The Strong Butch Female/Woman in a Patriarchal World

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by BullDog

People talk a lot about fighting against the binary. OK great but I personally don't see that we have made much "progress." The proliferation of masculine type identities might make everyone feel more at home in their skin and with their individual identities- that's great- but it is not making sexism go away and I don't see it breaking down gender stereotypes at all. Having more choices of bread to buy at the grocery store now doesn't make capitalism a more improved economic system. It just means there are more types of bread to buy.

No, sexism is alive and well!

What I am amazed with is that feminism is what brought gender studies into being! I am so sick of the lack of historical knowledge and understanding of what a social movement is! feminism in its attempt to erradicate sexism, bring to light the negatives in sex-role stereotypes and fight the patriarchy, laid the foundation for transformation of the gender binary!


Ignorance continues as bliss! And thgere is no excuse for remaining ignorant here, as research into this is a click away! No one needs a degree to gain insight into the role of feminism in the development of gender enlightenment1

[BullDog]

Originally Posted by AtLastHome

No, sexism is alive and well!

What I am amazed with is that feminism is what brought gender studies into being! I am so sick of the lack of historical knowledge and understanding of what a social movement is! feminism in its attempt to erradicate sexism, bring to light the negatives in sex-role stereotypes and fight the patriarchy, laid the foundation for transformation of the gender binary!


Ignorance continues as bliss! And thgere is no excuse for remaining ignorant here, as research into this is a click away! No one needs a degree to gain insight into the role of feminism in the development of gender enlightenment1

Yes, absolutely, AtLast. Many cultures acknowledge more than two genders, so I certainly believe in gender diversity or having more than two genders recognized.

I do agree with you that feminism has paved the way for many things, including gender studies and being able to critically examine the gender binary.

Sexism is rooted in limiting what woman can be. Sexism is about assigning gender stereotypes to women based on one's sex (female). Men then also are assigned stereotypes as well. It has consequences far beyond how we internally feel about ourselves or how we are acknowledged in terms of our gender, as we all know.

Certainly not everyone who is biologically female has to embrace woman as their gender or one of their genders, but unless we get to the roots of sexism and speak out against the gender stereotypes assigned to women, I don't see how any genders can be free. I also don't see having 5, 12, 86 or infinite genders as in itself fighing the binary or gender stereotypes in any meaningful way other than we all get to have our own personal id.

Appreciating gender diversity is certainly something I think we all want to do and strive to do better, but it's not freeing us from gender stereotypes or sexism or other societal inequalities, it just gives us more individual choice. I also don't think our individual choices will be honored unless we speak out and fight against what's really holding us back. If our society and queer communities remain as sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. as they are now, our individual ids will not be honored in any meaningful way.

[Beau]

Originally Posted by BullDog

To our allies, to me what is important, and what I believe is important to many butch women and female identified butches as well, is that we be recognized not just as masculine beings but as women and females as well.

Yes, Bully. I am not worried about anyone in real time or online "seeing" my masculinity; in fact, that's laughable to me. Yet, I think for others that may be a real issue that feeds some personal need to erase "woman" from "butch"-- even if that's regarding others. For me, and for many I know who ID as butch women, the "woman" part is what's lost, obscured, unacknowledged, or disrespected in real time and online. I don't fit anybody's notion of woman based on social constructs and definitions -- which absolutely always do come into play.

Originally Posted by Metropolis

Being, acknowledging, IDing as, having pride in and saying openly one is a female or women as well as butch does not mean one is stating they're less butch. Where people get that I don't know... except that I do.

Butches of all ID's come in all flavors, being Male or Female ID isn't an indicator of cooking skills, mechanic skills... musical preferences... musculature... facial characteristics... cuppa joe or latte... it just isn't meant to convey level of butch-ness.

It's not only dissing Female ID but it places stupid expectations on Male ID to be X Y Z... it really works against everyone.

To see female ID'd or butch women characterized as less masculine or not as butch really is ironic, irritating, and irksome considering my daily experience of walking through the world and being perceived as too masculine/butch. It would be funny if I didn't have to deal with the crap the world sends my way and then be confronted in queer spaces with the ridiculous attitudes and posturing surrounding the very idea of what butch is. While I have always looked to queer spaces for a place to find kinship and understanding, it's not all that fun to see myself defined by others in ways that aren't indicative of my reality.

Originally Posted by adorable

Maybe if everyone would stop comparing their insides to other people's outsides we could all accept people for who they say they are, ask for clarification and stop thinking in black & white.

Yes, this would be lovely. Hope to see it happen someday.

Originally Posted by Metropolis

Bottom line... this thread is about Female ID and Women ID related issues... and to be taken as an affront to any other ID is to totally misinterpreting the intention.

Met, misinterpretations are beyond our control, but intention does count, and yours is clear. Thank you for taking the space.

[mariamma]

Originally Posted by AtLast

No, sexism is alive and well!

What I am amazed with is that feminism is what brought gender studies into being! I am so sick of the lack of historical knowledge and understanding of what a social movement is! feminism in its attempt to erradicate sexism, bring to light the negatives in sex-role stereotypes and fight the patriarchy, laid the foundation for transformation of the gender binary!


Ignorance continues as bliss! And thgere is no excuse for remaining ignorant here, as research into this is a click away! No one needs a degree to gain insight into the role of feminism in the development of gender enlightenment1

My you're cute when you bring out the can of whoop-ass Yes, this is a re-argument of feminist theory. However not all have studied feminism 101. A