The Sapphic Sanctuary
What does femme mean?
Femme is a feminine-of-center queer identity and presentation. In sapphic communities it names a deliberate, queer relationship to femininity, not default straight girliness.
Last updated: July 19, 2026
Like butch, femme took shape in mid-century lesbian communities. It often means feminine presentation shaped by queer desire and community, not by trying to pass as straight.
Femme people can be cis or trans. Femme is not limited to people dating butches. Femme–femme and other pairings are ordinary.
Nearby words: high femme, feminine of center, and butch. Full entry: femme.