The Brief: Femboy is a term for a feminine young man.

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There are different usages and interpretations of the term femboy depending on context and the intentions of the person using it. In some cases, it is merely descriptive in referring to a boy or man whose gender presentation includes elements usually associated with femininity. It can also be considered a positive attribute or compliment, or even be fetishized. The term is sometimes used and interpreted as a slur and can be used offensively to invalidate and put down trans people. More broadly, femboy can describe people who are gender non-conforming in various ways.

The website transgendermap.com defines the term as “[abbreviation] (noun): feminine boy, especially a cisgender boy.”

The Urban Dictionary definition posits that “A femboy is a person, typically under the age of 30 years, who is biologically male. However, this person will often present himself in a very feminine manner. This behavior may be exhibited part of the time, or all of the time.” It also notes that being a femboy doesn’t necessarily correlate with one’s sexual orientation, that femboys are often bigender, and that they are often the subject of gay furry pornographic art.

The subreddit r/femboy describes itself as “A subreddit for the appreciation of feminine boys, androgynous people, enbies, trans people, and the like.”

Pictured above is the unofficial “femboy pride flag” which was posted to Tumblr in 2017.