[Mister Bent]

Originally Posted by starryeyes

I know, Strappie. I was just venting in the femme room, cause well.. it bugged me. It was never my intent to diminish a butches experience at all! I know that I have femme privilege, and I guess I am just used to it, to be frank. I was raised in a queer household, and am pretty much surrounded by the queer community and supporters, so I have never really encountered this (besides an isolated incident that happened in the past). Femme privilege and invisibility can be a bitch tho too... but that's another thread.

Hugs to you Strap
Starry

I didn't see your post at all diminishing of the "butch experience." Nor do I see this as a discussion about privilege (for which there are threads), but rather an entirely separate issue unique to feminine presenting queer women.

This:

Originally Posted by Ms. Meander

I think part of what scares them is that they didn't see us coming. They were hanging out with us, enjoying our company, thinking that we are pretty cool - and one of them.

Finding out that their neat little definitions of us are completely wrong and that we are the dreaded "other", throws them into a narrow-minded spin.

And then, also:

Originally Posted by Ms. Meander

Because the next thing out of their mouths is going to be something about what I really want is a real man but I don't know it because I am fucked up in some way. AT THIS POINT - someone is about to be slapped.

and

Originally Posted by Martina

i kinda agree that this is not exactly the same as what butches deal with. There is that shock of betrayal because they assumed we were straight, and they identify with us more, find it harder to "other" us. They are more likely then to say inappropriate and intrusive things, even people who are not normally like that.

Butches, transgendered folk, we're already "othered;" we're not in the club, and so this isn't something we are likely to experience. It's not the same as the looks we get when someone decides we're in the wrong restroom. Over the years, I have heard isolated tales from femme friends; incidents like yours, starry, that speak to this acceptance (the privilege of which you spoke), then "betrayal" or shock, or objectification, and then the "othering." I hope it doesn't seem weird or inappropriate, but I suppose I was interested in seeing if your post was going to open up that discussion among the feminine women here. I really hope I'm making sense here (and probably should get out of the way of those to whom this issue is relevant).