Abstract

We analyze the intersection of femme, aging, and later-in-life disability by using the popular, contemporary slogan “femme ain’t frail” to explore who is erased, excluded, and overlooked when fem(me)ininity is conceptualized as strong, fierce, and chosen. Building from Lisa Walker’s position that dominant femme discourse marginalizes the experiences of aging femmes, we analyze the narratives of Amber Hollibaugh, Joan Nestle, Mary Frances Platt and Sharon Wachsler to explore femme experiences of later-in-life disability and aging, and to further trouble existing, popular constructions of femme identity that are predicated upon youth and able-bodiedness. We elaborate on discourses of femme and frailty, bringing them together to explore the ways femme is or, can be, frail. Insofar as femme is located in vulnerability, and vulnerability is associated with frailty, we see how femme might, indeed, be frail, and why this relationship is important to explore, not disavow. We contend that considerations of the frailty of fem(me)ininity can challenge the ageist and ableist orientation of contemporary femme politics and the broader cultural devaluation of fem(me)ininity.

摘要

我们通过使用流行的现代口号“女性不脆弱”来分析女性，衰老和晚年残疾的交集，探索当女性性被概念化为强者时，谁被擦除，被排斥和被忽视。 ，凶猛和被选中。从丽莎·沃克（Lisa Walker）的观点出发，即占主导地位的女性话语将衰老的女性经历边缘化，我们分析了Amber Hollibaugh，Joan Nestle，Mary Frances Platt和Sharon Wachsler的叙述，以探索女性在以后生活中的残疾和衰老的经历，并进一步困扰现有的，流行的以年轻和强壮为基础的女性形象。我们对女性和脆弱的话语进行了详尽的阐述，将它们融合在一起，探讨了女性脆弱或可能脆弱的方式。就女性而言，而且脆弱性与脆弱性有关，我们可以看到，女性的确可能脆弱，以及为什么这种关系很重要，需要探索而不是拒绝。我们认为，对女性的脆弱性的考虑可以挑战当代女性政治的年龄主义和能力主义取向以及对女性的广泛文化贬值。