A huge thanks to everyone who voted in last week's poll. Over 100 butches were nominated overall, and the votes were extremely spread out, with no single butch receiving votes from more than a third of readers. This means that "powerful"--and maybe even "butch"--was defined in different ways by different readers, which speaks to our awesome diversity. Twenty butches stood out far above the rest in the number of votes they received. So I've chosen to name a top 20 rather than 25, and in spots 21-25, I've honored categories of butches that all received lots of votes, but not enough to make the top 20--and who have contributed in really cool ways to the butch community. You'll see what I mean. Now, without further ado... #1: Rachel Maddow. Well, duh, right? I mean, lady suits and TV makeup notwithstanding, there are few famous women in the media who are so unapologetically butchy. Whether or not Maddow IDs as butch, she is definitely ID'd as butch by others. She's got the haircut, the charisma, the glasses, and (off-camera, at least) the wardrobe. When I was newly out, I'd listen to Maddow's radio show (long before she was on TV) every night after dinner while I straightened up and did the dishes. It gave me hope to know that someone who looked like [a hotter version of] me was strong, successful, smart, and OUT. And although I've never met RM, we have some biographical traits in common, which made her even cooler in my eyes. #2: k.d. Lang. Lang has been butching it up her entire career, and remained artistically relevant the whole time. She's one of the few butch musicians to gain major popularity inside and outside the lesbian community. In concert, Lang is playful, serene, and the sexiest butch you've ever seen--all at the same time. Lang currently plays with a group known as "k.d. Lang and the Siss Boom Bang," and if you don't have their album, you're missing out big time. All hail k.d! #3: Ellen Degeneres. Degeneres came out on her TV show the same year I graduated from high school. Back in the late 90s, her coming out resulted in some pretty serious hullabaloo, and I remember people in my hometown lamenting that there was no reason for Degeneres to "flaunt" her sexuality. Comedy junkie that I was, I knew Degeneres's standup well already (she and the tie-wearing Paula Poundstone were my favorites). I remember thinking that, danggit, I had seen Degeneres as a kind of role model for how to be an acceptably ungirly woman when I grew up. (And lesbian ≠ "acceptable," so what was I supposed to do now?) I that some of you don't consider Degeneres a "butch" (and I have no idea whether she identifies as one), but either way, her hilariousness and fashionability are undeniable, and she's made non-girly lesbian identity much more visible in popular culture. #4. Alison Bechdel: I was so excited that Bechdel ended up in the top five. Not only is she the author of two wonderful graphic novels, one of which is now an award-winning musical, but she received a McArthur genius grant(!) this year. Early on in my coming out, I remember reading Bechdel's legendary cartoon, Dykes to Watch Out For, to help me figure out what lesbians were like. I don't know if it did that, but it definitely made me think it would have been super cool to come out in the 1980s, when underground lesbian magazines and feminist bookstores were still a "thing." Bechdel also keeps a terrific blog that's worth reading. #5. Lisa Vogel: The only nominee to make the top 20 as a write-in candidate, Vogel is a legend. In 1976, when she was just 19, Vogel started the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, which in 1976 was one of very few places lesbians could hang out with big groups of other lesbians. Designed to celebrate and empower women, Michfest was organized, staffed, and attended entirely by women from the beginning. It's hosted hundreds of musicians, from Tribe 8 to the Indigo Girls. (And yes, there's been tons of press lately about controversies re: trans inclusion in the festival, but that's another topic for another post.) #6: Jane Lynch: Lynch might be best known for playing Sue Sylvester in "Glee," but she's played scores of other roles, from the tragic to the hilarious (okay, mostly hilarious--my personal favorite being her role as Gayle Sweeney in "Role Models"). She's a huge LGBTQ rights advocate, as well as an activist for other awesome causes, including animals. If you don't know much about Lynch yet, or want to get to know her a little better, check out her book, Happy Accidents. It's inspirational, funny, and very well-written. I especially recommend the audio version, which Lynch reads herself. #7:Elvira Kurt: Kurt has been performing standup for many years, waxing hilarious about everything from her Hungarian immigrant