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July 14, 2011 at 3:38 pm
I am ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED and Chaz Bono has this in her documentary where she sits with a boyish little girl and ‘boy bonding’ where this little girl will have hormones introduced into her body at age 10 to stop from developing as female in puberty and once she reaches 16 will have opposite sex hormones introduced into her to change sex. I mean it’s bad enough that women of young legal age(18 plus) right and left are taking hormones and/or having their breasts removed or if not breast binding and hurting themselves, their lungs, their ribs and hearts in the process, but for the trans movement to go after ANY little girl or boy who rejects patriarchally forced on them femininity or masculinity, and wants to blend with either both genders toys/clothes, or be more unisex, or covets the opposite sex’s toys or clothes like I did with my brother’s stuff….to then extrapolate ‘they must be trans’ from there, REALLY REALLY DISGUSTS ME!
Thanks for bringing up the part about how Iran is footing the bill for these surgeries, how patriarchal and woman hating and anti-homosexual/anti-lesbian a culture it is, and that the CURE for homosexuality is transsexuality! I think THAT is the ultimate message. Or in the case of the already feminine young women who don’t like their status, they then want to become ‘male’ to relieve the sexism and then go after gay males! It’s all gotten way too weird for me, and NEVER ADDRESSES the problems in the first place: namely sexism and homophobia/lesbophobia and not want to have imposed cultural femininity or masculinity forced upon us…I HATED being female when I was young, in fact it wasn’t till I came out that I REALLY LEARNED TO LOVE MYSELF AS A WOMON!
This the other strong Dykes taught me, and especially one particular matriarchal Butch. THAT AS A BUTCH FEMALE/LIFELONG HARDCORE TOMBOY who rejected feminine roles and straitjacketing all my life, that I had a place in the Tribe of DykeAmazons…a place of honor, power and strength, like Joan of Arc, Sappho, the powerful ancient Amazons, Gertrude Stein and all the other cross dressing intellectual and artistic dykes of that era! Or those who disguised themselves as male for male privilege, fun, adventure, or to have the woman of their dreams, knowing as women they’d never have that privilege. But that didn’t mean they ‘wanted to be dudes’ only that they wanted the same privileges as men enjoyed, without the straitjacketing enforced on the female sex. THIS is what these young women and girls don’t get…that there IS another way to be, and that we should continue working hard so ALL WOMEN CAN BE FREE, AND PROUD IN THEIR BODIES/MINDS/SPIRITS,
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
'100% Butch Dyke With Boobs'
I'm a Butch with Boobs and I hope to stay that way all my life. Just had my breast exam and mammogram, and want to keep these mammaries, even if they're huge...the doctor even asked if I wanted breast reduction, and I'd qualify...but I went through that once before....a 3 year wait for the appointment and missed it by a day, for a consult...and it put me through all kinds of shame and gender issues myself, thinking like alot of Butches, 'well if you're gonna make 'em smaller, just take 'em off', and I'm on so many sites these days, where Butches, and boyish queer women are talking about this right and left...or binding'em which can be very harmful to breast tissue to invisibilize them, like they did in the '50's to 'pass' as men and be able to get decent jobs they could support themselves on, as well as a level of shame....but NO, as long as these babies are healthy, I'm keeping 'em. Besides I like nipple sensation, the best part of my breasts, and if you have breast reduction surgery, or even breast removal like so many FTM's are even genderqueer types who dont' consider themselves full FTM'S are having these days, you lose all that nipple sensation!
I will keep screaming from the rooftops, as one heavily involved with womyn's and Amazon mysteries particularly, my worship of the Sacred Female on all levels, sexual, emotional, intellectual, psychic and spiritual, that one of those levels is about learning to love OUR OWN FEMALE BODIES, however we choose to express it...and that means loving our handsome Butch Breasts as well, even if we feel sometimes challenged by them and their weight..and mine are QUITE WEIGHTY. When I first came out, some dudes wondered how could I be a Lesbian/Butch if my breasts were so big? Well it has NOTHING to do with breast size, and sure, as a Butch I'd prefer that I was graced with small breasts and not huge mammaries. I like'em close to my body, no missile tits here, and I don't want them exposed where men can see them. I DON'T WANT THEM SEXUALIZED BY MEN IN ANY WAY, AND ONLY IN CERTAIN WAYS BY WOMEN. It is by the sexualization of breasts by men in particular that I think many Butches, if not many womyn, feel conflicted about their breasts.
