Butch Wonders
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Am I Butch?

6/22/2015

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Hello! My name is Jenna, and I have a question about where I might stand on the gay spectrum, but I don't know any other lesbians and I figured that you would be the person to ask. 

So, at first I thought I was a butch. I have very short hair & only wear men's clothes, I'm always the one killing the bug while the rest of the girls scream in a corner, I practice chivalry, I've always been one of the guys, and I took an online test that said I was. However, then I looked up butch women on google and I don't look like any of them! Examples:

1. I remember I met two on separate occasions when I was younger, but both times they were bigger, taller, way more masculine, and looked at me with this hulk smash- 'if you come near me or any of the women near me, I will pee on all of them and stab you in the neck.' So, I figure I'm either a threat, meaning that I DO count as butch, or I'm not one of them and must die.

2. I'm very toned, I have visible abs and toned arms, BUT I'm in no way tall or bulky and you will never ever catch me in public with a wife beater. I usually wear a slim fit xs dress shirt, a narrow tie, and (as nerdy as it may be) a sweater vest. 

I like feminine women, but I feel I'm not really "butchy" enough for them, but I'm also not very feminine and never have been. But I also know I'm not androgynous.

The only feedback I've ever gotten on it was this bisexual girl I knew who always compared me to Shane on The L Word. I do not look or act at all like Shane.

Also, I'm pretty young; I just turned 18 if that helps at all.

I don't really know what I expect you to say, but if you have any knowledge please let me know! Thanks, BW!
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Is it "worth" coming out as bisexual?

6/21/2015

9 Comments

 
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I got a question from a reader  wondering whether she should come out as bi: "Is it worth coming out as bisexual if you're not dating someone of the same gender?  Should I just wait until it's necessary to say?"

This is a great question--and one with which lots of bisexual people struggle. Ultimately, it's highly personal, and like any coming out question, the key isn't when it's "necessary" to anyone else; it's whether coming out is important to you. 

(<Btw, Kalinda Sharma on "The Good Wife" is the most interesting bisexual character on television, in my opinion.)  


Bisexuality can feel "invisible." When you're with someone of the opposite sex, people tend to assume you're straight; when you're with someone of the same sex, people tend to assume you're gay.  

I know it's not fair that people make these assumptions, but I admit that I do the same.  I know at least two out bisexual women who are married to men and have biological kids with them. They're living a "straight" life and are indistinguishable from other straight people. It's not that I'm "denying" their sexuality, just that I don't really think about people's sexuality beyond their current relationship unless they're talking to me about it, referring to a same-sex ex, or waving a Pride flag at me.

Here are a few things you might want to consider in your decision about whether to come out as bi:
  • Some people don't like "passing" as straight when they're not. Will it bother you if people assume you're straight? Will you feel like you're "hiding" part of yourself?
  • Some people prefer to pass as straight because it makes life easier with family, strangers, etc.  One bisexual woman told me, "Since I have a choice, I only date men. Why would I make my life harder than it needs to be?"  Does this resonate with you?
  • Will it bother you if you're dating someone of the same gender and people assume you're gay?  Some people are bothered by this. Others prefer it, because they like being part of the queer community.  
  • For some people it's important that their friends know who they "really" are. 
  • People in social circles do talk about this stuff.  If you're out as bi, prospective dating partners of both sexes might feel free to express interest in you.  
  • How long have you known that you're bi? 
  • You don't have to come out to everyone at once.  You might come out to one or two very close friends and see how you feel.  You also don't need to come out in every setting.  For example, some people don't come out at work because they don't think it's important.
  • If you haven't done so already, you might read some stuff about coming out as bisexual.  This will help you anticipate some of the comments/questions you might receive.  

Since this is a decision I've never had to make, I can't speak from personal experience.  But I can say that I much prefer being "out" as who I am over not being out as who I am.  

I know I have plenty of bisexual readers out there.  Any other advice you'd share?

