Quote:
Originally Posted by Converse
Kinda feels like you are saying to be a Butch is to step into some sort of box with limitations and rules. I’m curious do you see other genders (I subscribe to the third gender theory) just as constricting or is it only Butch that you see as having “protocols’? The inference that Butches are “followers” is something that I am reading from your post- would appreciate if you could expand before I jump to any conclusions. Thank you
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No, that isn't what I am saying at all. My post was really from a personal space. I have found that there seems to be many preconceived notions of what a butch is. Other butches (or however one identifies) may have a different experience. Actually, due to how fluid I view gender to be, I just have a hard time when it feels like I am supposed to act a certain way, dress a certain way, cut my hair a certain way, etc. in order to fit into some category of butch. I (and I bet many others) don't follow some butch book of regulations. We are all individuals. And as I said, I have never been one to follow strict guidelines about anything. Sometimes this can be good and at other times, not so (like the example I gave about not being good in any kind of job, profession that requires a lot of structure- where other people can do this). There is no value judgment in what I was attempting to say.
I am just who I am which includes a female-masculinity that is part of a whole range of what is butch (which comes from what an individual chooses).
My comment came on the heels of HB talking about the whole thing of there being some specific butch meaning behind a compliment (her example) which is based upon the gender of butch. I think we are all individuals and have a multitude of things we could mean when complimenting a femme (part of her example). Not all butches have the same motivations or reasons behind their behavior.
Don't read too much into what I said because I was talking about
my own personality and gender dynamics. I don't view butches as followers. Yes, I have felt that butches (and femmes) get stereotyped often within our own dynamic and community. There have been times in various threads that it feels like there is some
ultimate butch behavior that makes one a butch. That has gotten to me for the very reason that there is a whole host of identity variables in butch and in gender identification all around. Third gender is one of these along with transgendered and transsexual, and intergendered as well as female gender blended (and a host of others!). I can't speak for anything other than my identification as a butch (
for me) being a
female gender-blended person. This is how I identify presently and feel like it fits into somewhere along the entire spectrum of butch. This is my comfort zone.
I hope I am making sense, but it is hard because as I said, this is about me, not anyone else. I may some gender commonalities with others here along with dissimilar gender variables. All are valid.
I talked about
two-spirit gender and sexuality and myself in #21 and hummm... it must have been in the Male vs. Masculinity thread I posted about my feelings about the female gender blended person concept.