“Dykes on Dollars”: Soft Femme Anarchiving and Other Queer Futures in Online Spaces

Abstract This article explores the possibilities that femme theory offers to digital archiving in a participatory art-production project involving 2 slgbtq + Atlantic Canadians. Focusing on a collection of 15 cellphilms (cellphone + film production in response to a prompt) created by queer and trans folks during an earlier point in the covid -19 pandemic, this study reflects on the ways femme theorizing can inform and transform digital archiving practices. We examine how these 15 visual texts, housed in three online archives, challenge gender policing, misogyny, and transphobia while celebrating the spectrum of femmeness. We consider how a femme ethic of care—one that foregrounds femme theory and care ethics (Davies & Neustifter, 2023)—nurtures the archive, foregrounding vulnerability, collaboration, and queer joy. In doing so, we seek to contribute to broader conversations about the potential of femme theory to shape digital spaces and archives as sites of resistance, care, and abundance. Through our analysis, we reflect on both the challenges and the pleasures of soft femme digital anarchiving in a queer and trans context, offering insights into how these practices can create spaces for ongoing care, resistance, and transformation.