parents to her Canadian upbringing to the retrospectively-shocking dangerousness of the toys you had as a kid. Kurt isn't currently performing, but I'm hoping she'll go on the road soon. "Kitten with a Wit," was released in 1999 and still holds up well. (Check out Kurt here if you've never seen her perform.) #8: Lea DeLaria: You all know DeLaria for her role in "Orange is the New Black," but long before that, she was an out, proud, controversial standup comic who called herself a "big old bulldyke" long before most comics were willing to whisper the word "dyke" in public. In addition to being and actor and a comedian, DeLaria is a talented jazz singer. Check out "Come Rain or Come Shine on "Live Smoke Sessions." #9: Ivan Coyote: Wait, three Canadians already on the top 10 list? You bet. Coyote is a spoken word performer, a writer of both fiction and nonfiction, and somewhat of a fashion icon. As if being a triple-threat isn't enough, Coyote teaches writing and social justice in schools throughout the US and Canada. If you've never seen them (Coyote uses gender-neutral pronouns) perform, start with this piece on femmes, a reader favorite. #10: Joan Jett: No one really seems to know whether Jett is lesbian, bisexual, or what--but this ongoing mystery doesn't prevent her from being a lesbian icon. (The androgynous fashion sense and deep voice don't hurt, either.) And if you haven't listened to "I Love Rock and Roll" in the last few years, give it another go--the music is timeless. #11: Melissa Etheridge: More than once, my partner and I have been singing a song that the other doesn't recognize, only to have the other person say, "That's Melissa Etheridge--how can you not know it?" I am thus convinced that you can tell the age of any lesbian by the first three Etheridge songs she thinks of on the spot. In addition to her many, many awards and accomplishments as a singer and musician, Etheridge is an activist for environmental causes. (For me, first three = "Come to My Window," "Mama I'm Strange," and "Angels Would Fall." Not exactly old-school picks.) #12 (tied): Billie Jean King: I know I have a fairly young readership, so I was stoked that at 71, King is still a role model for so many lesbians. She played pro tennis for over two decades and won some absurdly high number of Grand Slam titles. Even before she came out, King was a big advocate for gender equality, and won the famous "battle of the sexes." Oh, and she founded the Women's Tennis Association. And won the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And penned an award-winning book. So, yeah, we have a thing or two to learn from her. #12 (tied): Julie Wolf: This multi-talented singer, composer, teacher, producer, and musical director has collaborated with everyone from Carly Simon to Ani DiFranco. If you haven't ever seen Julie Wolf live, it's worth going to a show. I saw her perform with Catie Curtis once, and she did some fabulous solo numbers that made me fall in love with her voice. I dare you not to swoon. #14 (tied): Hanifah Walidah: I was bummed that there weren't more butches of color on this list, but I was excited that Walidah was one of the two who made it. Walidah is a true renaissance woman, and has completed a staggering breadth of well-known creative projects. Her documentary, "U People" won several international film festival awards, she tours internationally as the lead singer-songwriter for the electro-soul band St.Lô, and she recently self-published a book called Finish What You Start: No-Bullshit Tips for Creatives, Dreamers and Adults with ADD. Keep an eye on Walidah--she's just getting started. #14 (tied): Martina Navratilova: Ask anyone who knows tennis who the all-time best tennis players in the world are, and Navratilova's name will be one of the first to come up. Billie Jean King and tennis historian Bud Collins both rank the Czech sensation as the best tennis player of all time. No, not the best female tennis player--the best tennis player, period. Navratilova also does a bunch of charity work on behalf of animals, underprivileged kids, and of course, LGBTQ rights. #18: Kate Clinton. I'm a longtime admirer of Kate Clinton--her standup comedy, political satire, and activism have made her beloved to multiple generations of lesbians. Back when I had just started Butch Wonders in 2011, Clinton generously agreed to a mini-interview with me. Me! A random dyke who had just started sharing a few thoughts on the Internet. For this, I'll always have a special fondness for Clinton--it's a great reminder of the importance of helping other young lesbians who are trying to make it. (Plus, I swear she winked at me once at an NCLR gala... though it's possible that the light was in her eyes and I was feeling hopeful.) #14 (tied): Suze