Butch and Fem to Butchy-Femme and Femmy-Butch

Butch and fem distinctions have been prevalent throughout much of modern U.S. lesbian history, but how they are defined, expressed, and lived is not only contingent upon the class, race, and ethnicity of the subjects, but also changes over time. A fem lesbian from the 1940s is not the same as a fem lesbian in the 1980s because the societal conditions that shape each period of lesbian culture are so different. World War II was one harbinger of change for butch and fem women; in this paper, I argue that the second wave of feminism was another great catalyst for transformation. Because of the women's movement the construction, function, and composition of the butch-fem dyad underwent great upheavals between the 1950s and the 1980s.