What makes a Butch "Butch"

[macele]

this thread has made me rethink the word butch. and i've decided that i will not ever use the word masculine or any word that is considered a synonym/related to the word masculine by most dictionaries, ... when talking about a butch. a traditional word i am throwing out the window, so to speak.

[Novelafemme]

Originally Posted by macele

this thread has made me rethink the word butch. and i've decided that i will not ever use the word masculine or any word that is considered a synonym/related to the word masculine by most dictionaries, ... when talking about a butch. a traditional word i am throwing out the window, so to speak.

My partner would LOVE this

[BullDog]

I personally do embrace masculinity as part of myself- female masculinity- but not all butches do.

Thank you aishah for that article. I completely relate to it.

I think genderqueer is a perfectly fine identity for those who resonate with it. It doesn't resonate with me at all. I have experienced times when people try to place butch under some sort of GenderQueer, Transgender and/or Masculine of Center "Umbrella." While I believe the attempts are made with good intentions towards being very inclusive, a big problem I have encountered with this is woman tends to get subsumed under this umbrella concept and male/masculine always seems to come to the forefront. At least that has how it has felt to me. It hasn't felt "woman friendly" at all to me when attempts are made to use it as an umbrella term. Now an individual identifying as genderqueer is of course their identity so that is not at all problematic to me.

[Toughy]

Originally Posted by macele

this thread has made me rethink the word butch. and i've decided that i will not ever use the word masculine or any word that is considered a synonym/related to the word masculine by most dictionaries, ... when talking about a butch. a traditional word i am throwing out the window, so to speak.

Why? I don't understand how you came to this conclusion.

[Deborah]

Originally Posted by June

Yes. As a Femme, I see this all the time within our community. I don't care if you choose to or have to shave every day, or sleep in your Engineer boots. What I care about is how you behave towards others. None of these identities/Genders should be a competition.

If I were in the dating pool, I would be looking for a masculine person who treated everyone respectfully and was secure in who they were, shared similar goals, was emotionally available, didn't have a real messy past and was able to build relationships with my friends, regardless of how they identified because they trusted me.

That Butch/Man in the corner with a beer making snide remarks about "chicks" and blustering about how they are so masculine they "would never..." -- I don't want that.

Glad you're not in the dating pool...cause you just described my man Mr Princess himself...just call me lucky

[Deborah]

I agree with theDevilherself...I have no issue with 'ooozing femmeness' in fact its part of who I am...but dont think for a second I am a damzel in distress or looking for a night in shining armor - I can hold my own with just about anyone. I love my nails done and my hair did and have brains and skills to go with it! I been called Daddi before but only once...but I could be one if I wanted. I am a strong femme and I like a strong partner, one that is strong enough to be the most sensitive person there is and that is whether they're butch, ftm or femme...I don't like people that judge books by their cover or judge books they haven't read...I love the diversity of this life and I am still learning what all this means and some of you have been here a long time and still seem to be evolving which I consider growth...what I have learned is all these 'labels' mean very different things to each of us and none of us are wrong about 'who we think/feel we are' the wrongness comes when we impose our definition on someone else that doesn't feel the same way...