What are the meanings behind constructed lesbian identities? This unique collection brings together writing, photography, artwork, and poetry about lesbian butch and femme gender. Femme/Butch: New Considerations of the Way We Want to Go distinguishes itself by celebrating a wide span of intellectual engagement, from reflection to traditional academic work, including both disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches. In addition to more “serious” writing, lesbian comediennes offer their irreverent takes on femme/butch in this book. Their perspectives are almost never found in academic publications, but what Lea DeLaria, Vickie Shaw, Karen Williams, and other edgy comics have to say about femme/butch sexuality deserves to be heard. You’ll also find that Femme/Butch is essential for the global perspective it brings to lesbian gender. With chapters focused on lesbians in Chinese cultures and on the emerging lesbian community in Bulgaria, this book explores the role of femme/butch identification in cultures without recognizable lesbian institutions. Here are a few of the questions the contributors to Femme/Butch examine in this remarkable book: Can theory about femme/butch exist in the electric realm of sex and sexuality, or does theory necessarily neutralize sexuality? What role does popular culture play in helping us to theorize about lesbian gender? What are the relationships between history and femme/butch lesbian gender? Does lesbian identity development come in individual stages or is it more of a free-flowing process? How does social class relate to how we think about femme/butch race, ethnicity, and butch-femme? Femme/Butch is an ideal guide to understanding: the similarities between stone-butch and transgender identities—using Leslie Feinberg’s Stone Butch Blues as a reference point the erotically resignified roles of Mommy, Daddy, girl, and boy in butch-femme femme/butch issues of power, trust, love, and loss the “female husbands” of the 18th century and their “wives” the meanings of cross-dressing for lesbians the variety of lesbian-queer genders—butch, femme, androgynous, and “other” and much more!

Finding Out introduces readers to lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) studies. Unlike most books on LGBT, this textbook combines original material with esteemed journal articles. Chapter introductions, written by the authors, place current research findings in a clear context. Finding Out reviews the history of same-sex relationships and gender variance from ancient Greece to the present yet goes beyond a historical account to provide an in-depth examination of LGBT culture and society. Key Features · Includes chapter introductions that gives students a useful context for each research article Connects chapter topics to one another with Lambda Links, which help facilitate analysis and discussion Directs readers to relevant studies and information with “Find Out More” boxes in each chapter “I am most impressed by this book’s blend of comprehensive scope with approachable, intelligent presentation. It provides material valuable for both students new to the field and those taking more advanced courses without excluding either group on the basis of approach or diction. ... I just love this book!” –Sarah-Hope Parmeter University of California, Santa Cruz “ This text will give me a way to teach LGBT issues as central – that is, NOT as tangents, as add-ons, as side issues, but as a central area of inquiry. ... This text is by far the best thing I have seen, and it is heads and shoulders above any other possibilities...” – Mary Armstrong, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Intended Audience This core text is designed for Introduction to Sexuality Studies as well as other undergraduate courses that include LGBT topics. Anyone interested in the history, culture, and society of LGBT will find this book an informative resource.

Learn how lesbian couples deal with political, social, and legal issues related to their relationshipsand their professions Lesbian Academic Couples is a collection of writings by scholars who examinein theory and in narrativeissues faced by partners working in the academic field, including the politics of spousal hiring, discrimination in hiring practices, collaboration between partners, long-distance relationships, team teaching, and job sharing. This unique book presents firsthand accounts from senior faculty with lengthy credentials in LGBT scholarship who have been able to land academic positions not compromised by outing, from established academics who have been outed to negative effect, from junior scholars with a queer specialty, and from faculty whose work is constantly shifting and unpredictable. The format of Lesbian Academic Couples is unique. Authors well known to the lesbian communities in the United States, Canada, and Australia, present essays that converse with one another, offering opposing positions that represent a diversity of approaches on vital issues. The book offers candid accounts of the experiences of lesbian couples fortunate enough to work in supportive academic environments and from those discouraged from being out on campus or from doing academic work in the area of LGBT studies. This groundbreaking book is especially timely given current lawsuits and legislation involving civil unions and domestic partner benefits, enforcement of domestic violence statutes, and the rights of unmarried older couples. Lesbian Academic Couples includes the stories of couples who: achieved scholarly success and a reaffirmed relationship were separated when they couldn’t find viable academic positions in the same geographical area abandoned the security of tenured positions for the sake of their relationship were professionally marginalized because of their same-sex, mixed-race relationship wrote under the pen name Michael Field in the nineteenth century In addition, Lesbian Academic Couples examines the critical issues of: state sanctioning through marriage spousal hiring package plans sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies Lesbian Academic Couples have existed, as long as there have been female academics. This powerful book gives voice to their successes and struggles.

