Help me write this - discussion of gender dynamics in lesbian community

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by aishah

kobi, i really appreciated your response, esp what you said about not assuming someone's gender id and the issues with the term "generic lesbian" (which makes me cringe too). i got the impression that you are positing woman and butch/masculine (or even femme) as something separate though. i'm wondering how butches who very much identify as women fit into that - at least with what you said about "butch-femme dynamics, masculine-feminine dynamics are much different from woman-woman dynamics."

What I was addressing is that under the queer umbrella there are many branches with some similarities but also with distinct differences. Finding ones way through the branches to the place where one finds the sense of community that speaks to them is very much an individual thing.

What I was also addressing is that woman-woman, minus the labels and qualifiers we are used to in this community, is a very real, very valid, choice of lifestyle which deserves as much respect and acceptance as any other branch under the umbrella.

The queer community is a diverse community. The word diverse indicates differences. If there werent differences, would we use the word diversity?