This article was written by Morgan Faulkner. This article was originally published on Queer Kentucky, and is republished on So.Gay via the publishers’ strategic partnership.
The term “butch,” commonly associated with LGBTQ+ women, originated from a robust Lesbian subculture in the mid-1900s. While its cultural meaning has shifted and is more widely used amongst many different genders and sexualities, it is still predominantly used to describe more masculine-presenting women. In our collections at Faulkner Morgan Archive, we have a wide range of items showcasing a deep history of butch women, long before the term even came to be used as a queer marker.
Clothing has often served as a central aspect of one’s gender expression, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. Take one of our favorite photos in the archive, for instance. While we do not know the exact date, location or subjects of the image, we are still able to explore a queer reading of what we see. The women in this photo are wearing loose-fitting, masculine clothing. We can even see the cuffs are rolled up (pretty substantially we might add) as this style of clothing was not made to fit women at that time. There also seems to be an immense joy radiating from their faces.
How do we know that images we have collected are queer though? We have no idea who these items originally belonged to or who is depicted, but we do know how they were acquired in Kentucky. A gay man from rural Winchester, KY, spent decades at flea markets, yard sales, and antique stores purchasing photographs of what he described as “sissy men” and “manly women.” The photographs had to show, in the collector’s estimation, “that look, somewhere in the eyes.” Many of the photographs display elements of cross dressing or close, intimate contact. All the photographs are anonymous, but for their collector they testified to an early LGBTQ presence in his home state.
Found at a flea market in Georgetown, these stereoscopic cards play quite openly with same-sex desire, showing two women getting married. Even in this same-sex marriage, though, one of the women is clearly dressed more masculine or butch. The two women then go on to even have a baby. The one in masculine dress asks “I wonder where the baby got her blue eyes?” For some, this could just be a humorous, slightly-edgy parlor joke. But if you’re a woman who loves women, living in Kentucky around 1900, these cards could be a revelation—that other forms of love and family can exist.
Oftentimes, masculine clothing and other non-femme appearances acted as visual cues to subtly, or not so subtly, signify queerness to others. These simple differences of dress were also seen as deviant and abnormal. They could also potentially signify more than simple masculine dress, but also of a masculine identity. One article that we’ve found unveils how a community reacted to someone wearing clothing that didn’t match their assigned sex at birth.
Aaron Bark, of Muhlenberg County, was outed after their death in 1903 as a “woman… dressed in men’s clothes.” When this was discovered by the community, they exclaimed that “‘Mr. Bark’ Was A Woman.” Bark apparently shared with a neighbor that living as a man was simply easier for them to survive as it was more difficult for women to make a living for themselves at that time. While this story raises complex questions about our understanding of gender identity in the early 20th century, it is clear that dressing masculine was Bark’s way of survival.
As time has progressed, we begin to see a less binary understanding of gender and sexuality. Faulkner Morgan Archive, in our mission to save and share Kentucky’s LGBTQ history, also records queer Kentucky now, as it happens. Ian Smoking by Louisville-based artist Casie Lewis is a perfect example. Through their bold images, Lewis captures the complexity and frivolity of their circle of trans and genderqueer friends in Kentucky. This photo, in particular, plays with butchness and the gender ambiguity that surrounds butchness. Masculinity is emphasized in this genderqueer imagery.
The Faulkner Morgan Archive works to shed light on the deep historical roots of the LGBTQ+ community here in Kentucky. Through archived photos such as these, the significance of representing varied gender expression becomes evident. By exploring this brief, yet rich, butch history, we share stories that not only acknowledge struggles and triumphs but also to foster a profound sense of belonging.
The Faulkner Morgan Archive is a grassroots community archive with a mission to share Kentucky’s LGBTQ history. Our collections span 200 years of history, representing individuals, events, and institutions across Kentucky’s diverse LGBTQ spectrum, creating a rich resource for activists, scholars, artists, museums, and the curious. We believe sharing our history can change our future. You can find us online at FaulknerMorgan.org or on Facebook and Instagram @FaulknerMorganArchive.
Read more from Queer Kentucky at QueerKentucky.com
