Regarding the ever-conflicting and discussed topic of gender identity and gender roles, the author of “Female Masculinity” dives into the topic of the women who aren’t following the normative, socially accepted path of womanhood; women who challenge the idea of male masculinity by accepting their masculine side. The author goes into showing the history of, what is called the “butch” woman and details the issues of transsexual identity, homosexuality, and social stereotyping.
The topic of masculine women has been undermined, compared to the counterpart of feminine men, through history and the author notes that he wanted to shed light on them, as existing and unchangeable parts of society. The reasoning behind that, the author reveals is, that she is a masculine woman, and was shamed for it for her entire life until she decided to find the strength in it and accept herself as she is.
The main purpose of the book is to open up a necessary discussion and question gender concepts. It was first published in 1998, and was nominated for several awards, including “Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Studies”.
