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

[SuperFemme]

I'm really bothered that Selenay is not feeling us being receptive.
I HEAR her saying b/f will never be dead, that it is simply evolving.

Perhaps that is the crux of the way we are answering?

Butch and Femme are genders to many of us. Identities we've carved out. To hear they are dead gives a mass gut reaction of NO WAY!

Now that I am meandering along thinking about this I realize that is how I have felt during this conversation. In my head I experienced a little fear along the lines of "Please don't erase us". In answering along the lines of that thinking am I erasing a younger generation? I fear I may be, but I don't want to do that.

I want to embrace the evolution of Queer however that may look. That doesn't mean my identity is in jeopardy.

[Duchess]

Originally Posted by SuperFemme

I'm really bothered that Selenay is not feeling us being receptive.
I HEAR her saying b/f will never be dead, that it is simply evolving.

Perhaps that is the crux of the way we are answering?

Butch and Femme are genders to many of us. Identities we've carved out. To hear they are dead gives a mass gut reaction of NO WAY!

Now that I am meandering along thinking about this I realize that is how I have felt during this conversation. In my head I experienced a little fear along the lines of "Please don't erase us". In answering along the lines of that thinking am I erasing a younger generation? I fear I may be, but I don't want to do that.

I want to embrace the evolution of Queer however that may look. That doesn't mean my identity is in jeopardy.

I could not have said it better..

[Boots13]

Or more aptly the butch?

I just repped Selenay because I enjoyed her perspective, but also feel that her information was met with some degree of denial or hostility by a few others. And thats OK too.

I will tell you, for me, its a hard pill to swallow. I remember seeing old, old, old (probably at least in their fifties, shit, thats me...) bull dykes, daggers, walking around. Looking tired in their leather, sporting mullets, doing the whole flannel shirt thing. And while I appreciated their "breaking ground" for me, I didnt want to be that when I grew old. I wanted to fly my own flag-

And here I am, partnered with a femme, having worked hard through the years to maintain my identity and paying some heavy prices for being so identifiable. I sit here, thrilled to be me, knowing I am in my place, settled in my Butchness, and LOVING my Femme, but wondering what the younger generation thinks about us "oldsters" .

I dont feel defensive, just thoroughly interested in our..yes OUR younger generation and the direction they see themselves going.