i saw a post asking "why is butchfemme so white?" and i would like to answer this with a thoughtful, intersectional approach (and my source)!
in the 40's, butchfemme was just developing- with white lesbians cruising was popular, as was meeting in the backroom of bars that owners opened up at great risk to themselves. neither option were available to black lesbians unfortunately, so they resorted mostly to socials or local house parties organized by each other. (source: boots of leather, slippers of gold, page 32-35)
by the 50's, butchfemme subculture was growing, with more options for bars to visit and more choices of venues to frequent to meet women. there was a growing sense of protection within butchfemme culture- with a femme on your arm, a butch could walk down the street and go unharassed by police. jobs were suddenly available to the femme and/or the butch, and connections could be made within circles that allowed for freedom of movement and sharing of information unlike ever before. cruising became less popular in favor of bar culture, and black lesbians were for the first time allowed to enter bars. (source: boots of leather, slippers of gold, page 46-47)
when black lesbians entered white bars for the first time in the late 1950's, they did not like what they saw. within black lesbian social circles, the etiquette was specific and almost completely parallel to the white lesbian rules. while white lesbians had been cruising and fucking in park bathroom stalls, black lesbians had been bringing bouquets of violets for their love interests and mingling on couches. much of what butchfemme had become was never even available to black lesbians to begin with- and now it certainly wasn't. there could be no safety from cops found walking down the street together. there were very few jobs, let alone good paying ones for black women. cruising while black was incredibly dangerous. this new culture literally had not been built for them, and they were determined to build a culture that worked for them. (source: boots of leather, slippers of gold, page 60, page 98-103, page 192)
stud culture grew out of this exact moment. intersectionality was very much needed for black lesbians, and they created a culture where they could feel seen and whole as individuals as opposed to trying to fit into the pre-existing mold that had been created by their white butchfemme counterparts. (source: anita cornwell, black lesbian in white america)
so: why is butchfemme so white? well, because it was. and that's not to say that if you are a person of color and you are butch or femme that you are any less so for being so now- rock on with your bad self. but that is to say that it may be a little harder to find yourself in those historical photos, or to feel yourself represented at times, and that's not an excuse. we should all work to make our world more intersectional and more loving at all times.
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