The Femmephobia 101 Workbook - Now Available!

The Femmephobia 101 Workbook is a self-guided journey through our Femmephobia workshop that we usually deliver to small groups in person. The workbook helps the reader to identify their views and attitudes concerning femininity and to begin reimagining a world in which femininity was valued differently and perhaps more positively by individuals and society alike.

The 1st edition of the workbook is aimed at a general audience. Future editions will be made available to specifically focus on the interests and needs of youth, parents, gender-based violence intervention professionals, and educators. A print, full-colour version of the workbook is available for purchase, with all proceeds going towards supporting our non-profit organization and the development of future editions of the workbook.

Hoskin, R.A., Blair, K.L., Scott, J., Serafini, T., & Zhang, C.  (2023). The Femmephobia 101 Workbook.

Naming Femmephobia Campaign!

Femmephobia gives us language to name our experiences.

Join FEMISH and Dr. Rhea Ashley Hoskin’s social media campaign to get the word ✨ FEMMEPHOBIA ✨ added to the dictionary!

Here’s how it works:
STEP 1: Buy a “Femmephobia” sticker or head to the FEMISH website for a free digital download.

STEP 2: Stick your sticker somewhere others can see it, print your download and tape it up.

STEP 3: Take a pic of where you posted the definition of femmephobia.
✨ Follow @femme_research & @thefemishorg
✨ Tag @femme_research & @thefemishorg & @merriamwebster
✨ Use #femmephobia & #femish
✨ And ask Webster’s to add this word to the dictionary!

EACH POST enters you to win $100 CASH and a feature in the FEMISH Magazine!

** All proceeds go to FEMISH - the first non-profit aimed at addressing femmephobia. Donations appreciated! **

To purchase stickers, click on one of the designs below:

Rainbow Heart Femmephobia Sticker

Pink Background Femmephobia Sticker

Pink Femmephobia Sticker

Lipstick Smear Femmephobia Sticker

Sunset Femmephobia Sticker

What comes to mind when I say “femininity”? What are the implications for how we treat femininity as a society?  Have you found that you distance yourself from femininity and feminine characteristics in order to, say….be
The question of finding power in vulnerability is on the minds of many femme scholars these days. In this article from my Critical Femininities special issue (co-edited with @klbresearch ) titled “Radical Vulnerability: Selfies as a femme-inine
Check out the second half of my interview with Dr. Andi Schwartz (@acafemmeic ). The interview was, in part, used for her fantastic article in Xtra magazine (@xtramagazine ). On the final image, you can find a link to Dr. Schwartz’ Xtra article
Did Legally Blonde resonate with you as a budding femme too? So many femmes found femme-spiration in the iconic movie (which recently turned 20!!). A few weeks ago, Dr. Andi Schwartz (@acafemmeic ) interviewed me for an article she was writing for Xt
Can feminine only be imagined as powerful, important, feminist, and radical when masculinized? Can femininity only be valued through its coding as powerful – and can power only be imagined in masculine ways? These questions have been on my mind
People are often reluctant to give full consideration to desirability politics– feeling like such discussions teeter on dictating sexual and romantic pursuits. But the politics of desirability are important and often serve as a metric of broade
We hear a lot about toxic masculinity in popular media, but what about toxic femininity? Can femininity be toxic? These are the questions that Dr. Hannah McCann ( @binarythis )tackles in her article entitled “Is there anything ‘toxic&rsqu
Earlier this week I attended a fantastic talk by Laura Brightwell, as part of Dr. Andi Schwartz Femme Speaker Series. A question arose about the lack of scholarship on femme theory and motherhood– What a great question, with so many interesting
I recently gave an interview on femmephobia for Aras Mommertz at Arthur News. Swipe for some of the Q&As or visit Arthur News for the full article. When discussing Femme Theory and femmephobia, I think it’s always important to link them ba
Exciting news! The special issue of “Critical Femininities” in Psychology & Sexuality is finally done and all articles are out! Wow, it’s been a long time coming - we had the idea for this issue in 2018, and here we are, nearly
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What counts as “truth” and objective? How have we conceptualized both using a masculinist notion of rationality? In centering masculinity, what (or whose) truths and knowledges are systematically overlooked? Importantly, how does the no
Good morning, femmes and friends! Here is a creative piece that I co-authored with @kathirschfeld In this piece, we urge folks to rethink femininity’s normative articulations as a ubiquitous tool of oppression (versus a source of oppression ~f
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Infographics

