Trans Appreciation

[1ladyface]

Hi All! I didn't see a thread for this so I thought I'd start one. I'll kick it off with a list of things I'd like to thank the butches (and transguys and studs and female born masculine folks in general) for:

1. Thanks for knowing that we do have brains between our pretty little ears.

2. Thanks for not minding if our heels make us a little taller than you…or a lot taller.

3. Thanks for appreciating all the work that goes into looking as fabulous as we do.

4. Thanks for knowing the difference between being protective and being jealous.

5. Thanks for your brutal hands, huge cocks and filthy minds.

6. Thanks for the cuddles and spooning and those strong, safe arms.

7. Thanks for smelling like wonderful things: sweat, old spice, sawdust, whiskey, coffee and (if I’m a lucky ladyface) sometimes even delicious desserts.

8. Thanks for recognizing that we femmefolk don’t do femininity for you. (Except sometimes, when we do.)

9. Thanks for being patient and kind in those moments when we are…flustered, insecure, crestfallen or just plain grumpy.

10. Thanks for the chivalry. It is noticed and appreciated and no matter how many times you open a door for me, I still get that wonderful warm squiggly feeling in my tummy. Really.

every. time.

[1ladyface]

Alright, I'm just gonna go ahead and nudge this thread. Ladies, what else do you appreciate about your trans lovers? I'm certain that mine isn't an exhaustive list...

[The_Lady_Snow]

Thanks for acknowledging our masculinity.

[The_Lady_Snow]

Thanks for getting that our kids come first...

[girl_dee]

I appreciate my female identified butch for her huge BRAIN

[The_Lady_Snow]

Thanks for not assuming that because I'm Femne I'm not strong...

[apretty]

Thanks for being okay with yourself wherever you are in journey--I love that!

[Library_girl]

Originally Posted by 1ladyface

Hi All! I didn't see a thread for this so I thought I'd start one. I'll kick it off with a list of things I'd like to thank the butches (and transguys and studs and female born masculine folks in general) for:

1. Thanks for knowing that we do have brains between our pretty little ears.

2. Thanks for not minding if our heels make us a little taller than you…or a lot taller.

3. Thanks for appreciating all the work that goes into looking as fabulous as we do.

4. Thanks for knowing the difference between being protective and being jealous.

5. Thanks for your brutal hands, huge cocks and filthy minds.

6. Thanks for the cuddles and spooning and those strong, safe arms.

7. Thanks for smelling like wonderful things: sweat, old spice, sawdust, whiskey, coffee and (if I’m a lucky ladyface) sometimes even delicious desserts.

8. Thanks for recognizing that we femmefolk don’t do femininity for you. (Except sometimes, when we do.)

9. Thanks for being patient and kind in those moments when we are…flustered, insecure, crestfallen or just plain grumpy.

10. Thanks for the chivalry. It is noticed and appreciated and no matter how many times you open a door for me, I still get that wonderful warm squiggly feeling in my tummy. Really.

every. time.

Thanks so much for this thread, and for this list! I have to say that although I love every item on the list, #4, 5, and 6 are my favorites, especially #4! My appreciation for the protectiveness is enormous and heartfelt.

[Slowpurr]

A shout out to Sgt. Dennis Croft a featured player on the reality show "Small Town Security"on AMC. I started to watch the show on a lark; having seen a preview featuring an outrageously quirky, attention seeking character named Joan or 'chief' as she is fondly referred to by her employees at the security service office;which is the setting of the show. I came for Joan but will stay for Dennis. It remains to be seen how this series will ultimately handle the subject of transition but the sentiment voiced by Sgt. Croft in an all too brief but intense interview on local access in Ringgold, Georgia cannot be erased. The first episode airs the interview which contains a clip of D. Croft being interviewed prior to beginning his T therapy as he watches and comments in the present.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dennis...b_1676342.html

[Tony]

Just found this thread. Loved reading all the amazing posts from the ladies. Believe me, we love to know what we're doing right & the appreciation is intensely felt. No matter who you are or your personal situation, it's always a feel good when someone not only accepts all that you are, but appreciates & likes it. Thank you, Ladies.

[Canela]

Thank you for your fierceness. The protective nature that you have for me, that quality that makes you want to stand up for me even when you know I'm more than capable to stand up for myself.

Thank you for showing me love in a discreet and (not so discreet-not pda) way sometimes, in front of my family and friends. The kindness and courtesy you give me that moves even straight couples to reassess their own behaviors....

Thank you for making me the Queen of our world/life/relationship and understanding your own place as our King.

