femmephobia means dislike of, or hostility towards, women and/or individuals who present as feminine (femmes). Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 82 out of 100.
Why “femmephobia” is a great word
Femmephobia is the dislike of, or hostility towards, individuals who present as feminine, or the systematic devaluation of femininity across genders. From the French-derived 'femme' ("woman" or, in LGBTQ contexts, a person presenting as feminine) combined with the combining form '-phobia' (from Greek, meaning "fear, aversion"). Unlike "misogyny," which denotes a hatred of women as a gender, or "homophobia," which denotes prejudice against homosexual people, femmephobia specifically targets the expression of femininity—a trait that can be policed and punished in anyone. It is the curled lip at a man’s floral shirt, the professional dismissal of a woman’s "soft skills," and the internalized shame that teaches a child to abandon gentleness. It is the quiet, systemic punishment for any tenderness perceived as weakness.
Etymology
From femme + -phobia.
noun
- Dislike of, or hostility towards, women and/or individuals who present as feminine (femmes).“Femmephobia is perhaps a more fitting description of Adolph's anxieties — he has a fear rather than a hatred of Frenchwomen.”
- Dislike of, or hostility towards, stereotypically effeminate gay men, especially within the gay community.“Indeed, the existence of what has been labelled homophobia, I argue, may be more correctly analysed as a kind of "femmephobia", where same-sex relationships, particularly those between two men, are viewed as having the power to feminize men.”