The Sapphic Sanctuary
Femme
A feminine-of-center queer identity and presentation. In sapphic communities, femme names a deliberate, queer relationship to femininity rather than defaulting to straight ideas of womanhood.
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, and femme is not limited to people dating butches. Femme–femme and other pairings are ordinary.
See also butch.