Reconsidering Femme Identity: On Centering Trans* Counterculture and Conceptualizing Trans*Femme Theory

abstract:"Femme" as an identity construct and a theoretical frame of reference has historically been conceptualized with trans*femme individuals on the margins, if at all included. This theoretical analysis centers trans*femme identity in the negotiation of a comprehensive conceptualization of femme—proposing an initial framework for trans*femme theory. It is argued that gender from the femme and trans*femme frame of reference is a biopsychosocial phenomenon, which is fluid, inclusive, and vulnerable to change. Additionally, the ways that femme, as discussed here, extends the boundaries of feminist and queer theory is explored. Lastly, an analysis of femme identity framed as a counter-culture is discussed in concluding remarks.