Thank you for committing to us, to our life and to our loved ones. Being you is the only way I can love you, and thank you for receiving my love in it's entirety.

Thank you for letting me be me with you, the girl, the mama, the wifey the kitten, the tigress, the lamb, the big baby. Thank you for being my bf, man, husband, daddy, mister, sir, friend, lover, (big baby) among others and for understanding that masculine terms are natural to me for you, and I revel in being able to use them. That means more to me than you know.


Thank you for appreciating me in all my many facets. For making me feel good about being a girl/woman who loves her bf/TG/FtM/Transman.

Thank you for"getting" it.

[Sparkle]

My best friend of 15-years identifies as a Trans Bear.

When we met, we were both baby dykes, fledgling butch and femme baby dykes full of bravado, trying to find ourselves and our way (and having an awful lot of fun along the way). Over the course of the past decade and a half we have been through so much - many highs, and oh so many lows. I'm grateful for his friendship. He is my touchstone. He's taught me and inspired me, and propped me up when I've needed it. He's also let me take care of him, he's shared the good, the bad and the ugly. And every step of the way I have been so proud of him (even on those days I've wanted to shake him).

I am so proud of his bravery. Every stage of his transition has required renewed and refreshed courage.

I am so proud that every step of the way he has followed his own path, even when it diverged from anything he knew, from anything he saw, from anything written or talked about. He has let his internal compass lead the way.

I am so proud of the role he has taken on as community educator, both within our local queer community, and within the regional and wider bear and leather communities. As we all know, fear and intolerance are human conditions, being a pioneer within the community is as hard and sometimes harder and often requires MORE courage, than educating the heterosexual community.

And I am so proud of the every day education he does, with the guys he manages in the warehouse, with his family, with 100s of other people who have never ever met anyone like him, never even conceived of someone like him. He's smoothed the paths for dozens of queer kids of every stripe, by being open and honest and a warm, positive reassuring role model with their families.

I'm so proud of every obstacle he's overcome. Of every barrier he's broken through. And of his ability to lift himself up and keep going, again and again and again - because none of those obstacles were overcome easily, and none of those barriers were broken down swiftly.

I am so proud, *beamingly proud*, of the full, happy, healthy, loving person he is.

Today he entered himself as a contestant in the Mr. CT Leather competition.
It is an enormous step for him, to not just find a place within the gay leather community, but to step up and put himself on display.

It has been a long time coming, a long journey for him to find this level of self-confidence; and in finding himself, and joy in himself, he has opened hearts and minds like no one else I know.

Not in big flashy splashy ways; in every day, real face-to-face ways.

So go on you brave sexy M.F. -- be bold!
I'll always be your biggest fan.




And random fact: He's not the first trans man to break this ground, Tyler McCormick won International Man of Leather in 2010. Bravo, Mr. McCormick.

[Tony]

Originally Posted by Canela

Thank you for your fierceness. The protective nature that you have for me, that quality that makes you want to stand up for me even when you know I'm more than capable to stand up for myself.

Thank you for showing me love in a discreet and (not so discreet-not pda) way sometimes, in front of my family and friends. The kindness and courtesy you give me that moves even straight couples to reassess their own behaviors....

Thank you for making me the Queen of our world/life/relationship and understanding your own place as our King.

Thank you for committing to us, to our life and to our loved ones. Being you is the only way I can love you, and thank you for receiving my love in it's entirety.

Thank you for letting me be me with you, the girl, the mama, the wifey the kitten, the tigress, the lamb, the big baby. Thank you for being my bf, man, husband, daddy, mister, sir, friend, lover, (big baby) among others and for understanding that masculine terms are natural to me for you, and I revel in being able to use them. That means more to me than you know.


Thank you for appreciating me in all my many facets. For making me feel good about being a girl/woman who loves her bf/TG/FtM/Transman.

Thank you for"getting" it.

Wow. That was beautiful. Thank YOU for all that. You're going to make some lucky guy very happy. ;-)

[DMW]

Originally Posted by 1ladyface

Hi All! I didn't see a thread for this so I thought I'd start one. I'll kick it off with a list of things I'd like to thank the butches (and transguys and studs and female born masculine folks in general) for:

1. Thanks for knowing that we do have brains between our pretty little ears.

2. Thanks for not minding if our heels make us a little taller than you…or a lot taller.

3. Thanks for appreciating all the work that goes into looking as fabulous as we do.

4. Thanks for knowing the difference between being protective and being jealous.

5. Thanks for your brutal hands, huge cocks and filthy minds.

6. Thanks for the cuddles and spooning and those strong, safe arms.

7. Thanks for smelling like wonderful things: sweat, old spice, sawdust, whiskey, coffee and (if I’m a lucky ladyface) sometimes even delicious desserts.