Orman: I admit that I raised an eyebrow at Orman's nomination, because I've never really thought of her as "butch." But hundreds of readers have proven my assumptions unpopular, since she's tied with two others for the #14 spot! Orman is known as a personal financial guru and motivational speaker, who emphasizes careful planning, perseverance, and prioritization as principles to help people become financially stable. She has written a plethora of personal finance books, including the extremely popular Money Book for the Young, Fabulous, & Broke. #17: Miki Vargas. Vargas is a professional wedding photographer who describes herself as a "love storyteller." She started the photo project "The Handsome Revolution" in 2012 because she was interested in depicting the styles, fashions, and personas of people to who she relates. Definitely check out the site if you haven't--the range of masculinities depicted is inspiring. Interestingly, Vargas identifies as a "boi," formerly identified as a "futch," and uses all kinds of words on her page like "macha," "stud," "tomboi," and "transmasculine..." but never uses the word "butch." (If anyone knows why, I'd be curious.) #19: Tristan Higgins: Higgins is a friend of mine, and I love that we've "come up" as butch bloggers together in the past few years. Higgins' website, Butch on Tap, is a fun read--made even more fun by her deadpan writing style and her unapologetic love of things like cars, femmes, and craft beer. (Yes, she's way more of a "dude" than I am, which cracks me up and makes me love her blog even more.) Plus, she has a mohawk, a JD, and a great fashion sense, which in my opinion is a combination that's awfully hard to beat. #20: Tig Notaro: As a huge, longtime fan of Tig Notaro, I am super excited that she made the top 20. I don't know any comedian with such a killer sense of timing, nor who uses silence to such hilarious effect. (Every time I hear her "them are little titties," routine I crack up all over again.) More recently, Tig fought breast cancer, and not long after her diagnosis, made one of the most honest, forthright, and perfect pieces of comedy ever performed (that's a paraphrase of Louis CK's reaction to it), which you can check out here. She also has a great podcast called "Professor Blastoff' and a 2015 documentary, "Tig," about her life. #21: Butches who make us laugh: There are plenty of comedians in the top 20, but spot #21 goes to the many, many other butches that understand our experiences and bring humor to them. Among these are DeAnne Smith, Kelli Dunham, Rhea Butcher, Cameron Esposito, Amy Tee, Sabrina Matthews, Julie Goldman, and the creator of "Jane's World," Paige Braddock. #22: Butches who make us think: More than a handful of the butches nominated earned their power through their academic prowess. Judith Butler, Gayle Rubin, Jack Halberstam, and Madeline Lim are all university professors who have done a great deal of research and teaching that has influenced thousands of people. To this distinguished group, I'd add writers and spoken word artists Andrea Gibson and S. Bear Bergman, who each got a respectable chunk of votes, too. #23: Butches who make us dance: So many of us have gained confidence about who we are through listening to awesome music made by people like us. Neither Amy Ray, nor Chris Pureka received enough votes on her own to make the top 20, I added their votes together to make a powerful runner-up duo that reminds us of the importance of music to the lesbian community. #24: Butches who make us look good: Like many of you, I'm excited about the current trend in butch/tomboy/androgynous clothing companies like HauteButch, Saint Harridan, Kreuzback 10, and more. Fashion pioneers like KMichelle, Mary Going, and the many other designers and business leaders written in are giving us options for the first time that are really designed with us in mind--and it's clear from the votes that we're grateful. #25: Butches who fight for our rights: Politicians, social justice activists, and attorneys like Robbie Kaplan, Rebecca Kaplan, and Kate Kendell received sparser votes than I was expecting--but I think this is because they've done so much incredible work already that in our everyday lives that many of us have the luxury of thinking more about music or clothes or sports than about the discrimination we face. Although there's still a long way to go, the diversity of butches on this list means that we owe a huge debt to the pioneering butches who continue to fight for our equality. When I was a kid, I couldn't have dreamed of ever reading a list like this someday--let alone writing one. A big thanks to everyone who voted, and an even bigger thanks to all the butches nominated for being such awesome, dynamic, and visible inspirations.
