"Butch" and "Femme" - Truly Antiquated Terms or More Marginalization?

tmbyfem · 11-22-2009, 04:03 PM

Butch/femme antiquated?? Maybe to some, but I prefer the term "classic".

Any reading of queer/lesbian history will show that the butch/femme dynamic has been around long before those specifc words were attached to it. The "cultural" feminists in the 70's declared it "dead" and yet B/F dynamics had a resurgance in the 80's and 90's.

Connecting with that energy and history was like a second coming out for me. First I came out as a lesbian, then a few years later as femme. Call it whatever you wish but for me, personally, to have my ID declared "dead" is rather dismissive of all those who went before us and seems ignorant of the past that brought us here to this point in time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue_Vegan_Daddy-O

Diva... HAPPY GAY BIRTHDAY ...this is my 20th year of being Gay too!!!

Hey!! It'll be my 20th anniversary next year too!! Time for some cake!!

QueenofQueens · 11-22-2009, 04:12 PM

Listen to Shirley and learn...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTUIHK7gHRE"]YouTube- Propellerheads - History Repeating (1997) â–ºSTEREOâ—„[/ame]

Be who you are, regardless of fashion's edict or academia's clarion cry.

PapaC · 11-22-2009, 04:15 PM

So when do I get to declare all just a fad? or better it...

it's just a phase

Jet · 11-22-2009, 04:15 PM

I'm in my 49th year of "cognizant" queer-dom..lol....I knew at four I was different and felt like a boy at five. Believe it or not, my nickname as a child was "Butch" given to me by mom of all people. I'll never change that or the fact that I'm attracted to femmes and all the beauty which that implies for me.

WolfyOne · 11-22-2009, 04:26 PM

This is a wonderful thread and it's been quite interesting reading everyones take on this subject.

Apocalipstic · 11-22-2009, 04:40 PM

I have been out for 25 years.

Butch and Femme as terms were completely out of style in my 20's and I lost many friends because I insisted on looking girly. Being andro was popular.

Butch Femme as terms were completely out of style though my 30's. Being andro was popular. I lost friends for dating BullDykes.

Around the time I turned 40, there were 2 or 3 years it was uber cool to be Butch or Femme...Fabulous!

Now, again...being Butch and Femme is out and I am back to being a failure as a Lesbian.

Ehhhhh.

I did try to "andro it up" a few times when I was younger. I still looked pretty damn girly.

I am fine with whatever terms anyone uses, I just have not noticed new terms for Femmes? Are we passé?

Jet · 11-22-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by apocalipstic

I have been out for 25 years.

Butch and Femme as terms were completely out of style in my 20's and I lost many friends because I insisted on looking girly. Being andro was popular.

Butch Femme as terms were completely out of style though my 30's. Being andro was popular. I lost friends for dating BullDykes.

Around the time I turned 40, there were 2 or 3 years it was uber cool to be Butch or Femme...Fabulous!

Now, again...being Butch and Femme is out and I am back to being a failure as a Lesbian.

Ehhhhh.

I did try to "andro it up" a few times when I was younger. I still looked pretty damn girly.

I am fine with whatever terms anyone uses, I just have not noticed new terms for Femmes? Are we passé?

too funny...too cute

I swear of this continues I'm going to be a gay man when I transition with crush on Robert Downy Jr.

11-22-2009, 04:12 PM	#2
QueenofQueens Timed Out How Do You Identify?: Seerauber, Centaurita Bonita, QoQonut, Volupté Suprême Preferred Pronoun?: Lux, Ms. Lisbon if you're nasty. Relationship Status: Left of Centaur and blissfully betrothed. Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Happily swooning by the big, blue sea. Posts: 171 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 50 Thanked 375 Times in 63 Posts Rep Power: 0	History repeating. Listen to Shirley and learn... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTUIHK7gHRE"]YouTube- Propellerheads - History Repeating (1997) â–ºSTEREOâ—„[/ame] Be who you are, regardless of fashion's edict or academia's clarion cry.

11-22-2009, 04:15 PM	#3
PapaC Member How Do You Identify?: FTM-Queer Preferred Pronoun?: He Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: west coast Posts: 214 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 412 Thanked 486 Times in 111 Posts Rep Power: 1281637	So when do I get to declare all just a fad? or better it... it's just a phase __________________ -PapaC aka bootstraptechguy

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11-22-2009, 04:15 PM	#4
Jet Timed Out - TOS Drama How Do You Identify?: .. Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: .. Posts: 3,471 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 292 Thanked 2,647 Times in 1,293 Posts Rep Power: 0	I'm in my 49th year of "cognizant" queer-dom..lol....I knew at four I was different and felt like a boy at five. Believe it or not, my nickname as a child was "Butch" given to me by mom of all people. I'll never change that or the fact that I'm attracted to femmes and all the beauty which that implies for me.

11-22-2009, 04:26 PM	#5
WolfyOne Magically Delicious How Do You Identify?: Gentle Butch Relationship Status: Single and content Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 6,558 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 22,052 Thanked 15,392 Times in 4,138 Posts Rep Power: 21474858	This is a wonderful thread and it's been quite interesting reading everyones take on this subject.

11-22-2009, 04:40 PM	#6
Apocalipstic Pink Confection How Do You Identify?: Femme Preferred Pronoun?: She, Her, Ma'am Relationship Status: Dating Myself Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Nashville Posts: 4,266 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 17,195 Thanked 11,362 Times in 2,838 Posts Rep Power: 21474856	I have been out for 25 years. Butch and Femme as terms were completely out of style in my 20's and I lost many friends because I insisted on looking girly. Being andro was popular. Butch Femme as terms were completely out of style though my 30's. Being andro was popular. I lost friends for dating BullDykes. Around the time I turned 40, there were 2 or 3 years it was uber cool to be Butch or Femme...Fabulous! Now, again...being Butch and Femme is out and I am back to being a failure as a Lesbian. Ehhhhh. I did try to "andro it up" a few times when I was younger. I still looked pretty damn girly. I am fine with whatever terms anyone uses, I just have not noticed new terms for Femmes? Are we passé?