Kate Moennig on being described as “butch” on ‘The L Word’: “That’s the only word people knew”

When the show first aired, and I said this in the book, nobody knew how to label [my character] Shane. Everyone’s like, “She’s the butch one.” And I’m like, “Really? Is she? I don’t think she is.” That’s the only word people knew to describe this kind of woman.

You had butch and femme and that was kind of it, and they were really broad. It was so binary. You could call her androgynous, you could call her a tomboy, a number of things, but butch? That doesn’t line up. And it took a minute for anyone to realize that…

But that was the word being used. It’s like there were three words: butch, quirky, and femme. And power lesbian. 

Kate Moennig talking to Leisha
Hailey for Interview

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