Customer Reviews

Brazen Femme: Queering Femininity

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In the lesbian community, it is uncommon to find a definition of Femme without Butch even though we do, in fact, exist independently. Lesbian community culture it seems is largely semi-androgens and what I have found is that falling in the gaussian tail of feminine identification to be something of a liability. What I am discovering now however is that it feels less important to fit myself into my communities preconception of behavior and presentation, additionally, I am feeling considerably less apologetic about myself.

This is the first account that I've read that most correctly describes my most consistent feelings and behaviors. It has been a greatly beneficial normalization experience for me to have an account of other individuals who feel and behave similarly, particularly since there are only a very few with which I have had contact.

I am thrilled whenever i read a book about femmes that shows a variety of femmes being strong and proud of who they are. I think everyone who loves femmes, is femme, or is curious about femmes should read this book, and add it to their small, but surely growing, collection of femme books. That said, as high femme in my early thirties, i felt a little disconnected from the femmes in this book. I guess it's too much to hope for that i will find something written about femmes that accurately reflects my life and history and choices, but i keep hoping. As it is, I fall somewhere between Femme Mystique and Brazen Femme, a little young for the former, a little old, perhaps, for the latter. My femme friends who are also in their 30's and i have discusssed whether or not we are just jealous of femmes who are coming out now, as queer and femme all at once, whereas we mostly came out as queer and learned about femme later... that could be. In any case, it is an amazing thing for young femmes to have a community of femmes to come out into, and this book is a part of that brilliant, powerful community.

i have to give it 5 stars, even tho i didn't quite connect with some of the writing... i'm gonna keep re-readng this, i'm sure i'll find something new to like every time.

At the beginning of this review, I want to say that I identify as both queer and gender transgressive and typically have an outwardly feminine presentation. I bought this book hoping to read the stories of others who identify as queer femmes and be enlightened or inspired. Unfortunately, the awful grammar and absolute lack of capitalization or punctuation in some of the essays blocked many of the essays' ability to capture my heart or mind. Brazen Femme, with the exception of the excellent essay by Sky Gilbert, also failed to challenge the assumption that to be femme one needs to be born, or remain, biologically female.