Accusations of Same-Sex Hanky-Panky Provoke Bigoted Response, Then Apology, From Florida’s Anti-Gay Lt. Gov.
It’s a testament to the power and ubiquity of stereotypes about female sexuality that Carroll’s meaning is perfectly clear without her ever having to say the words: “I am not a lesbian,” “I am not butch,” or the implied meaning of her statement, “I am not a ‘dyke.’” Both as a stereotype and a slur, “dyke” conflates same gender attraction in women with unconventional gender expression — that is, aspects of physical appearance, personality, behavior, and so on, that are perceived as gendered.
The lesbian stereotype is characterized by physical and personality traits that we associate with masculinity: short hair, deep voices, muscular appearance, masculine attire or interests, masculine presentation and interaction with the rest of the world. Women who are seen as “butch” are assumed or suspected to be lesbians, and by contrast, women whose appearance and behavior fit within conventional “femininity” are assumed to be straight.