only another butch would understand

Queerasfck · 11-19-2009, 11:15 AM

Speaking only for myself, I understand the need and importance to have a place for butches to gather and/or feel welcomed. It's a well meaning sentiment to say "only a butch would understand". As demonstrated here clearly, not all butches understand butches, not all butches are the same. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. If I want to, I can reduce myself to a cultural stereotype. See EZ fix the kitchen sink! See EZ sport a tie! See EZ watch football! Do I love those things? Yes, I do--even fixing the sink. Many times though I feel like there's a lot of butch posturing that goes on and it bores me, yet I've been guilty of it too on occasion.
Yes, I'm butch, yes I'm queer. It is 45 years in the making. My id is layer upon layer. It's been extraordinary and ordinary. Growing up like many people here I never felt like I fit in all the way, knew I was different from my peers. There was no one like "me". When I realized I was queer I joined the queer community and I made the simple assumption that everyone in it was a fantastic person!! Of couse I know now that it's not that way. And it's fine. So, reading this thread yesterday did bring up the issue of "fitting in" to me. So I was left with the question again, do I HAVE to fit in here? Pick a pronoun, pick a side!
I'm female on my driver's license. I don't see that changing in my future. Yet I have never felt so masculine in all my years as I do today. The pronoun thing? Yes I understand how it can be frustrating for some. If I get "sir'd" in public does that make me more masculine? If I get "mam'd" does that make me more feminine? It doesn't take away from my id. Inside I know. I'm me. My partner, she gets me. My closest friends know me. I'm comfortable in my own skin. I'm not saying any of this makes me better than the next butch. It's just how I view the world.
In the best case senario I would just like to be respected as a person and I try to do the same to others. At the end of the day that's what's important to me. I think most people feel that way.

11-19-2009, 11:15 AM	#26
Queerasfck Senior Member How Do You Identify?: still ballin' Relationship Status: Triple X Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: west side Posts: 2,544 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 5,716 Thanked 6,488 Times in 1,638 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	Fitting in Speaking only for myself, I understand the need and importance to have a place for butches to gather and/or feel welcomed. It's a well meaning sentiment to say "only a butch would understand". As demonstrated here clearly, not all butches understand butches, not all butches are the same. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. If I want to, I can reduce myself to a cultural stereotype. See EZ fix the kitchen sink! See EZ sport a tie! See EZ watch football! Do I love those things? Yes, I do--even fixing the sink. Many times though I feel like there's a lot of butch posturing that goes on and it bores me, yet I've been guilty of it too on occasion. Yes, I'm butch, yes I'm queer. It is 45 years in the making. My id is layer upon layer. It's been extraordinary and ordinary. Growing up like many people here I never felt like I fit in all the way, knew I was different from my peers. There was no one like "me". When I realized I was queer I joined the queer community and I made the simple assumption that everyone in it was a fantastic person!! Of couse I know now that it's not that way. And it's fine. So, reading this thread yesterday did bring up the issue of "fitting in" to me. So I was left with the question again, do I HAVE to fit in here? Pick a pronoun, pick a side! I'm female on my driver's license. I don't see that changing in my future. Yet I have never felt so masculine in all my years as I do today. The pronoun thing? Yes I understand how it can be frustrating for some. If I get "sir'd" in public does that make me more masculine? If I get "mam'd" does that make me more feminine? It doesn't take away from my id. Inside I know. I'm me. My partner, she gets me. My closest friends know me. I'm comfortable in my own skin. I'm not saying any of this makes me better than the next butch. It's just how I view the world. In the best case senario I would just like to be respected as a person and I try to do the same to others. At the end of the day that's what's important to me. I think most people feel that way. __________________ http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk...28750fb328.jpg