What is a futch lesbian? The sapphic term explained by an LGBTQ+ dating expert

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13 hours ago

There are so many flavors of lesbians in the world, a veritable smorgasbord of identities that make the sapphic community so delightful. Go into a lesbian bar and you're sure to find butches, studs, high femmes, and lipstick lesbians.
But what if you're somewhere in between? Not butch, but not a femme either. Enter 'futch,' a term for sapphics that don't fit these other labels.
We wanted to drill down on what a 'futch lesbian' is, where the term came from, and how it's different from other labels, so we reached out to LGBTQ+ dating expert Leona Hambarian, the COO of transgender dating app Fiorry, who broke it all down.
What is a futch lesbian, and where did the term originate?
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Two futch lesbians about to kiss.
'Futch' is a portmanteau of 'femme' and 'butch' that originated in lesbian communities on Tumblr in the 2010s. The term grew in popularity after someone created a 'futch scale' that shows the breakdown of identities with high femme on one side of the scale, stone butch on the other, and futch right in the middle, sandwiched between 'butchy femme' and 'soft butch.'
'Futch is a lesbian identity term that was a combination of femme and butch, a person whose gender expression is somewhere in the middle or fluidly combines these two terms,' Hambarian explains.
You may be thinking, 'This sounds a lot like a chapstick lesbian.' And you wouldn't be far off. Chapstick lesbians and 'futch lesbians" are almost interchangeable labels, and the difference is mostly just vibes, but some people say that chapstick lesbians are a subset of futches, who are just more practical and lower maintenance.
How does it present?
'Presentation is varied but generally consists of a conscious blend of what are considered traditionally feminine and masculine elements such as wearing make-up with jeans and boots, a dress with a leather jacket, or a short haircut with flashy jewelry. It is about a personal style remix that does not seem artificial or tacked on one side of the spectrum,' she says.
Think Kristen Stewart, Hayley Kiyoko, or Teagan and Sara.
How is it different than a nonbinary lesbian?
While there are plenty of people who are nonbinary but still resonate with the lesbian identity, and nonbinary folks who consider themselves to be futch too, the term 'futch' stands on it's own as a descriptor for sapphics who are both butch and femme.
'Futch typically refers to a style or an expression of a lesbian identity which remains based in womanhood/female experience. Nonbinary lesbian is a lesbian whose gender identity is not strictly male or female, but they may or may not call themselves futch to describe their appearance,' Hambarian says.
How is it different from other lesbians who are more masc?
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The lesbian flag.
There are so many labels these days that things can get confusing. Are you futch? Or are you a butchy femme, soft butch, or chapstick lesbian? Knowing the differences can help you understand yourself and give you a shorthand for describing who you are to other people.
'Whereas masc lesbians express themselves almost exclusively in a masculine fashion and where center (as in chapstick) frequently suggests a soft, neutral appearance, futch specifically emphasizes a deliberate mix or fluidity between overtly femme and butch elements, not a single middle ground or consistent masc lean,' she explains.
How is it different from other lesbians who are more femme?
Futch lesbians present with both masculine and feminine characteristics and styling, as opposed to other identities that lean more femme or even androgynous.
'Futch differs from any typical 'femme' expression by including visible masculine elements and varies from 'center' identities by actively mixing and matching clear femme and butch signifiers as opposed to more neutral presentation,' Hambarian says.
Who can be a futch lesbian? How does gender interact with this identity?
According to Hambarian, the term futch usually refers to lesbians, queer women, and sapphics who are 'comfortable with a fluid gender expression.'
'It is a description of how they choose to present themselves, not their underlying gender identity. Although it has its origins in lesbian circles, its fundamental idea of combined expression might find appeal elsewhere in those experimenting with fluid styles,' she explains.
This article originally appeared on Pride: What is a futch lesbian? The sapphic term explained by an LGBTQ+ dating expert
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