Workshops

Description: What comes to mind when you think of femininity? When you meet a feminine person, what assumptions do you make about them? What assumptions do you feel others make about your own femininity? Have you ever tried to distance yourself from feminine traits or people? In this workshop participants will learn to identify the norms, rules, and assumptions surrounding femininity as well as who is impacted by them. By considering whose femininity is societally acceptable and the limits of femininity’s acceptability, workshop attendees will build a collective understanding of femme and feminine-of-center experiences as well as the broader impact of femmephobia. We will discuss the role and impact of femmephobia in our daily lives as well as brainstorm how we can interrupt femmephobia in ourselves and others through everyday interventions. Ultimately, participants will develop an understanding of the relationship between patriarchy, the gender binary, and femmephobia. Together, workshop attendees will learn the importance of disrupting femmephobia to meet intersectional social justice agendas, particularly those aimed at improving sexuality and gender identity equity and inclusion.

Co-created with Drs. Karen Blair and Jocelyne Scott

Femmephobia 101: Exploring and Challenging Rules, Norms, and Assumptions about Femininity.

Media Coverage & Interviews

Deutschlandfunk Kultur
(National German Radio Station)

Toxische Weiblichkeit: Zwischen Stärke und Manipulation / Toxic Femininity: Between strength and manipulation

What does it mean to be femme?

Femmephobia: A hidden but powerful driver of anti-gay behavior

De Gloria Fuertes a Sam Smith: “Tener pluma no es solo cosa de hombres gais blancos”

From Gloria Fuertes to Sam Smith: "Having a pen is not just a thing for white gay men."

FEMISH Magazine

Inspiring People: Interview with Dr. Hoskin & Dr. Blair.

Desde la “conducta abiertamente sexualizada” a asumir el consentimiento en pareja: las creencias detrás de la cultura de la violación.

From “Openly Sexualized Behavior” to Assuming Consent as a Couple: The Beliefs Behind Rape Culture.

Los carteles de la nueva película de Barbie desatan el escándalo: por qué el rosa puede ser un color empoderador

The posters of the new Barbie movie unleash the scandal: why pink can be an empowering color.

Are you a Good Girl or a Bad Girl with Dr. Rhea Ashley Hoskin

Qué es la ‘femmefobia’: “Suponer que la feminidad se hace solo con el propósito de llamar la atención sexual de los hombres es cultura de la violación.”

What is ‘femmephobia’: “Assuming that femininity is done only for the purpose of attracting sexual attention from men is rape culture.”

El documental de Pamela Anderson y la ‘femmefobia’: el castigo social por romper las reglas de la “mujer decente”

Pamela Anderson's documentary and 'femmephobia': social punishment for breaking the rules of the "decent woman"

Undergraduate Student Published in Journal of Lesbian Studies

The power of femininity, femme theory, and the end of femmephobia ft. Dr. Rhea Hoskin

Rethinking Femininity: Understanding Femmephobia

Community dismayed by displays of misogyny, rape culture during Queen’s homecoming

Does having a feminine partner change PDA experiences? New research explores gender expression and PDA-related vigilance.

‘Legally Blonde’ wasn’t all ‘bend and snap.’ The beloved film was a true celebration of heroic femmedom.

Will femmephobia increase COVID-19’s death toll? New research says men are less willing to wear masks for fear of looking weak?

Does femininity need a makeover? New research on femininity asks psychologists to reconsider prior assumptions.

Femmephobia: Q&A with Dr. Rhea Ashley Hoskin.

Not manly enough: Femmephobia’s stinging impact on the transmasculine community.

“Too pretty to be a lesbian” How “femmephobia” contributes to discrimination in LGBTQ+ communities.

Is refusing to date trans people transphobic?

New research shows a vast majority of cis people won’t date trans people.

The Femme Politics of Legally Blonde: An Interview with Dr. Rhea Ashley Hoskin

10-Year Challenge Reveals Femmephobia in Gay Communities

Postdoctoral Researcher Challenges Femmephobia and the Harm it Causes

Non-Profit & Community Organizations

FEMISH is a non-profit organization aimed at empowering and valuing feminine qualities and expressions in all people.