BUT in women's ritual, my shirt comes off, like on Sunday when I celebrated Solstice on the Land with a bunch of Wildwomyn. I may be the ONLY or the first woman to whip off my shirt in a womyn's ritual circle, but that is BECAUSE I AM AN AMAZON, and a DykeAmazon at that! My bare breasts show my full womonhood, and also are almost like a Warrior part of me, displaying them. Not sexually, but IN PRIDE. And IN FREEDOM, that I can be in a space and display my FULL AMAZON WILDWOMON SELF, and that means as Amazons we can go about with our breasts bare(or more for those who like to display more). I have my Lion tattoo on my chest, my Leo power, that can only be fully seen if my shirt is off...on my back I have my sacred Rainbow wings with Kundalini Fire going up my spine, and at the top the word AMAZON emblazoned in blue Olde English script across my shoulders. These tattoos cannot be seen with a shirt on. So baring my breasts is a very empowering self loving act of wildness and DykeAmazon and Amazon freedom, in a safe space amongst womyn. I will do it in the Dyke March as well(if it's not too horribly cold).
But in the world of men, I don't want them sexualized in any capacity, so they stay hidden. Not bound, just hidden.
It is amongst young Butches/boyish Dykes/young Butch DykeAmazons, and really Amazons, Dykes and Butches/boyish Dykes of all ages, I hope to share this pride: "Be PROUD of your Femaleness, your unique expression of Womonhood, connect as strong powerful Amazon sisters in total freedom and pride with what Goddess gave you, and release all that shame!"
So this Butch DykeAmazon will be wearing a t-shirt to put the knives and surgeon scapels away, and be proud to be a 'Butch with Boobs!' this Pride season!
-In Sisterhood,
-MasterAmazon
I will keep screaming from the rooftops, as one heavily involved with womyn's and Amazon mysteries particularly, my worship of the Sacred Female on all levels, sexual, emotional, intellectual, psychic and spiritual, that one of those levels is about learning to love OUR OWN FEMALE BODIES, however we choose to express it...and that means loving our handsome Butch Breasts as well, even if we feel sometimes challenged by them and their weight..and mine are QUITE WEIGHTY. When I first came out, some dudes wondered how could I be a Lesbian/Butch if my breasts were so big? Well it has NOTHING to do with breast size, and sure, as a Butch I'd prefer that I was graced with small breasts and not huge mammaries. I like'em close to my body, no missile tits here, and I don't want them exposed where men can see them. I DON'T WANT THEM SEXUALIZED BY MEN IN ANY WAY, AND ONLY IN CERTAIN WAYS BY WOMEN. It is by the sexualization of breasts by men in particular that I think many Butches, if not many womyn, feel conflicted about their breasts.
BUT in women's ritual, my shirt comes off, like on Sunday when I celebrated Solstice on the Land with a bunch of Wildwomyn. I may be the ONLY or the first woman to whip off my shirt in a womyn's ritual circle, but that is BECAUSE I AM AN AMAZON, and a DykeAmazon at that! My bare breasts show my full womonhood, and also are almost like a Warrior part of me, displaying them. Not sexually, but IN PRIDE. And IN FREEDOM, that I can be in a space and display my FULL AMAZON WILDWOMON SELF, and that means as Amazons we can go about with our breasts bare(or more for those who like to display more). I have my Lion tattoo on my chest, my Leo power, that can only be fully seen if my shirt is off...on my back I have my sacred Rainbow wings with Kundalini Fire going up my spine, and at the top the word AMAZON emblazoned in blue Olde English script across my shoulders. These tattoos cannot be seen with a shirt on. So baring my breasts is a very empowering self loving act of wildness and DykeAmazon and Amazon freedom, in a safe space amongst womyn. I will do it in the Dyke March as well(if it's not too horribly cold).
