[BullDog]

There are a lot of great posts, awesome conversation!

Like Parker said, one of the main reasons many butch women do want to be seen as women is because when we are not, our type of woman is invisible. There are many ways to be woman and we would like that to be seen. You can't control how someone is going to perceive you and that's ok, but we stretch the definition of what woman is and can be. Many of us also do want to be treated as women because that is what we are.

I don't really have the issue of passing as male and I am happy about that. If people do think I am, it is usually just a temporary mistake. If someone calls me sir at the grocery store or something I don't tend to correct them, I just let it slide.

Sometimes kids will ask me if I am a boy or girl (they tend to use that rather than man or woman). I will smile and say girl. You see them thinking and that makes me smile. They don't really care either way, they are just curious. If they do call me he and we are friends, I don't correct them. They find their own way just fine.

I do agree with Kelt that I would prefer our society wasn't so rigidly gendered. Why does it matter if a store clerk says ma'am or sir? Why do we have to have an F or M on our driver's license? Why do people get so extremely uncomfortable if they can't tell right away if someone is female or male?