Femininity

Femininity

(noun | feminine, adjective)

Femininity is a concept that varies widely by culture. What is considered feminine in some places may be seen as neutral or even masculine in others. It also varies within cultures– for example, cooking in the home is seen as feminine labor in many places, but most professional chefs are men who are seen as relatively masculine.

The questions of who is and is not feminine are often deeply embedded into all sorts of social and cultural activities, and many times, the ideas that our cultures have about femininity are toxic and negative. Limiting femininity to any one thing, or even several things would be problematic because not all ‘markers’ of femininity are accessible to people at various intersections of oppression and what any two people consider feminine could (and often does) vary widely.

e.g. Joelle was seen as feminine because of their outward presentation, but they do not see themself that way.

Further reading to gain expanded context:

Who Can and Cannot be Feminine… | The Body is Not an Apology

Ain’t We Femme? | The Body is Not an Apology

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