Butch women tend to assume that people who choose transition were just butch lesbians that surrendered to "the Patriarchy". After reading a few posts on the blog, it seems like this woman probably blames "the Patriarchy" every time she can't find a good parking space.
I for one never identified as a butch. I was a tomboy, but even as a girl I was attractive. I never looked, dressed, or acted like the butch lesbians I see buying power saws together in the hardware store. Judging by most intro videos on YouTube, most people who transition aren't butch either.
Butch women feel "betrayed" because they are wrongly assuming that their tribe is losing members. They don't realize that the majority of trans-guys were never associated with them in the first place. Actually, among my generation (under 30) and younger, I don't even see many butch identified lesbians around at all.
"Butches" may be relics of history. Queer and lesbian women of my generation (age 20s and younger) are likely to be influenced by the beautiful women portrayed in "the L Word", and don't seem to be interested in adopting tough, burly, butch presentation. Most trans-guys, at least the most visible from the YouTube community, look more like trendy teenage boys than butch lesbians. Even presenting as male, they are too stylish to ever pass as butch. There's not one buzz cut or NASCAR t-shirt among them.
When butch lesbians cry that trans-guys are "selling them out", they are missing the obvious fact that most of us were never even butch to begin with.
you seem to have a rather narrow and slanted definition of butch lesbians.
ReplyDeleteit really is not exactly all about how one person identifies. it might be partly about that, but honestly, your entire lifetime of experience and learning (intentional or incidental) informs who you are today.
you say you are influenced by *the beautiful women portrayed in "the L Word"* but what does that really mean? Are you trying to say that you are impressed with and trying to emulate the homogenized TV star standard that passes today as beauty?
stylish? oh honey! LOL! you are so missing out if you can't find a stylish butch! LOL!
I completely agree that most of the YouTube videos I see of young trans guys appear to be trendy teens. But I'm old enough to remember the 80's so have my own particular thoughts on trendy teens.
I'm 24, and I hate the L word. Nor do i want to identify with such a patriarchal view of lesbians on T.V. You fail.
ReplyDelete@still just Bunny- That's just something that I noticed and from my own experience, not having been "butch" prior to transition. Glad you agree. I don't know any stylish butches, but to be honest, I don't know any lesbians either. I know a few bisexual women who fall anywhere from tomboyish to feminine.
ReplyDelete@ ...Phylicia- I don't know where you live, but seeing stylish, traditionally "feminine" lesbians is common in the gay neighborhoods in Los Angeles, San Diego, throughout So Cal. That's not necessarily patriarchal. Lesbians in these place do tend to be more traditionally "pretty". In that sense the show is just an accurate portrayal.
Maybe.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that some people might not see themselves in the representations of women that are mostly available. If you don't personally know a butch lesbian, you will rarely see one in the media. You could start a Butch Girl Scouts group or something.
I'll take the genuine neanderthal Butches anyday, and I NEVER was feminine from 7 years old on, always resisting feminization. But the truth is we ARE Butch, therefore we have no need of proving 'maleness' or transitioning...and any Butch is way more dapper and handsome than trans individuals who smell, act and assume male privilege. We Butches see each other alive and well, and we will continue OUR culture, despite all the 20 somethings fucking any thing that moves and wanting to imitate men in their bodies and deny their femaleness, while having been far more feminine than any Butch alive!
ReplyDeleteYou are confirming my point. Most trans-guys are different from butches, but for some reason your community tends to lump us altogether.
DeleteAlso, you are kinda talking about femininity like it's a bad thing. "I was NEVER feminine..."
I am a transgender male who tried to be butch, but I just never identified as such. I tried to conform to be a woman prior and even after my nervous breakdown after my transition. Thankfully, I have gotten the help I needed and have no hatred towards the butch lesbian community. I agree, the majority of transmen did not root from that same community.
ReplyDelete