Joanne C.
How do you self-identify?
I'm a Korean American, queerish, ladydude scientist.
If you most closely relate to femininity as a model of self-presentation, what does that concept mean for you?
Excellent question. Femininity for me has a lot to do with physical self-representation. I enjoy dressing up to communicate how I'm feeling at a certain moment. I also enjoy reappropriating looks that have been traditionally seen as feminine and making it my own.
Which of these words most closely relates to your identity: queer/femme/butch/lady/girlie/woman/dude/lesbian/gay/straight/andro/trans?
Lady/girlie/woman/dude? This is hard.
Is a combination of these words necessary to define your self-identity?
Sometimes the labels help me frame what I want to articulate.
How do you define "femininity"?
As a multi-faceted and fluid construct. And, largely defined by the person. This is terrible, I'm a psychologist, and I should come up with a better operational definition. But, I truly feel this way.
Do you see femininity as limiting or freeing? How do you argue for or against "traditional" forms of femininity?
When I was younger I saw it as limiting, now I see it as freeing, for sure. This might be because the way I view femininity has a much wider range than the way I viewed it when I was younger.
What does "femme" or "femininity" personally mean to you? Do you relate to these terms? Do you project your own definition onto these terms and re-define them?
It means that I'm a lady, and I can do whatever the fuck I want.
Can femininity be a revolutionary act?
Of course!
Do you consider yourself a feminist? If yes, have you ever seen femininity as limiting to your feminism? If no, why not?
Hell yes, I do. And no. Because being a feminist is realizing that you can redefine femininity for yourself.
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