Part I
I’d like to do a short reading of The L Word. The L Word presents nearly exclusively white, middle-class, lesbians in Los Angeles. None of the characters on the show have ID’d as either butch or femme, except for in two isolated cases.

The first being the butch/transman Moira/Max. Max is Jenny’s tomboy friend from Chicago. (It’s worth noting that the Midwest is referred to several times as ‘backwards/behind the times’ in regards to up-to-date cosmopolitan lesbian exposure/experience on the show.) Max was supposed to be the first ‘real butch’ portrayed on the show, however the effort fell flat. Max’s character has been criticized for being stereotypical in butch and trans*masculine portrayal. There is also the rejection of highly masculine embodiment in a female body by having Moira/Max abruptly change and ID as a transman. The only other non-feminine character, Shane, who does not ID as butch. She also comes from a working class background. Class tension at one point was presented through personal style choices. The pilot episode of the series has the very socially privileged country-club character Dana ask Shane why she dresses in clothing that “screams dyke.”

There is one mention of a main character ID’ing as femme within the series. In season five Alice, when asked if jeans and sandals where up her alley, shows off high heels and declares “Femme, I’m a femme.” This is the first time we hear of Alice ID’ing this way, and so far the only one. It must be mentioned that Alice at the time is dating Tasha. A character who is not stereotypically feminine, but also has not ID’d as butch. Here we have a motorcycle riding tomboy who in Episode 406, declares she likes “girly girls.” It seems that in the middle class imagination, butch-femme reminiscent dynamics are allowed as long as they are not explicitly proclaimed to be ‘butch-femme’. In season four Tasha’s friend Papi exhibited semi-androgynous characteristics as well. Though I would chalk up her machismo-powered androgyny and posturing to stereotypical portrayal of Latinas. In this case, her ethnicity gendered her as ‘different’.

I did leave out three other masculine characters. Dusty, who briefly appeared for three episodes (501-503). These episodes are the only ones where the archetype of the ‘dyke daddy’ is evoked. While in jail Helena refers to Dusty, her cell mate, as “this huge psycho killer.” As we find out, Dusty is actually in jail for tax evasion. Sporadically two other non-feminine characters, Ivan and Joyce appear. Ivan is a transgender character who also happens to be a drag king. She/he goes out with Kit (hetero character) briefly. This relationship had major amounts of what could be called ‘butch-femme’ dynamics, however we find Kit dismissive of “butch-femme role-play” in a conversation with Bette. Finally, Joyce is a lawyer who appears from time to time. We see her try to establish a relationship with Tina at one point, then later in season five with Phyllis. Again there is a feminine lesbian and a masculine lesbian, but never is it coded in the genders of femme or butch. Ivan and Joyce are unique in their presentations however because they have escaped being working class on the show; Ivan owns a car shop and Joyce is a self-employed attorney.

In regards to racial demographics, there are only two lesbian women of color on the show beyond Bette, Tasha and Papi (also Carmen, seasons 2/3). Both of these characters are from working class backgrounds like Shane and Max. Are the writers using stereotypes or are they trying to reflect reality by making the majority of the non-feminine (read: potentially butch) characters working class and/or of color (who are statistically overrepresented in the working class/poor)?

Some Articles:
Gender Trouble on The L Word

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