Butch

Butch is a term use to describe a Lesbian, who expresses masculine features in appearance, behavior, or identity. It is also used by some gay, nonbinary, and other queer individuals to describe a hard or traditional masculine style.

History
The word "butch" entered mainstream culture in the 1940s with American working-class lesbians, particularly in bars and subcultures that rejected the gender roles.  Before this, similar identities were described using terms such as "bull dagger" in Black lesbian subcultures during the 1920s.  Butch culture developed with "femme" identities to form the "butch-femme dynamic", in which butches were often protective in relationships.

During the mid-20th century, butch lesbians were discriminated against, with police raids and brutality against them. Butch lesbians participated in protests such as the 1969 Stonewall Riots, which initiated the contemporary LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Criticism
The word has been criticized. In the 1970s, some feminist communities felt that butch-femme relationships were merely copying straight norms, while others reclaimed it as something powerful.  

Cultural Influence
Such novels as "Stone Butch Blues" (1993) by Leslie Feinberg have explored butch identity and its intersection with transgender experience.

References

Category:LGBT identities