53 Comments
elgee
5/6/2015 06:44:32 am
you def deserve to be in top 20. you've done more than you will ever know for the LGBTQ community.
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5/6/2015 06:50:35 am
Aaaw, thank you, elgee! I took myself out of the running, since it's *my* blog and all, but it means a great deal to know that I'm in your top 20. :)
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Lee Evans
5/6/2015 06:47:11 am
It is not coincidental that 4 of the 25 butches are long time Michfest organizers, workers and performers. Michfest nurtures the gender non-conforming women of the world. And perhaps if you're going to bring up the controversy in this context, it might be something that lesbians need to know- that if you're a gender non-conforming woman, you will be welcomed and celebrated at Fest.
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goddessboi
5/6/2015 09:44:47 am
Right on!
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jd
5/7/2015 11:53:18 pm
unless you're a trans woman obviously. lest we forget that not all gender non conforming people were assigned female but WHATEVER
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Lis Brook
5/8/2015 12:59:26 am
so true. The lies being spread about the festival are so mean-spirited and untrue. I have always wanted the festival to be for women born women, but it isn't. Who in our community wants to hurt other lesbians and women? Could this be male energy interfering once again with our lives?
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5/6/2015 06:54:07 am
I actually brought up the controversy in the hopes that it would cut folks off at the pass--that readers could simply celebrate Vogel's awesome contributions *without* getting into the controversy.
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Lee Evans
5/6/2015 10:41:16 am
Thanks for the explanation. She has indeed made contributions that have affected thousands of women and girls. Power Butch, indeed!
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N. Burton
5/6/2015 12:29:05 pm
Thank you! Well-balanced, and what a treat to appreciate these fine butches.
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Kia Walker
5/6/2015 03:14:03 pm
great Top 20! However, there's absolutely no excuse for you to recognize LV (Lisa Vogel), only to throw in the controversy. Very poor judgement. Show some respect. She has spent most of her life empowering Womyn. Period.
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Hehe
5/6/2015 03:30:05 pm
Grow the fuck up. She was telling people NOT to write a bunch of negative crap about Lisa and so you crap on BW for even MENTIONING that there's this big huge elephant in the room controversy? Jesus, clearly she's a fan of Vogel like we all are so understand that it made sense for BW to say that. Grow the fuck up. Do you just go around the internet looking for shit to complain about?
Giselle A.
5/6/2015 03:33:00 pm
The post said nothing negative about LV at all. Why so touchy?
Butch Wonders
5/6/2015 03:45:04 pm
Thanks, hehe and Giselle. Yeah, I have thousands of trans readers, many who have written emails about how upset they are by all the Michfest trans stuff going on. I think it's definitely on people's minds. My point wasn't to highlight something negative (as you'll notice, the post is pro-Vogel!), but to let people know that even though the trans issues might be on their minds, I don't want to get a bunch of comments criticizing Vogel or Michfest, because that would detract from the whole point of the post. So instead, *I* get criticized. I don't mind being criticized--better than Vogel getting criticized in a bunch of comments--but it's always perplexing to me when I don't get the benefit of readers' doubt. 5/8/2015 03:07:10 am
UPDATE: i've communicated with Lisa Vogel about this personally. She totally gets way I wrote her blurb the way I did and is cool with it. So I'm not going to entertain anymore discussion about it.
ZMan
5/6/2015 06:56:39 am
I know I probably will get a lot of flack for this but it is dissappointing to me that Lea DeLaria is on this list. Yes she is on a popular show and is a popular butch woman, but if you listen to her comedy it is awful in its treatment of other women (referring to bitches and c**** throughout) and it is incredibly transphobic. The others I totally agree with.
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bee
5/6/2015 07:21:19 am
Agreed 100%.
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TBH, she's not my cup of tea either. DeAnne Smith, Tig Notaro, and Julie Goldman are more my style. I appreciate the boundaries she's broken, and love that she says what's on her mind. But personally, her standup doesn't resonate with me for many of the same reasons you list.
