The English word "butch" stands for "masculine". This is used by members of the lesbian community to describe a person with particularly masculine gender expressions. Complementary to this, a masculine gender identity can also be underlined with the help of "butch".
Put simply, "butch" is virtually the opposite of the word "femme", the French term for "woman".
Classically, the persons concerned refer to themselves as "butch". This is not an insult or defamation, but rather a way to distinguish oneself from others and to externalize one's own identification.
Not only lesbians call themselves "butch"
Especially at a time when the term "butch" was just beginning to spread, lesbian women in particular used it for themselves. Accordingly, it is an original self-designation that has been taken up over time by other parts of the community - either to describe masculine-looking lesbians or themselves.
In this context, it is particularly interesting that by now not only lesbian women, but also other queers call themselves this way. Among others, non-binary people can also be "butch". Even cis men can be classified as "especially masculine" with this term.
Due to the fact that the term is becoming more and more common in general, more and more people also know what to do with it. Exactly this fact can then be used to one's own advantage when flirting - among other things in chats.
"Butch" in chat
Anyone who regularly chats knows that it can be worth a lot to express oneself unambiguously with just a few words. The word "butch" plays an important role for more and more people in this context. After all, it is so easy to describe at least roughly how the dating partner should look like.
Due to the fact that the word butch has long ceased to describe only lesbians, it goes without saying why, among other things, it is now often represented in other types of queer chats.
The term "masc" is often used in this context. This abbreviation is virtually synonymous with "butch".
Is "butch" an insult?
In the original sense, Butch is not an insult. After all, the lesbian community itself decided to create this name to distinguish women with particularly masculine features from other women.
However, there is one particular prejudice associated with "butch" that is spread again and again, especially by people outside the scene. These often claim that in lesbian relationships there would "always be a man after all" and thus allude to masculine appearances.
Of course, it is not possible to speak of standards or the like here. At the same time, of course, it would be wrong to see a lesbian in every male-looking woman.
Nowadays, a "butch look" of queer people is an important part of self-identification. The people in question show how they feel through their look, but also through their behavior to the outside world. Whether this is "only" on clothes or also on the hairstyle and other things is up to each person. For example, there are also people who would be described by some as "butch", but by others as "not butch".
Otherwise, as long as the word butch is not meant pejoratively, it is not an insult in the classical sense.
What all there is so exciting!