8. Thanks for recognizing that we femmefolk don’t do femininity for you. (Except sometimes, when we do.)

9. Thanks for being patient and kind in those moments when we are…flustered, insecure, crestfallen or just plain grumpy.

10. Thanks for the chivalry. It is noticed and appreciated and no matter how many times you open a door for me, I still get that wonderful warm squiggly feeling in my tummy. Really.

every. time.

DAAAYUUM...well, i can't take credit for all of that...that is why i didn't give a thank you to your post when i first saw this awhile back. Now, i can say thank you. Cause I know i can't take credit for a thank you like that from a woman i don't know. However, now that i can take the time
to extend a little more information on the thank you return i will.

I know i can take credit for each one of those or even all of those together(and them some) at various times in my life...some of them just come naturally. Others, have to admit, i have to work on being a better man.

Is this a top ten list? Definately a list to aspire to ...
Thank you for the post Ladyface. And i dig that blogspot!
Take care now,
DMW

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by 1ladyface

Hi All! I didn't see a thread for this so I thought I'd start one. I'll kick it off with a list of things I'd like to thank the butches (and transguys and studs and female born masculine folks in general) for:

<snip>

I wish folks would not conflate butch with trans. The above post wants to thank 'butches' and others. It's in 'the trans zone' folder and is titled 'trans appreciation'.

As a butch woman I do not feel thanked.

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by Toughy

I wish folks would not conflate butch with trans. The above post wants to thank 'butches' and others. It's in 'the trans zone' folder and is titled 'trans appreciation'.

As a butch woman I do not feel thanked.

Toughy, I am asking these questions in the spirit of understanding the perspective of others that may not have similar views and to learn. First, I respect you and many of your views, a great deal.

My question is why must there be such a hard line distinction between Trans and Butch? Through all of the discussions we have had in this community, I think many of us do make an effort to be respectful of gender I.D. I do not think that to be Trans necessarily erases all female markers, biological, genetics and socialized attributes. I don't think to be a woman identified butch makes one less butch or not butch.

What about people born cisgender men, that transition, really are women, MTF and now lesbian? (No I am not referring to any specific person in this community. It is a generalization.) What if they are not woman identified lesbians now but just Butch? Are they not butch? Are they not trans women?

I get that your post is about you and how you feel. I am not challenging that at all. Your feelings are real. What I am trying to understand is how are many of us on the masculine spectrum and queer so very different?

I do apologize if I have offended you or others. Honestly, that is not my goal. My goal is to find some clarity, resolution on what feels like some sort of line in the sand.

As a Butch, do you feel any thanks? I ask this because she did include "butch" in her post. Albeit, not "Woman identified butch."

P.S. It feels risky to post this and I decided to do it because I really am looking for a discussion that may reveal, offer something to myself and maybe others.

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by Greyson

Toughy,"
<snip>
P.S. It feels risky to post this and I decided to do it because I really am looking for a discussion that may reveal, offer something to myself and maybe others.

My friend..........your post should not feel risky because of me.....I'm so not offended or upset. I am happy to have this conversation. You know I totally respect you and your feelings/ideas....

just not tonite........I have a man with a hammer in my head and it's not making me happy......so tomorrow

[Toughy]

me in this color and I'm doing it this way to keep me on track...

Originally Posted by Greyson

Toughy, I am asking these questions in the spirit of understanding the perspective of others that may not have similar views and to learn. First, I respect you and many of your views, a great deal.

My question is why must there be such a hard line distinction between Trans and Butch? Through all of the discussions we have had in this community, I think many of us do make an effort to be respectful of gender I.D. I do not think that to be Trans necessarily erases all female markers, biological, genetics and socialized attributes. I don't think to be a woman identified butch makes one less butch or not butch.

Over my years on-line I have done my best to hold space for butch folks who also are women and/or prefer female pronouns. For a long time (on the dash site) I was almost the lone voice until Bully finally appeared and then others. Finally the Planet was born and space for butch women was made much bigger and many more of us came out of the closet so to speak.

