“lesbian texts are passed from hand to hand and mouth to mouth between lesbians. they are located on the skin, in the look, in the geography of the palms of the hands. lesbian literature exists in pieces: in flyers, newsletters, magazines, chapbooks, bathroom stalls, notes, novels, e-mails, love letters, on tiny scraps of paper. lesbian literature also exists in texts that don’t seem to have anything at all to do with lesbians or literature: a customer copy of an American Express receipt, dinner for two at Café Aroma; a torn pack of Trojans that once housed bright red lubricated condoms; a box of Celestial Seasoning’s raspberry zinger tea; a matchbook cover with “Lario’s” on the outside and “call me soon, baby” on the inside. lesbians live in houses with writings on the wall that indicate the way to lesbianism. these texts abound but they are offered only to lesbians; this is why lesbian literature seems scarce. lesbian literature is the unwritten bestseller that all lesbians are reading, all the time: it consists of our every moment.”

— tatiana de la tierra, “Lesbian Literature”

so many times i’ve heard women tell me they’re “too broke to be femme” but like maybe we should reconceptualization a lesbian identity that’s inseparable from consumerism and inaccessible to much of the lgbt community due to finances, time, or energy

I know you said this in the tags but femme is definitely not about those! Femme is about the subversion of femininity through performing it outside it’s intended purpose under patriarchy — this can be achieved through mannerisms, speech, etiquette, dress, hair, sexuality, etc.

Being femme is not about being a rich lesbian who can afford the latest fancy dresses and lipstick shades. This version of femme, a version contradictory to the identity’s origins, is a result of the increasing commodification of femininity and womanhood. Femme identity is grounded much deeper in compassion, protectivity, support, sexual expression, and other non-cosmetic aesthetics.

Lesbians feeling that they’re “too broke to be femme” is a result of liberal postmodern queer understandings of what it is to be femme, not a consequence of the identity itself. Femme’s essence and history are working class in character, and the fact that it’s being stripped of those is horrifying.