But in the world of men, I don't want them sexualized in any capacity, so they stay hidden. Not bound, just hidden.
It is amongst young Butches/boyish Dykes/young Butch DykeAmazons, and really Amazons, Dykes and Butches/boyish Dykes of all ages, I hope to share this pride: "Be PROUD of your Femaleness, your unique expression of Womonhood, connect as strong powerful Amazon sisters in total freedom and pride with what Goddess gave you, and release all that shame!"
So this Butch DykeAmazon will be wearing a t-shirt to put the knives and surgeon scapels away, and be proud to be a 'Butch with Boobs!' this Pride season!
-In Sisterhood,
-MasterAmazon
In response to Dirt's topic on 'Gender Identity Dismantled', and as Butches REMAINING in the Sisterhood!
June 20, 2011 3:45 PM
MasterAmazon said...
Another good post Dirt, and glad to see Double Ax joining us. I DO agree that trans is about the destruction of Butch Dykedom. I am DREADING SF Dyke March because I will be saddened to see more of my own now announce how proud they are that they are becoming FTM...yeah crashing the Dyke March party sporting their beards, flat chests, hormone induced attitudes, even though there was a Trans March(always copying us Dykes) the night before in the same space! And then they'll want to bring the parallels between the two communities together now that so many Butches consider themselves some version of male, whether 'Genderqueer' or full FTM(sans the bottom surgery most of 'em).
Most that I've known were originally handsome Butch Dykes, but as soon as they transition, with the whole narcissitic obsession with their changing bodies they begin to start fucking gay males, partly because they don't want to leave the 'queer' community, partly because they now are worshipping maleness within their own personhood/body, whereas being a true blue Butch Dyke is all about LOVING or LEARNING TO LOVE ONESELF as the handsome, strong powerful take up our space Amazon womyn we are and as lovers of womyn!
This is one reason I probably won't be going to Butch Voices in Oakland either, because they are the voices of 'butches' who really are 'genderqueer, FTM, or male worshipping' and NOT Female identified Butches...in fact SEVERAL of us Locals tried to put on specifically a Female Identified Butch workshop from diverse points of view, and ALL OF US FEMALE IDENTIFIED BUTCHES had our workshops shot down, in favor of Sasha Goldberg who is a failed FTM, had her breasts cut off, and even bragged about it at the time, and with that male appearing hormone induced voice, now deciding, she really is a 'female identified' Butch...yeah....and their little Genderqueer darling.
Unless Female Identified and Female Loving Butches begin to SERIOUSLY organize and develope alternatives, and TAKE BACK OUR RICH AND PROUD BUTCH DYKE HERSTORY, we will be neigh invisible,and indeed it will be the'genocide of the butch' as I see every time I go back to San Francisco...and am dreading on Saturday and Sunday seeing who else has jumped on the trans/genderqueer/call me by male pronouns/cut off my breasts and take male hormones and sport a beart/stache bandwagon...WHILE STILL INFILTRATING AND COOPTING DYKE COMMUNITIES!
-MasterAmazon
June 21, 2011 5:56 PM
MasterAmazon said...
Also wanted to add this:
"Not one items above cannot be explained away by narrow gender norms society seeks to enforce and reinforce on a multitude of levels everyday. That the male medical machine is utilized in this endeavor is hardly surprising, they have been utilized to maintain "normality" for centuries using similar mechanism of torture." From Dirt
I SO AGREE with the above statement. Butches throughout history when found out they were living as men and loving women, assuming male privileges were often banished, murdered or put to death. In the 50's and before up until at least the 1980's Butches have been put in mental institutions and sometimes treated horribly with attempts to feminize them before they'd be allowed to be released, aversion therapy, electroshocked, and in the 1920's having their clitorises removed for being too sexually active and independent. Talk about trying to make someone not just feminine, and 'fit into' perfect ladylike roles, but also attempting to make them an 'ex-gay', and then there IS the 'ex-gay' movement which deliberately tries to feminize Butches, shame them, as well as try to get them to have sexual feelings to men. The psychiatric has never been kind to ANYONE with homosexual inclinations, and ESPECIALLY those who didn't conform to the feminine straitjacket and were too Butchy or tomboyish in the case of females, or too effeminate in the case of males.
