Breaking The Stereotype!

[Beau]

I appreciate your perspective on this, Gayla. I was just responding to how it read to me after viewing a page or so of posts that seem to revert to the "girls play with dolls"/"boys play with trucks" mindset.

I get that it's not okay for some in this community to think of butches as being associated with certain behaviors/activities (and the same for femmes). I still stand by my reaction that it perpetuates the notion that behaviors and activities have a gender association. They don't, and that's the only point I was trying to make.

I appreciate any effort to help others have a more expansive view of gender even if I don't see it happening in this way.

Originally Posted by gayla

Beau - My intent was not have have people "cop" to behavior of the opposite gender but to talk about the things they do that could be seen as "un" by other member's of this community. In the past, I've been told I was not butch enough because I have a girly name, have worked in a predominately female profession, like trashy romance novels and play female characters in video games.

None of these things make me "un-butch" or "less butch" although there are many people in our community that think butch and femme are about what someone wears, likes/dislikes, does, says, etc. My point is that it doesn't. As has been often said, even in a dress and heels, I'm still butch.

The things I like and don't like are just personal traits that make me an individual. I think it's important to celebrate those things in a space that does not often do so.