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Purple
6/17/2015 12:54:46 pm
Not to mention that she said that 2 butches dating is like 2 Faggots dating. She said that in response to someone asking her if she would date another butch.
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5/6/2015 08:10:10 am
First-Be still my heart. And-I so appreciate the commitment, energy and the unique skills and talents that further the LGBTQ community in so many diverse ways. You all are my Sheros.
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SandyB
5/6/2015 08:19:04 am
Probably lots of names coming out of the woodwork after the fact. But, I want to mention Mary Bonauto of Boston's Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, who just argued in favor of same-sex marriage at the US Supreme Court. She was also instrumental in winning the original same-sex marriage case in Massachusetts.
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goddessboi
5/6/2015 10:02:29 am
Big love to all butch lesbian woman who ain't afraid to own it! You rock the planet!!! Big love to the LV and the Michfest super sexy ways HW,JW, EK leave all of us swooning in the moon light on the land under the stars! All that hotness and so much more! Legendary !!!!!Thanks
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Romona
5/6/2015 10:17:11 am
This list is a sad reflection of the universal racial biases that do not escape our GLBT community. What a missed opportunity to celebrate the diversity of amazing butches.
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M. Davenport
5/6/2015 01:53:17 pm
Yeah but u also have to realize there are more types of diversity than racial diversity. There's class, there's religion to name a few. If u look at diversity from a broader angle this list is actually really diverse.
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Shauna
5/8/2015 12:42:26 pm
Whitesplaining at it's finest. Someone points out the obvious lack of WOC on this list and that's your response? Goes to show how homogeneous the LGBT community can be...
M. Davenport
5/8/2015 01:36:39 pm
That is really condescending. So any time someone brings up diversity that isn't racial diversity, it's "whitesplaining?" I never said these results don't reflect racism. How could they not? But please don't accuse a PhD in ethnic studies (born in Asia, btw) of "whitesplaining."
Senior Butch
5/27/2015 11:10:44 pm
It feels like age discrimination in, of all places, NYC.
Kia Walker
5/7/2015 01:59:23 am
Some people feel like if they include one or two minorities, they've avoided racial biases.
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BW
5/7/2015 02:03:29 am
You know these were voted on, right? I didn't make any "inclusions" or "exclusions" in a discretionary way. 5/6/2015 10:28:35 am
I am surprised that there are not any persons that consider themselves to be butch by societies definition in the corporate world. Where are the CEO's, CFO's, and executive management within the large or small businesses? Is this list only for a creative sides of our community...or are there really not many out there. I am senior structural engineer in my design industry and also recently starting working as a male model in the fashion industry. This has opened the door to many other people in the LGBT community; but I'm afraid there are many of us in the upper level of corporate management. However, I would like to thank all the individuals that ARE on the list for there contribution to our world and their talent. :-)
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5/6/2015 01:55:41 pm
My guess is that there are plenty, but that they aren't well known by the general public. After all, we see singers and comedians on TV. We read authors' books. But I don't really have occasion to come into contact with the work of CFOs. My guess is that the omission you point out is just an issue of reader familiarity.
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Alison Cockrill
5/6/2015 11:19:12 am
Hallie Kuperman (Century Ballroom) should definitely be under butches that make us dance.
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Lis Brook
5/6/2015 11:37:28 pm
im stunned that Ferron wasn't mentioned. She has been a wonderful inspiration to many.
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goddessboi
5/7/2015 02:12:08 am
I would be surprised to see how many of the folks even id them self as butch? Butch lesbian identity however has always been a part of the festival. In 2006 i started a website called butch culture.com not up at the moment.There where two other sites with some connections to butch identity. Butch femme .com and sugarbutch. I started the site because i could not believe the hostility and lack of herstory from the new queer youth movement, with the exception of those who transitioned such As leslie Fineberg & pat califia around how important butch lesbians were in leading up to the stone wall riots and all the shit they had to put up with from being arested and hassled by the police on the streets, from the womens movement and the lesbians who thought they were imitating the patriarchy. Which i guess is true to some degree these days if you transition from ftm and want to fit into the rigid binary of masculinity as projected by the patriarchy which we stiil live in.trans identity of became the new identity in the 90's and butch females were and still are seen as a thing of the past but that is changing again. Butchs who claim it, own it, flaunt it ,And live as female are my favorite warriors for breaking down the ideas of what it means to be female! Undomesticated, unbound, fierce in spirit& heart !!! That is what i love about the lesbian butch who can own it!! Hella sexy , wild but tender, brave and not afraid to speak truth to power ever! Thanks butch wonder!
