[julieisafemme]

Originally Posted by Heart

Do you use the term "woman" as part of your identity? It is what I am and not so much an identity. I am a 100% cisgendered woman. I do not claim any masculinity. I am not third gendered, transgendered. I am the binary and it fits me fine. To me it is not about fighting the binary as much as fighting the limitations of only two genders.

What does it mean to you to use/not use the term "woman?" I do not use the word for my partner. He is not a woman, even though he was born female bodied. It may have been assigned to him at birth as his gender but it is not. Understanding that disctinction has given me so much insight into my own gender and how it was constructed yet also an intrinsic part of me.

Does tension/discomfort exist for you in using the term "woman" together with butch, femme, queer, or any of your other identity definers? If so, why?

I am enjoying and learning so much about gender and how people define woman. Sometimes it does feel online that more importance is given to woman with butch in front of it. And not in the context of butches who do not use woman but in comparison to a woman who may identify as just a woman or a femme.

If you do not use the term "woman" how did you come to the decision not to?

How is "woman" different from "female" (and I don't mean in the academic sense, but in the lived experience sense).

Female is the biological sex you are born with. Woman is the gender that is expected of female bodied people. I really like Julia Serano's definitions of all of these concepts. Woman, to her, is the subconscious sex we carry in our brains. Just like man is. Sometimes that matches our biological sex and sometimes it does not. It is intrinsic to a person and can override socially contructed gender or biological sex.

What does "woman" mean?

It means the best stuff ever!! To me it is a wonderful way to express the pride I take in my body and what it can do. Having a child and nursing that child was an amazing experience. I sitll can't believe that my body made her and fed her for her first year of life! It means hope, wisdom, nurturing and peace.

What does "woman" not mean?

Not sure how to answer that. I guess it means you are not a man?

There are many other questions that could be asked, and by all means ask them.

Thank you for this great thread Heart!