Two Articles About Butch Lesbian

Jalas, Christina. "Butch Lesbians and Desire."

What, according to Jalas, is the relationship between sex, gender, and sexuality?

How do you think gender and sexuality impact personal identity?

Jalas posits that the butch-femme couple represents a gendered binary or complement, whereas butch-butch desire is perceived of more as "homosexual" due to the close alignment of their gender and sexual orientations. Do you agree with the author's assessment?

Jalas frames "butch" as being more related to gender identity and "lesbian" as being more related to sexual preference. Just as it is possible to be lesbian and femme, is it therefore possible to be both butch and heterosexual?

One of the central themes in Jalas's essay is desire, a complex issue. Gender has a strong link to desire, as one's gender preferences inspire sexual desire. Why do you think societies have stigmas against same-sex desire, regardless of how one perceives his or her own gender, or that of their partner?

6. The author critiques the butch-femme stereotype to show that even in queer literature, there is an overarching assumption that opposites attract, and that gender must inspire desire. Can you think of any examples from literature or popular culture that refute these stereotypes in either same-sex or heterosexual relationships?

Case, Sue-Ellen. "Towards a Butch-Femme Aesthetic."

1. The author critiques the "butch-femme" binary, while also suggesting that the idealized butch-femme couple reveals much about lesbian identity. What do you think Case means about the "functions of roles in the homosexual lifestyle," and how do you think those roles differ from those in heterosexual lifestyles (3)?

2. The female is frequently positioned as a "subject." Why does this have political implications for Case, and how does the author bridge female "subjectification" with the subjects of race and class as well?

3. Why does Case claim that the anti-pornography movement was strengthened by homophobia? What is feminist pornography, and is it possible to have a feminist pornography that is targeted at (straight) men?