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In Which I Admit My Jealousy of Caitlyn Jenner

6/8/2015

17 Comments

 
First off: Caitlyn Jenner is a brave human being.  Anyone who has the courage to come out as something different--as something that others make fun of or ridicule or malign is brave.  It takes courage to be yourself whenever "yourself" isn't what most other people are.  

I've been increasingly bothered by the rhetoric surrounding Jenner's coming out, and about the precise nature of the ostensibly supportive comments I've been reading and hearing.  The ones that bother me most have come from well-meaning straight women in the public eye who talk about how beautiful Caitlyn is (true) and how courageous she is (also true), and who show a sudden empathy for the plight of all trans people (by which, frankly, they tend to mean trans women).   (Sidenote: I'm going to use the term "straight women" in this post to refer to a particular kind of straight woman that tends to: (1) embrace the gender binary (2) but support gay rights (3) but glare at me in the women's restroom.  You know the type.  If you're a straight woman who reads this blog all the time and doesn't look askance at butches in the restroom, please know that I'm not talking about you.)

It's not that Caitlyn Jenner doesn't deserve kudos and support--she certainly does!   But a significant chunk of the mainstream support I've seen seems to totally embrace gender norms.  If Caitlyn looked like, say, Rachel Maddow, I daresay that she would have fewer straight female supporters talking on podcasts and posting on Facebook pages about much they love and support her.   Nor, I suspect, would she have graced the cover of Vanity Fair.  I do not think Bruce Jenner coming out as a woman is the big draw.  I think the big draw is Bruce Jenner coming out as a woman of a certain kind--as a woman who embraces the type of femininity that fits neatly into the existing gender binary with which people are comfortable.  I don't think they're thinking, "Wow, this really complicates how I think about gender!"  I think they're thinking, "Wow, this gorgeous woman was trapped in a man's body!"

As a New York Times article astutely pointed out the other day, the brain-body distinction is not so clear. Here's an excerpt:

While young [Bruce Jenner] was being cheered on toward a university athletic scholarship, few female athletes could dare hope for such largess since universities offered little funding for women’s sports. When Mr. Jenner looked for a job to support himself during his training for the 1976 Olympics, he didn’t have to turn to the meager “Help Wanted – Female” ads in the newspapers, and he could get by on the $9,000 he earned annually, unlike young women whose median pay was little more than half that of men. Tall and strong, he never had to figure out how to walk streets safely at night.  Those are realities that shape women’s brains.

Which is true, at least to some extent.  To say that Jenner always had a "woman's brain" doesn't take into account that she had a man's social experiences--and that our experiences powerfully shape our brain chemistry, our pocketbooks, and our self-understandings.   Acknowledging this doesn't make Jenner any less of a woman (something the article really seems to miss).  But not acknowledging this minimizes the social experiences of cis women and girls, and reduces trans identity to a simple case of "wrong brain, wrong body."  Jenner had a certain set of experiences particular to her identity, and they should be respected in and of themselves.

Frankly, I'm also jealous.  I wish that straight women would embrace women who look like me with as much openness as I see them embracing Caitlyn Jenner.   In short, I wish that straight women's newfound "acceptance" of different versions of what it means to be a woman extended more broadly in my own direction, not just in Caitlyn's--that they would show so much love and support for women whose gender presentation and ideas of womanhood don't look like their own.


17 Comments

Are You Butch Enough for the OBGYN?

6/4/2015

6 Comments

 
It's been over two years.  I know I need my annual exam.  But I had such a crappy experience last time that I haven't been able to make myself make an appointment.  I definitely need a new one, which means having to disrobe in front of a total stranger.  Ugh.  

I know a ton of you are in the same boat, so here's my idea: let's butch up together.  It's super important for our physical health, and it will be a heck of a lot easier knowing that we've all got each others' backs.

