Stone butch explained

A stone butch is a lesbian who displays female butchness or traditional "masculinity" and who does not allow their genitals to be touched during sexual activity,[1] as opposed to a stone femme.

Etymology and history

The term stone butch was popularized by Leslie Feinberg's 1993 novel Stone Butch Blues, which describes the protagonist's explorations of the lesbian community. A large segment is devoted to the tribulations of being a stone butch person, and the experience of being a lesbian while identifying with masculine traits.[2]

Bonnie Zimmerman documents a use of the term to refer to a lesbian who "does not allow herself to be touched during lovemaking", but may experience vicarious sexual pleasure from her partner's enjoyment.[3] Zimmerman notes that this may have been particularly prevalent in the 1940s and 1950s.[3]

Social role

The term stone butch has also been used in reference to a subculture or set of mannerisms,[4] as opposed to a statement about sexual behaviour. In this context, 'stone butch' can describe the opposite of 'femme' or 'high femme' attributes,[5] although an individual can identify with both categories.[6]

Stone butch identities can overlap with non-binary gender identities and transgender masculine identities among lesbians.[7] [8] [9] [10] The sociologist Sara Crawley has written that, while stone butch and masculine transgender identities may share significant characteristics, the primary distinction between the two is that lesbian self-identification prioritizes communicating one's identity to a specifically lesbian audience, whereas transgender masculine self-identification does not.[11] Similarly, Jack Halberstam has contextualised stone butch identities as one of many distinct female masculinities.[12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Book: Halberstam. Judith. Female Masculinity. 1998. 1st. 111. Duke University Press. Lesbian Masculinity: Even Stone Butches Get the Blues. 0822322269. registration. https://archive.org/details/femalemasculinit00judi/page/111.
  2. Book: Feinberg. Leslie. Stone Butch Blues: A Novel. 1993. 1st. Firebrand Books. 1563410303.
  3. Book: Zimmerman. Bonnie. Lesbian Histories and Cultures. 1999. 1st. 140. Routledge. 978-0815319207. registration.
  4. Chick magnets on "Gentleman Jack" and "Killing Eve" . 22 April 2019 . The New Yorker . 1 February 2020 . Nussbaum . Emily.
  5. News: Where do you stand on the futch scale? . 7 May 2018 . Gay Star News . 1 February 2020 . Mathers . Charlie . 19 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220519192545/https://www.gaystarnews.com/article/futch-scale-meme/ . dead .
  6. Web site: Based on LGBTQ+ style terms, I've never been able to put a label the type of lesbian I am . Bustle . 5 April 2019 . 1 February 2020.
  7. News: The struggles of rejecting the gender binary . 4 June 2019 . The New York Times Magazine . 1 February 2020 . Bergner . Daniel.
  8. Web site: Andrea Lawlor explores the wild possibilities of sexual-shapeshifting . Dazed . 18 April 2019 . 1 February 2020.
  9. Web site: 17 lesbian slang terms every baby gay needs to learn . Refinery 29 . 30 March 2018 . 1 February 2020.
  10. Ormiston . Wendy . Stone butch celebration: A Transgender-inspired revolution in academia . 198–216 . July 1996 . 10.17763/haer.66.2.46r7n64515203412 . Harvard Educational Review . 66 . 2.
  11. Crawley . Sara . Prioritizing Audiences: Exploring the Differences Between Stone Butch and Transgender Selves . 11–24 . 5 October 2008 . 10.1300/J155v06n02_04 . Journal of Lesbian Studies . 6 . 2. 24807655 . 11095070 .
  12. Book: Halberstam, Jack . 1 January 1988 . 9780822322269 . Female Masculinity . Duke University Press . 10.1215/9780822378112 . registration .

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