Saturday, December 18, 2010

Soul Sisters?

I'm applying this definition to a whole different set of sisters we normally never discuss. I'm referring to butch lesbians.
I met a person who is right on the cusp of being a ftm trans and a butch lesbian (his term). He sent me an article he wrote on the subject, but I don't want to betray the trust. Until I get permission, here are some of the absolute highlights.
To begin with he points out the pain a "butch" feels growing up. There is no hiding, no real closet to dive into as most of us have.  The femme lesbian has the advantage of dissolving into society or going "stealth" in our terminology. Looking back in my life, I had a close girlfriend (genetic) who had a butch sister.  The family forced her into a dress a couple times. I felt her pain of wearing the clothes of a gender she obviously didn't feel comfortable with. I see her every once in a while.Nothing has changed with him.
How ironic that this group could have a kinship with us?
Over the years I've interacted with "butches" to varying degrees. As "guy to guy" the interaction was very smooth normally. As "girl" to guy (them), the time was most interesting. One of my earliest posts describes a "karaoke" experience I had with a "butch" in a cowboy hat in a lesbian bar.
Two overriding ideas emerged from past experience and my new friend. Number one, I didn't realize how trans they are. In fact the butch lesbian is the most visible form of a transgendered person today. Most don't pass you know who they are.
Number two, I didn't realize how possessive they are. In some ways, the butch is a throw back to a male stereotype of the past. Which is not a surprise.
How many of us would jump at the chance to be the submissive female? The butch sits directly on the other side of that fence.
I'm fascinated by this whole segment of our rainbow and with his permission, I will bring you more

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