Here's what you do.
  1. Make an appointment.  Now.  Get on Yelp, call a friend for a rec, whatever you need to do.  Just do it.  Here are some tips.
  2. Fill out the form below.
  3. After your appointment, I'll enter you into a lottery for some VERY cool BW prizes, including cufflinks, a T-shirt, and more.

So let's do this!  Are you butch enough to join me? (Genderqueer, straight, trans, whatever--ALL readers whose genitals warrant an OBGYN visit should participate.) 

Submit
6 Comments

Straight Guy Into Butch Women

6/1/2015

1020 Comments

 
I got an interesting email from a BW reader several weeks ago.  I promised him a response, and with his permission decided to share his question and my answer with the rest of you.

Dear BW,

I am a straight man ..not bi or bi-curious.  I love women.  I have always been attracted to tomboys but now that I'm grown I have discovered that is my preference. I turn my head faster when I see a sexy stud opposed to high heels and a dress. I also feel the conversation or potential relationship is better.  I am also amazed sometimes of the perfect bodies when those baggy clothes come off. The sex is simply better. 

When it comes to relationships, I don't know what to do. The stud I was interested in/having relations with... We enjoy each other's company and sex. But she has a girlfriend, obviously. So I'm confused, probably like she is. Do you think she was just using me? And if so, why? We really mesh but she definitely doesn't want anyone to know... And I promised her that. So, yes, I would love to be in a relationship with a stud...  Not that I'm trying to change her. I would not mind if she had a girlfriend... As long as I was her guy.  Do I sound crazy or what?

Sincerely,
Confused Carl


Dear Confused Carl,

You don't sound crazy. Sure, most straight guys' heads are turned by skirts and heels, but yours isn't! I bet lots of men attracted to "non-feminine" women aren't willing to say so, because they fear others' questions and judgment, or because they think it makes them less masculine (which it doesn't!). My last post talked about the difference between masculinity in women and masculinity in men. It's not weird to me that you would be attracted to one but not to the other. Masculine women are women--and they happen to be your favorite kind. So, cool.  

Butchy and masculine-of-center bisexual (and even straight!) women DO exist. Some of the bi ones only date women, in part because men aren't usually attracted to them. But this doesn't mean that they wouldn't date a cis man if the right one (like you!) came along. So it might take a little extra effort on your part--for example, dating online, going to bi mixers, or letting your friends know your preference so that they can "keep an eye out" for you. But don't give up hope! A straight guy into masculine women doesn't come along every day, and the right woman will be sooo excited to meet you!

And then, of course, there's your specific situation, which is trickier.  You may be right that "your" stud is confused...  but she may simply be bi.
  I can't tell from your email whether she wants you to keep your relationship a secret because you're a man or because she is dating someone else.  The fact that she is with someone else, though, and doesn't want people to know about your relationship, means that unless something changes, you two aren't going anywhere.  If you're okay with being the guy "on the side," fine.  But remember that unless all parties know what's going on and are okay with it, it's cheating. This fact doesn't change just because you're a guy.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I get the sense from your email that you're not exactly thrilled with the current situation. You might consider talking with her about this. I have no idea whether she's using you (as you fear) or whether she's genuinely confused. But it doesn't sound like the status quo is working for you--and if it's not, you need to find out what's going on with her. My advice would be to tell her what you've told me. Tell her you don't want her to feel pressure about her sexual orientation, and that you like being with her as a human being and need to know what you mean to her.

You write, "I would not mind if she had a girlfriend... As long as I was her guy."  This statement confused me. Are you talking about a polyamorous relationship? About regular sex on the side? It kind of sounds like you'd be cool with the latter, except that's what you have right now and you don't sound totally happy about it. What do you want?

I don't want you to settle for this "on the side" business, though, if what you really want is a full-on, even monogamous, relationship with a studly woman. If this is so, know that you can get it. It might take a while to find, but it is possible, and you don't have to "settle" for what you have now if it doesn't make you happy.

Sincerely,
BW


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