One of the reason I have been so adamant about this has to do with folks just coming into their own identity as masculine beings. Butch does not equal man or trans. You can be butch and woman and use female pronouns or you can be a male id'd butch, male prounouns and still not be man or trans. By putting this thread in the 'Trans Zone' and calling it the 'Trans Appreciation' thread, then addressing butch folk first, the impression IS butch = trans = man. It's like butch is the first label in the journey to being a (trans) man. Men/male id'd folks do not own masculinity any more than women/female id'd folks own femininity.

What about people born cisgender men, that transition, really are women, MTF and now lesbian? (No I am not referring to any specific person in this community. It is a generalization.) What if they are not woman identified lesbians now but just Butch? Are they not butch? Are they not trans women?

Yes they are butch. Yes they are trans women. You don't have to be women id'd to be butch. I do know a couple of butch women who started life with a penis and I am sure they do not like butch being conflated with man....that kind of negates their entire experience.

I get that your post is about you and how you feel. I am not challenging that at all. Your feelings are real. What I am trying to understand is how are many of us on the masculine spectrum and queer so very different?

We all are alike and we all are different. That is just the nature of human beings. All us masculine beings have had a journey that is alike and is also different. I think we can celebrate the sameness of masculinity and also celebrate the difference of masculinity.

I do apologize if I have offended you or others. Honestly, that is not my goal. My goal is to find some clarity, resolution on what feels like some sort of line in the sand.

As a Butch, do you feel any thanks? I ask this because she did include "butch" in her post. Albeit, not "Woman identified butch."

My point was this thread is in the 'Trans Zone' folder. The title of the thread is 'Trans Appreciation'. She (the OP) first addressed butch and then in parentheses other folks on the masculine spectrum. That is incredibly confusing and by doing so I read this as a thanks to butch folk (not just butch women) and others and think it would be better placed in the 'General Gender Discussion' folder because the OP really addresses all of us on the masculine spectrum...not just trans and not just butch.

P.S. It feels risky to post this and I decided to do it because I really am looking for a discussion that may reveal, offer something to myself and maybe others.

My life would be incomplete without femmes. I am grateful every day of my life that femme exists. There are some femmes I am not so grateful about........such as the ones who refuse to use female pronouns and see butch as male/man, who always default butch away from woman and feminine.....

So yes I feel thanks from many of my femme sisters. That was never my point. The point is where this thread was placed and the incongruity between the title and the content of the post.

Hope this helps....happy to clarify if needed.

[Nomad]

Originally Posted by Toughy

me in this color and I'm doing it this way to keep me on track...



My life would be incomplete without femmes. I am grateful every day of my life that femme exists. There are some femmes I am not so grateful about........such as the ones who refuse to use female pronouns and see butch as male/man, who always default butch away from woman and feminine.....

So yes I feel thanks from many of my femme sisters. That was never my point. The point is where this thread was placed and the incongruity between the title and the content of the post.

Hope this helps....happy to clarify if needed.

thank you for writing that particular sentence.

i am consistently guilty of applying male ID'd pronouns to the butch folk in my life, though out of insensitivity or habit rather than any unwillingness to use female - or neutral - pronouns. i appreciate your candor as well as the constant and gentle - and even not so gentle - reminders of that misstep that i find in many threads. i keep reminding myself that my own invisibility usually makes me feel dismissed and heartworn. i really dont want to be the source of a similar kind of negation for others.

something else that i'm guilty of is projecting the privilege of my own "outness" onto others. specifically, i have made mistakes with regard to friends who choose not to be overt about being transgendered. i really feel like an asshat when i do it. i dont want to tell anyone elses story or expose anyone elses life to scrutiny - or G*d help them, danger - but i have been known to be insensitive about the degree to which people in my life share themselves with others. for the transmen and women who have not told me to go f*ck myself i am truly appreciative. and for those who have, i have to admit that i understand. i think that i just wish it were the same non-issue for others that it is for me.

i'd like to hear more about the things you and Greyson are talking about so i'm going to sit back and be quiet now. just wanted to throw my own appreciation and attempt at accountability into the mix because i have a great deal of admiration for the ways people embrace and express their self-respect and really hope i can learn to do the same for myself.

[1ladyface]

I understand that there are female IDed butches and I've dated several of them. My initial post was intended to be inclusive, not hurtful. I posted it in trans appreciation bc I was dating a transguy at the time and my 10 things list was written about him. I included butch and other IDs in that first post bc I realized as i was posting it that i didn't want anyone to feel like they couldn't post some appreciative words just bc their person is female IDed. I wasn't trying to disrespect anyone or negate the experiences of female IDed butches. I thought I was just being inclusive. I'm sorry if you were offended.