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Aiko
5/7/2015 02:13:26 am
Great list! All very inspiring women and I'm glad to see butch women making a difference and brave enough to be themselves.
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Lee Evans
5/8/2015 05:19:49 am
Thank you. This is such an important narrative for us to hear.
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tami graham
5/7/2015 02:52:44 am
Robin Tyler should be on this list!
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5/7/2015 03:52:58 am
Well, I guess with the inclusion of Lisa Vogel, y'all did identify a powerful butch, bit she'll likely be remembered as powerful in the same vein as anti-lesbian feminist Betty Friedan -- remembered in the long run as much or more for her bigotry against a subcommunity of the LGBT community as any good she may have done for a overlapping subcommunity in a broader community.
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Sally Stewart
5/7/2015 04:08:11 am
I like your list, except you missed a few west coast Butches. Both Jeanne Córdova and Robin Tyler have made major contributions to Lesbian and Butch life. Your omission of these two needs to be addressed.
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5/7/2015 04:13:50 am
Addressed by whom? What do you mean? There might be a misunderstanding; the omission is not "my omission." This list is based entirely on reader nominations and reader voting. If you want to write a guest post about these butches' contributions, I'd welcome it. But I can't really "address" a list I didn't create. Sorry!
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kimmy
5/7/2015 10:21:56 am
HELLO - Patricia Cornwell should be on this list for butches who make us think!!!
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Lia Azeal
5/8/2015 03:08:09 am
Robin Tyler needs to be included.
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Lisa
5/8/2015 04:04:48 am
the dearth of women of color on this list is...depressing. my own butch of choice is musical genius meshell ndegeocello. I didn't know about this poll or I'd have mentioned her for sure. and there's Azmarie. and Jenny Shimizu. all smokin hot. but none on the minds of anyone taking this poll. :(
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Lee Evans
5/8/2015 05:18:02 am
Well BW- some of the previous comments come under the category of 'No good deed goes unpunished.'
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LCD
5/8/2015 11:40:17 pm
Chavela Vargas!!! Please, let's consider a diverse nomination list beyond the white butch radar ...
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Barbara
5/10/2015 01:11:16 am
This was a wonderful list and Rachael #1 - perfect.
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Clay
5/25/2015 03:28:27 am
This is a great list and I realize that it was determined based on votes, BUT I was very surprised by Ivan Coyote's inclusion, especially on this blog. I haven't finished reading Ivan's book "Missed Her" because I was so shocked and upset by them joking around with their wife about what two butches or two femmes do in bed. For someone who asks people to understand and accept their gender and writes so much about it (as they should! And we should 100% accept it!!), I was surprised to find that they weren't very tolerant of non femme-butch couples. And even if they say that it was only a joke, I don't think it's one that someone in such a public and admirable position should make! Anywaysss, the list is overall very great!
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5/25/2015 06:58:07 am
Oh, that's interesting. I've never read "Missed Her." I wonder what I'll think about it...
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Carol
10/18/2015 08:48:27 pm
kd should Always be #1.
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Brandon Hatton
12/31/2015 01:48:31 pm
How could Amy Ray or both her and Emily together not be in the top 20? in fact she should've been in the top 3 with k.d. lang and Ellen. Lea DeLaria should not be there, i personally don't find her funny and that some of the things she says is really gross!
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Fran Scott
3/29/2016 03:21:23 pm
Would someone care to tell me why Annie Lennox was not on the list....?
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Zoe Mac
8/14/2019 10:50:04 am
Cute.
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