[Greyson]

I never ran across this thread until tonight. Yes, I have felt at times as if there were "gender wars" going on among various I.D.'s in the LGBTQI community. I am sure at times I have said things that were offensive to some. It was not necessarily intentional. It may have been my pure ignorance.

Also there have been many times I felt "erased." There seems to be this assumption that most butches come from an identity of being a woman. That is not the case for all butches. I am a butch that has always felt different from the women lesbians. Most of my adult life has been surrounded with and supported by lesbians, femmes and some butches.

My "identity" in many areas has evolved through out my lifetime. Not necessarily a notion that my ID now is superior to my previous ID's. Different and more accurate for me.

I no longer will go into "women identified closed spaces." Not because I do not know and acknowlege I was born in a female body, was see by most of the world and socalized as a masculine woman for the greater part of my life. I stay out of those spaces because I believe I would not be welcome now. I am not saying it is wrong. I am just giving my perspective. I do not see myself as male. I do see myself as masculine and a mix of genders. I really no longer believe there are only two genders, the binary. Some do, I don't.

I love, respect and admire women very much. My heros are women of all genders. Yes, I see butch as a gender. I am in part a woman but not entirely. Bare with me please. I am processing, figuring it all out, again. I do strive for the larger welcomig tent.