History Main / ButchLesbian

The contrasting counterpart to the feminine LipstickLesbian, the Butch Lesbian is typically clad in heavy work boots, jeans or overalls, a leather vest, plain t-shirts, and other conventionally unfeminine attire -- perhaps switching to [[BadassInANiceSuit a men's suit]] if she wants to look particularly classy. She's living proof that GenderNonconformingEqualsGay. She'll have a [[BoyishShortHair short haircut]] or buzz cut and stereotypically male job (trucker, construction, landscaper), and often be [[OneHeadTaller taller]] and bulkier than her femme counterpart, though a lanky or PintSizedPowerhouse build is not unheard of. Breast-binding is optional, as is using a TomboyishName or even masculine pronouns. [[SoapboxSadie She will probably be vocal about gay rights and feminism]] (sometimes to the point of being a StrawFeminist), and may also be [[LesbianJock quite sporty]] (e.g. soccer, field hockey, softball). She may be a BadassBiker and ride a Harley in a leather jacket. On many occasions, especially at work in her construction hat, she can be [[LadyLooksLikeADude mistaken for a man]], and even the [[ViewerGenderConfusion audience might make that mistake]] until a GenderReveal.

* A theme of Alison Bechdel's autobiographical ''ComicBook/FunHome'' is coming to terms with her identity as a butch lesbian as her closeted gay father keeps trying to push femininity on her, among other things yelling at her to wear pearls with an outfit. Her cousins nicknamed her butch as a kid, a nickname she loved even before she knew what it really meant. At another point, she was eating at a diner with her dad when a big, truck driving "bull dyke" comes in and little Alison was amazed that there were women who wore men's clothes and had short hair, and she describes how on some level she "recognized her with a surge of joy".

* ''WebVideo/OneForAll'': Eva's a stocky, short-haired female warrior who's always in arrmor while very aggressive toward most other people. She's seen eyeing up multiple female [=NPCs=], and has never shown interest in men. Antrius does accuse her of trying to make "[[PortmanteauCoupleName EvanDrizzt]]" a thing but her fixation on Drizzt is more of the fangirling variety rather than anything sexual.

* ''{{Series/Hightown}}'': Jackie always wears men's clothing, has short hair, and notes with pride that she's a "goldstar" lesbian (i.e. she never once had sex with a man). She's very much a [[TheLadette ladette]] in personality, and always tops as she's with women until Season 2, when she bottoms to Leslie once, and explains she doesn't do that usually as topping is part of being butch for her.

* ''Film/SignatureMove'': Zaynab is a short-haired lesbian, wearing men's suits while at her job as a lawyer, or masculine shirts and jeans when off work. She also works out frequently and as a result has a trim, muscular build. Her mother Parveen chides her for this, saying it makes her look too much like a man (though [[ClosetGay unaware of Zaynab's sexuality]] at first). A supporting character, Killian, is also a lesbian with even more masculine attire and her hair in a mohawk.

Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease, as this is subjective and speculative. In addition to being likely to encourage gossip and rumors about celebrities and edit wars, TVTropes has a rule of no RealLife examples for SexTropes.

* ''Film/TheIncrediblyTrueAdventureOfTwoGirlsInLove'': Randy is a tomboy who has {{boyish short hair}}, wearing flannel shirts and shorts most of the time. She dates two women during the film.

* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' (Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman) featuring a beefy lady named Ginny who was revealed in one line to be interested in sleeping with the eponymous Dr. Quymn as well as openly being hateful of men though she says it's because she hasn't met a real man yet. She also pursues Brock Sampson-- whether it's to "distract" him from the sexy Dr. Quymn or some strangely gender-bent EvenTheGuysWantHim, it's not revealed.

The contrasting counterpart to the feminine LipstickLesbian, the Butch Lesbian is typically clad in heavy work boots, jeans or overalls, a leather vest, plain t-shirts, and other conventionally unfeminine attire -- perhaps switching to [[BadassInANiceSuit a men's suit]] if she wants to look particularly classy. She'll have a [[BoyishShortHair short haircut]] or buzz cut and stereotypically male job (trucker, construction, landscaper), and often be [[OneHeadTaller taller]] and bulkier than her femme counterpart, though a lanky or PintSizedPowerhouse build is not unheard of. Breast-binding is optional, as is using a TomboyishName or even masculine pronouns. [[SoapboxSadie She will probably be vocal about gay rights and feminism]] (sometimes to the point of being a StrawFeminist), and may also be [[LesbianJock quite sporty]] (e.g. soccer, field hockey, softball). She may be a BadassBiker and ride a Harley in a leather jacket. On many occasions, especially at work in her construction hat, she can be [[LadyLooksLikeADude mistaken for a man]], and even the [[ViewerGenderConfusion audience might make that mistake]] until a GenderReveal.

* ''Film/{{Clueless}}'': Downplayed with Ms. Stoeger. Cher guesses her to be a lesbian after seeing her trying to impress another female teacher with her athletic skills, but it's never explicitly confirmed. She works as a gym teacher, dresses in very androgynous clothes, does have long hair but she always wears it in a messy ponytail, and doesn't wear makeup. When she attends a wedding, she wears a suit and tie rather than a dress.

* ''Film/PrincessCyd'': Katie is an example, with her hair in a mohawk and preferring masculine clothing. At one point she's mistaken for male, while Miranda even wonders if she's UsefulNotes/{{transgender}} (though this doesn't seem to be the case).

* ''Series/OneOfUsIsLying'': Janae wears baggy, masculine clothing with her hair up in a grungy style, and bluntly tells Addy she's a lesbian when the latter mistakenly thought that [[MistakenForRomance she romantically loved Simon]] (they were actually just {{best friend}}s).

* ''Series/{{Yellowjackets}}'': Van has pretty masculine clothing, short hair and a tomboy air. Her style's more of a soft butch though as this isn't too pronounced. She's dating Taissa, another girl, in 1996.

* ''Series/VagrantQueen'': {{Downplayed}}. Elida is a short-haired {{tomboy}} who's an {{action girl}} good with a gun (or unarmed), always has masculine attire in the present and experiences mutual attraction for Amae.

* ''Series/{{Willow|2022}}'': Kit's a short-haired tomboy who has a masculine clothing style and showed no desire to marry Prince Graydon, training with her "best friend" Jade to swordfight. We soon learn they're in love.

* ''Series/{{Counterpart}}'': Baldwin is attracted explicitly to women and also has to be tough as an assassin, with skill using guns, knives or unarmed combat. She has BoyishShortHair in comparison to her LipstickLesbian counterpart's long hair, and has more masculine clothing (usually hoodies with jeans), wearing a leather jacket often as well (all in dark colors). Baldwin is stoic, aggressive and ruthless, aside from [[EvenEvilHasLovedOnes with her girlfriend]] or counterpart Nadia.

* ''Film/MyAnimal'': {{Downplayed}} by Heather, a young lesbian who likes to wear flannel, work out and fairly masculine clothing overall with shorter hair. She cuts her hair to a buzz cut level near the end of the film.