Butch

Butch
Categorization
Type	Gender expression
History

Butch is a term used to refer to a subculture with the LGBT+ community that describes someone who has a masculine gender expression, usually beyond what would be considered a tomboy.

Etymology

The term possibly comes from the masculine nickname, Butch.

Pronunciation

• Phonetic: Buch
• IPA: bʊʧ

Definitions

• notably or deliberately masculine in appearance or manner - Merriam-Webster
• Traditionally, in lesbian culture, the word ‘butch’ refers to a woman whose gender expression and traits present as typically ‘masculine’. - Stonewall.org

History

The term first emerged among working-class lesbian bar culture, and regained popularity in the 1990s, though the exact origin of the term is unknown.

Community

There are other terms that are synonymous with butch, such as "diesel dyke" and "dyke," also the terms "bulldagger" and "bulldyke," which are exclusive to the black community.

There are also different sub-categories of the butch label.

• Stone Butch: A butch individual who does not let their partner(s) touch their genitals sexually. They may still provide their partner(s) sexual gratification in other ways.
• Stud: A black butch individual. This subcategory tends to be more influenced by urban and hip-hop cultures and fashion.
• Soft Butch: A butch individual who does not act very tough and may be a softer type of individual.
• Butch Twink: A common combination used by non-binary individuals. This is also known as butchwink, buink or twutch.

Statistics

A 2015 survey of non-cis individuals in the United States show that 5% of participants, around 1,385 individuals, identify as butch.

Related Terms

See Also

• Femme
• Futch

Gallery

Flags

• 

  Butch flag by butchspace

• 

  Butch flag by unknown individual

• 

  Sky Butch flag

• 

  Black Butch Community flag

The butch flag was created by Tumblr user butchspace on June 27, 2017. The flag has no known meaning.

The blue butch flag was created by an unknown individual on or before August 25, 2016. This flag has no known meaning.

The "Sky Butch" flag was created by Tumblr user kenochoric on December 22, 2020. It is also an all-inclusive flag. Orange represents the inclusion of butches of color, fat butches, disabled butches, Gender Non-Conforming butches and all other kinds of butches. Red-pink represents autonomy and independence. White-red represents inclusivity and tolerance, along with not having to prove oneself to be butch. Pink represents support for femmes, other butches and the wider community. Purple represents butch history and culture. Blue represents LGBTQ+ history.

The "Black Butch Community" flag was created by Tumblr user the-gender-thieves on April 11, 2022. The colors were inspired by the dyke flag and both of the most common butch flags. Black represents black history and black sapphic history. Magenta/purple represents lesbian and sapphic history, love of women and non-men and sapphic power. Dark purple represents inclusivity of all sapphics, including trans, non-binary, mspec, aroacespec and other sapphics. Light orange represents butchness, gender non-conformity, solidarity and unity. The symbol used is the coiner's butch symbol, representing strength, rebellion and liberation.

The butch symbol was designed on October 4, 2014 by a group of non-binary Brazilians. It is based on the male symbol, but with longer prongs.

Other

• 

  Butch symbol