[Darth Denkay]

Reading through the thread (and the similar one on the other site) one thing stands out to me - the part semantics plays in this discussion. As we know, choice of words can be really powerful. One word that I've seen (on which thread I can't recall) is that the younger generation is re-writing/re-defining butch-femme. When written that way, yeah, I get defensive. Those words, to me, suggest change that more or less does away with the prior terms, identities. In my mind, it implies that butch-femme is no longer and we now will use these other terms, the culture will change, and those of us who hold to the butch-femme community will be left behind. I don't think that's what's happening - the butch-femme community as we know it is too strong to be erased. Younger folks may use different terms, and certainly the culture will change, but I think it's more of incorporating the new rather than replacing the old with the new. Does that distinction make sense?

Several have shared good resources. Another I would add is "Boots of leather, slippers of gold: The history of a lesbian community". The organized lesbian community happened starting in the 30s and 40s, and it WAS butch-femme. I expect lesbians who are opposed to butch-femme would be quite upset to know that, but lesbian history (as an organized community) began with us. Since that time I'm sure the culture has changed, and it will continue to. However, that doesn't mean the history will be erased (which is where I have my freak-out) and I do believe we will always have a place here. I don't see the shift being as drastic as when butch-femme went underground because lesbian feminists saw us as the evil lesbian version of the patriarchy. And if we think about it, at that time lesbians wanted to see us gone - and while we went underground, we didn't go away. I think the current shift is far less drastic, and we won't be going anywhere. Our culture may expand, but we're not leaving.