Butch and femme are two complementary identity labels used primarily in the lesbian community. Leslie Feinberg describes herself as a butch lesbian several times in Transgender Warriors. While individuals and communities might define these terms slightly differently, butch lesbian identities are characterized by masculine gender expressions, including masculine clothing, hairstyles, and behaviors. Femme lesbian identities are characterized by feminine gender expressions, often with a subversive twist on heterosexual gender norms. It is common for butch and femme lesbians to date each other, though there are plenty of butches who date other butches, and vice versa. Not all lesbians identify with either of these terms. Feinberg goes into detail about butch identity in her groundbreaking novel Stone Butch Blues.

Drag is a type of performance in which people dress in the clothing commonly associated with the opposite gender in the traditional gender binary. Drag costumes tend to be elaborate, creating a heightened, heavily aestheticized gender expression. Drag performers might dress in drag part of the time or all of the time. People who perform in feminine drag (who are often, but not always, gay men) are called drag queens; people who perform in masculine drag (who are often, but not always, lesbians) are called drag kings.