Butch on Bike
The Disappearing Butch
The Disappearing Butch was born out of necessity, the necessity to expose society to an in-between world in which women shatter the rules that have been placed on them. Society has deemed that women who do not conform to feminine standards are other. But also, the need to have these individuals’ stories told. Combining historical images, present-day photography, and audio recordings, Theresa Scott’s The Disappearing Butch, places female masculinity front and center.
As a person who identifies as a butch lesbian, Theresa Scott set off to discover others like herself, questioning if these individuals had similar experiences in navigating the world, developing into the person present today and the opinion of the butch disappearing from the LGBTQ+ community. While the stories give the audience a view into the history and struggle one may face, the images presented allow one to see who these magnificent individuals are—combining both traditional portraits that examine each person’s dapper side, while lifestyle photographs allow for a glimpse into the subject’s world and passions.
This project is supported by the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and the North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
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Theresa Scott, a native of Michigan, is a photographer who lives in Smithfield, North Carolina. She Joined the Marine Corps upon graduating high School and was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina where she was an aircraft electrician working on the AV-8B Harrier jet. After serving for five years, she left the Marine Corps and worked as a police officer with the Raleigh Police Department for six years. She received her A.F.A. from Johnston Community College her B.F.A. from Barton College in graphic design and photography and her M.F.A. from Duke University in Experimental and Documentary Arts. Currently she is a Visiting Artist Instructor at Barton College in the School of Visual Performing and Communication Arts.