Learn how lesbian couples deal with political, social, and legal issues related to their relationships--and their professions Lesbian Academic Couples is a collection of writings by scholars who examine--in theory and in narrative--issues faced by partners working in the academic field, including the politics of spousal hiring, discrimination in hiring practices, collaboration between partners, long-distance relationships, team teaching, and job sharing. This unique book presents firsthand accounts from senior faculty with lengthy credentials in LGBT scholarship who have been able to land academic positions not compromised by outing, from established academics who have been outed to negative effect, from junior scholars with a queer specialty, and from faculty whose work is constantly shifting and unpredictable. The format of Lesbian Academic Couples is unique. Authors well known to the lesbian communities in the United States, Canada, and Australia, present essays that "converse" with one another, offering opposing positions that represent a diversity of approaches on vital issues. The book offers candid accounts of the experiences of lesbian couples fortunate enough to work in supportive academic environments and from those discouraged from being out on campus or from doing academic work in the area of LGBT studies. This groundbreaking book is especially timely given current lawsuits and legislation involving civil unions and domestic partner benefits, enforcement of domestic violence statutes, and the rights of unmarried older couples. Lesbian Academic Couples includes the stories of couples who: achieved scholarly success and a reaffirmed relationship were separated when they couldn't find viable academic positions in the same geographical area abandoned the security of tenured positions for the sake of their relationship were professionally marginalized because of their same-sex, mixed-race relationship wrote under the pen name "Michael Field" in the nineteenth century In addition, Lesbian Academic Couples examines the critical issues of: state sanctioning through marriage spousal hiring package plans sexual orientation nondiscrimination policies Lesbian Academic Couples have existed, as long as there have been female academics. This powerful book gives voice to their successes and struggles.

Collection of writings, photography, artwork, and poetry from authors and artists who are in the proces od revising and rethinking butch and/or femme lesbian gender.

In Returning Home: Finding His True Place, Michelle Gibson weaves a poignant tale of rediscovery and belonging. The novel follows protagonist David, a successful but unsettled businessman who, after years of chasing career aspirations, returns to his hometown seeking solace and a sense of purpose. As David reacquaints himself with familiar faces and places, he confronts the ghosts of his past and grapples with the choices that led him away from home. Alongside reconnecting with old friends and family, David forms unexpected bonds with newcomers to the town, each bringing their own perspectives on life and belonging. Through evocative prose and heartfelt emotion, Returning Home explores themes of self-discovery, forgiveness, and the transformative power of reconnecting with one's roots. It is a tale of resilience and the universal quest to find one's true place in the world, reminding readers that sometimes, the journey back to oneself begins where it all started: home.

Do you want to change the direction of your career? Are you nervous about making this change? This practical book addresses your concerns or fears and helps you to find your sense of direction and achieve your goals. It focuses on how to make your next career move. You will gain clarity and confidently transition to a new career path. You will learn to: Take simple, practical steps to move in the direction you want to go whether you want to change specializations, try a new field, get a promotion or even start a side hustle. Market yourself for the new opportunities you want, even if they seem unrelated to your current career. Find your professional compass, move ahead and thrive!