[Kobi]

I usually try and stay out of these discussions cuz they get too complicated and convoluted for my simplistic view of the world. But, I'm having one of those days.....so......

I am a female and a woman who happens to be a lesbian. I expect to be called by female pronouns because I am a female and proud of it.

I am frequently mistaken for a male on the phone and occasionally in person. It annoys me when this happens and it irks me to have to correct people....which I will do everytime.

If I am unsure of someones preference I will refrain from using any pronoun until I can ask them about it.

Even tho I will defend anyones right to be called by any pronoun they prefer, it irks me to have to jump thru these hoops. In my everyday life spanning over 35 years of being out, I have never had to deal with pronoun issues or "gender" issues. Both, for me, is like dealing with foreign concepts which are ever evolving and expanding in more and more directions to some unknown end.

I am reluctant to use the term butch these days. Butch used to be a noun with a specific connotation. Now butch is an adjective used with other adjectives to create a unique identity within any number of growing subcultures within the larger community. The pride I used to feel in the term is as watered down as the term itself.

I do not believe pronouns are a reliable indicator of any type of preferences i.e question 10 et al.

I dont know that "standardizing" is feasible.

If I could add a question it would be....the gay male community doesnt struggle with pronoun issues, femmes dont struggle with pronoun issues, what makes this an issue specific to butches?