Femboy
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"Femboy" (/ˈfɛmbɔɪ/ ), also spelled "femboi", is a modern term used to refer to individuals, usually but not exclusively men, who express themselves in traditionally feminine behaviours. This may be through the use of jewellery, feminine clothing and makeup, as well as the manifestation of sensitivity and emotional vulnerability. The term itself does not denote a specific sexual orientation or gender role.[1]
Etymology
The term "femboy" is a portmanteau of the words "feminine" and "boy".[2] The variant "femboi" uses the LGBT term "boi", and may refer to "softer" individuals: for example, young trans men or butch lesbians.[3] Collins English Dictionary defines it as "a male whose appearance and behavioural traits are regarded as conventionally feminine".[2] The term is used to describe men who express their gender identity through choosing feminine traits of behaviour, clothing style, and appearance, challenging traditional behavioural boundaries that traditionally attribute masculinity and heterosexuality to men.[4]
Visibility
Femboy culture began to take shape in the United States in the 1990s, and this is known from reliable sources. it later spread to Japan and South Korea, where it is especially popular in the music and entertainment industry.[5] The term femboy has become more popular in Japan in anime and manga fandoms, where it is used to describe men with feminine traits in behaviour and appearance. Later, the term spread to other countries and found its place in Internet culture, blogs and social networks, where members of the archetype share their photos and information about their lives.[6]
In 2013, Pornhub introduced a separate category dedicated to femboys, and since then, interest in the term has grown significantly.[7] The community is also visible on Reddit and TikTok. Teri Lightning views TikTok as being one of the few platforms where gender non-confirming individuals are have free self-expression, and sees the emergence of "#femboy" content on the platform as exemplifying the accepting attitude of younger generations towards gender variance.[8]
According to Aye Lei Tun, femboy culture was present in Myanmar's Spring Revolution, protesting against the ruling military junta imposed after the 2021 coup d'état. In the protests, femboy outfits were encouraged to attract media attention, with gender-nonconforming outfits being worn by non-femboy protestors; Tun sees the introduction of femboy culture, which was previously unfamiliar to Myanmar, as being a tactic to lead towards a "social and cultural ideological revolution".[9]
See also
- Effeminacy, the presence of feminine qualities in men
- "Sissy", a pejorative term for effeminate men
- Tomboy, the feminine equivalent of the term
References
- ^ Maltese, Stefano (2022). "Dalle traiettorie underground verso gli altrove della formazione: il movimento pedagogico delle adolescenze non binarie". Pedagogia delle Differenze (in Italian): 157–178. ISSN 2785-6895. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ a b "Femboy". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ "What Is A "Femboy"?". Dictionary.com. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ Foster, Jordan; Baker, Jayne (July 2022). "Muscles, Makeup, and Femboys: Analyzing TikTok's "Radical" Masculinities". Social Media + Society (3): 205630512211260. doi:10.1177/20563051221126040. ISSN 2056-3051. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
- ^ Natsuki Kato. (2 abr 2021). "Femboys And Gender Performance In Japan". Kotaku. Allure Media.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Ran, Dani (2020-08-13). "Introducing the 'Femboys' Taking TikTok By Storm". Vice. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
- ^ "What Is A "Femboy"?". Dictionary.com. 2021-01-26. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
- ^ Lightning, Teri (2021-12-18). Examining attitudes toward gender outlaws on Tik Tok (M.A. thesis). Ball State University. p. 2.
- ^ Tun, Aye Lei (June 2023). "Deconstructing and Reinforcing Gender Norms and Cultural Taboos in Myanmar's Spring Revolution". Journal of Burma Studies. 27 (1): 39, 48–49. doi:10.1353/jbs.2023.0001. ISSN 2010-314X.
