Skip to content
effeminacy
EntityQ473652· pop 27· linked from 1,062 articles

effeminacy

Sign in to save

Also known as male femininity, effeminate

Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated with girls and women. Throughout Western civilization, men considered effeminate have faced prejudice and discrimination. Gay men are often stereotyped as being effeminate, and vice versa. However, femininity, masculinity, and other forms of gender expression are independent of sexual orientation.

Wikidata facts

Subclass of
hyperfemininity
Part of
man
Has part
femboy
Image
Suffolk Pride 2019-015 (48127728781).jpg
Show 5 more facts
facet of
gender
Commons category
Effeminacy
topic's main category
Category:Effeminacy
on focus list of Wikimedia project
Art+Feminism
different from
femme

via Wikidata · CC0

~15 min read

Encyclopedic overview

15 sections
Contents
  • Terminology{{anchor|Etymology}}
  • History
  • Ancient Greece and Rome
  • Greece
  • Rome
  • Gay men
  • China
  • United States
  • Modern context
  • See also
  • Notes
  • References
  • Bibliography
  • Further reading
  • External links

Effeminacy or male femininity is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. These traits include roles, stereotypes, behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated with girls and women. Throughout Western civilization, men considered effeminate have faced prejudice and discrimination. Gay men are often stereotyped as being effeminate, and vice versa. However, femininity, masculinity, and other forms of gender expression are independent of sexual orientation.

==Terminology== Effeminate comes from Latin effeminātus, from the factitive prefix ex- (from ex 'out') and femina 'woman'; it means 'made feminine, unmasculine, emasculated, weakened'.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “effeminacy” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (4)