Female Gender Roles

Many "traditional" and patriarchal cultural belief systems suggest that masculine and feminine gender roles are distinct and tied one's biological sex. In contemporary society, many still hold the belief that gay and lesbian couples somehow need to organise their relationships around these binary, "traditional" gender roles. For example, that one partner needs to be more "dominant", while the other would be more "submissive".

This, however, is the unfortunate result of gender stereotyping; pertinent in many societies everywhere. In the 21st century, gender roles are no longer constricted to only reflect how you look on the outside; instead, it is a combination of the individual’s identity, beliefs, dressing, thoughts, feelings, behaviour, sexual orientation and attraction – each possibly separate and distinct from the other.

Currently, in Singapore’s lesbian community, many may still identify with a butch-femme relationship between partners, while others  may identify as butch-butch and femme-femme relationships. 

Not all lesbian couples can be accurately represented by the above terms. Lesbian and queer women may also identify or present in a myriad of other ways, including androgynous, gender non-binary, genderfluid, transgender or intersex, among others. 

While some people may be more comfortable conforming to "traditional" labels and roles, others may prefer to use other terms to describe themselves and their relationships. We feel what's most important in a relationship is that the partners love and get along with each other.  

Sexuality and gender roles for women can be  fluid, and will continue to evolve with time. We believe that everyone should be allowed the freedom to be themselves regardless of their gender or sexuality.