Q:Definitely not my intentions to say that butch identifying people are all knowing, that would further fuel the homonormatives we have in our communities. All around, my original post was made with good intentions, not meant to be exclusive or one up anyone else. And I definitely agree with your point: femmes know things that butches don't, and vice versa. I think that's the biggest distinguishing point that leads people to identifying they way they do.

tranqualizer

Word, when I first started writing that post I thought you were, but quickly realized I was wrong. I really appreciated the message in your post. Still wanted to make the point though.

Also, I never thought about butch and femme identities springing from that kind of knowledge. I think in some senses you’re right. Aside from my very perceptible femininity, I often have trouble justifying my femme identity to people, I guess part of that is because I don’t really have the knowledge or experience of a traditional femme. I’m closer to having the knowledge of a traditional butch, but I don’t identify as butch, I’m just read that way a lot. I describe this as butch-appearing. Sometime I slip out of identifying as femme because the only way I can explain it is “freedom.” I felt very trapped and censored when I tried to be butch. But I think actually it was that I was trapped and censored in masculinity, because I play butchness quite well and enjoy it a lot of the time. We’re not really taught to make that distinction, are we? The best terminology I’ve ever heard surrounding a similar gendering was when a person described herself to me as “femme aggress in boi clothes.” I like it because, as you pointed out, it recognizes that butch is more than just the clothes you wear. I guess I have a little more thinking to do about my own butch and femme identifications.

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  1. boygirlboigrrrl posted this