[Julie]

Originally Posted by Arwen

First question:
So if femme is a label, what does that label look like on you? Not what do you think that label should look like, but how do you express the uniqueness of being femme in our community?

When I came out at the age of 17 (1979), my first love was butch... However, her definition of femme for me, was to be her punching bag, until I was strong enough to not withstand her beatings any longer... This little girl femme broke that big butches jaw, and from that point on, I swore -- Butches were BAD! If butches looked like this to me, what did I as a femme look like to them? I was young, oh so young and thankfully grew within myself to know, femme has many descriptors, as does butch.

Today... I rejoice in the simplest forms of my femme self. Throughout the years, I have lived and loved both butches (soft and oh so hard) and (save me) a femme, and still I remained the femme I am. Regardless of the clothes I wear, or the makeup upon my face, or who I shared my bed with. My gender is femme, my home is that as a lesbian in my community of gay/lesbian/transgender/bi-sexual and my body is that of a woman.

What a great place Arwen... Thank you for opening the dialogue.

Julie