femme

Femme is the French word for woman and, in English, is used to describe feminine gender expression or a person who identifies or presents as feminine. The term can refer to gender, clothing, demeanor, and overall presentation, and it is often defined by how a person chooses to express themselves rather than by a fixed set of traits.

In LGBTQ+ contexts, femme commonly denotes a feminine-presenting person within lesbian, bisexual, queer, and other communities. Its historical usage is linked to butch–femme dynamics that emerged in mid-20th-century North American and European lesbian subcultures, where femme described a feminine identity in contrast to more masculine-presenting partners. Since then, the term has broadened: many people who identify as femme have diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, including cisgender women, transgender women, and some nonbinary individuals who embrace femininity. For some, femme is a political or cultural identity that foregrounds style, affect, and community ties.

Femme presentation can encompass fashion, makeup, voice, and social behavior, and it intersects with race, class, age, and other facets of identity. In critique, femme has been examined for stereotypes that associate femininity with passivity or conventional gender roles, leading to discussions about gender performance and agency within queer communities. Today, individuals may embrace the term on their own terms, redefine it, or opt for alternatives that better reflect their self-understanding.