What is a butch?

Answer 1

When people describe someone else as 'butch' it means that they are considered masculine.

It can be used to describe men and women. For instance, a gay female may be referred to as 'butch' if they are considered more masculine in their personality, appearance or their expression. Examples could be if they have a short haircut, wear clothes with a lack of femininity or have a slightly deeper voice - all of these things would be considered 'butch' if being stereotypical.

For a gay man, people may say "That guy's a bit butch for a gay" which would mean that they were considered more masculine that gay men are often expected to be. Gay men are often expected to all be rather 'camp'.

Camp pretty much means the opposite of butch, being considered more feminine in appearance, personality or expression. Examples: a man with a higher, more feminine voice, being interested in things that you might expect women to be; taking more pride in their appearance or even something as simple as not being as interested in masculine sports like Basketball, Ice Hockey or football.

Being 'butch' or 'camp' does appear amongst people who are lesbian and gay. However, these words used to describe homosexuals are stereotypical and it needs to be made clear that not all lesbians are butch and not all gay men are camp.

I hope this helped answer your question and possibly others that were also not clear.

Answer 2

"Butch" is a term used in the LGBTQ+ community to describe someone who presents themselves in a more masculine manner, often in contrast to more traditionally feminine gender expressions. It is a way for individuals to express their identity and may or may not be tied to their sexual orientation.

Answer 3

A butch is a masculine gay woman. Not all masculine women are gay. Being gay is a sexual preference and has nothing to do with disliking men or wanting to be men. Just as being a gay man does not mean that they hate women, or want to be women.

Answer 4

A manly lesbian