Effeminacy

Effeminacy is the perceived presence in a man or masculine-presenting person of traits, mannerisms, or appearance culturally associated with femininity. Its meaning and social judgment vary across cultures and periods.

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Gender expression: The external presentation of gender through appearance, behavior, voice, and other social signals. Effeminacy is a culturally interpreted form of gender expression.
Ancient Greek gender roles: Social expectations and institutions that organized gender in ancient Greek communities. Ancient Greek texts judged male conduct through ideals of self-control and civic masculinity.
Sexual orientation: A person's enduring pattern of romantic, emotional, or sexual attraction. Perceived effeminacy does not determine whom someone is attracted to.
Homophobia: Prejudice, hostility, or discrimination directed at people perceived as homosexual. Effeminate men are sometimes presumed gay and targeted through homophobic stigma.
Masculinity: Socially shaped norms, traits, and roles associated with men and manhood. Effeminacy is often defined against locally dominant expectations of masculinity.
Roman masculinity: Roman ideals of manhood emphasizing status, self-command, and active civic authority. Roman writers used feminine-coded conduct to criticize men who violated elite masculine norms.
Gender identity: A person's internal sense of their gender, which may or may not match sex assigned at birth. Effeminacy describes perceived expression, not a person's internal gender.
Femmephobia: Prejudice or contempt directed at femininity, especially in men and LGBTQ+ communities. It names the devaluation of feminine-coded traits that often underlies stigma around effeminacy.
Gender nonconformity: Expression or behavior that departs from expectations associated with a person's gender. Effeminacy is one gendered label applied to perceived nonconformity.
Sumptuary law: Laws regulating consumption and display, including clothing, luxury, and status symbols. Dress regulations sometimes policed appearances associated with gender and social rank.