So now the trans movement leans upon both psychiatry, psychology and medical doctors, the very institutions that have oppressed ALL homosexuals, and especially those NOT in the 'gender straitjacket' for hundreds of years, to help them NOW CONFORM to another 'gender binary' as they are so comfortable saying....that whole 'gender binary' crap is all a load of bullshit, used to silence Butch Dykes, other Lesbians and even some gay men now who object to how the trans movement is destroying our communities and abilities to relate to one another whether as Lesbian women loving women who LOVE or are learning to LOVE our own born female bodies, no matter our expressions, whether Butch, Femme or Androgynous or anything inbetween, or infiltrating the gay community with those with hetero/bi tendencies who don't have dicks but consider themselves 'gay'.
Maybe I DON'T want to hear discussions of hormones, surgeries, whining, villification of Lesbians, or being assumed I or my partner as a default because we are Butch are assumed to LIKE being called by male pronouns in all circumstances, and our very Femaleness invisibilized, as it's always been for Butches, the self fulfilling prophecy 'you just want to be a man' that is always hurtled at us because we TAKE UP OUR SPACE AND DON'T BACK DOWN, and that we are outside of womonhood altogether..... -M.A.
June 21, 2011 6:07 PM
MasterAmazon said...
One last thing: We ARE NOT OUTSIDE OF WOMONHOOD altogether, and feminine especially straight and sold out bi women try to sell us that line, activist Femme Dykes love Butches BECAUSE WE ARE WOMYN, and share that with them: though we may be tough, we are also compassionate, sensual, sexual and loving and often put our partner's sexual pleasure above or at least equal to our own. ALMOST NO MAN EVER DOES THAT!!! And that is exactly WHY we are different from them...at least one of the reasons. There are many flavors of womonhood/femaleness, and we MUST CLAIM our part in it, and NOT allow ourselves to be shut out of womonhood OR Sisterhood especially, we have been some of the FIERCEST Sisters. Think of the ancient powerful Gorgon Amazons, the most radical ones, and there were many others, and whether they were Butch, androgynous, and I can't imagine they were high femme because they were rebelling against the straitjacketing of female power and movement and expression because of the incoming patriarchal religious systems and societies, they were 'not nice' about it, and we gotta lose our 'niceness', in favor of our freedom and of our very core identities and Selves as part of the Sisterhood...not written out of it as 'Butch bros'! I fucking hate that! I'm not a 'Butch bro', I'm a Butch DykeAmazon and fierce Sister in the Sisterhood! And I will be till the day I die!
-MasterAmazon
MasterAmazon said...
Another good post Dirt, and glad to see Double Ax joining us. I DO agree that trans is about the destruction of Butch Dykedom. I am DREADING SF Dyke March because I will be saddened to see more of my own now announce how proud they are that they are becoming FTM...yeah crashing the Dyke March party sporting their beards, flat chests, hormone induced attitudes, even though there was a Trans March(always copying us Dykes) the night before in the same space! And then they'll want to bring the parallels between the two communities together now that so many Butches consider themselves some version of male, whether 'Genderqueer' or full FTM(sans the bottom surgery most of 'em).
Most that I've known were originally handsome Butch Dykes, but as soon as they transition, with the whole narcissitic obsession with their changing bodies they begin to start fucking gay males, partly because they don't want to leave the 'queer' community, partly because they now are worshipping maleness within their own personhood/body, whereas being a true blue Butch Dyke is all about LOVING or LEARNING TO LOVE ONESELF as the handsome, strong powerful take up our space Amazon womyn we are and as lovers of womyn!
This is one reason I probably won't be going to Butch Voices in Oakland either, because they are the voices of 'butches' who really are 'genderqueer, FTM, or male worshipping' and NOT Female identified Butches...in fact SEVERAL of us Locals tried to put on specifically a Female Identified Butch workshop from diverse points of view, and ALL OF US FEMALE IDENTIFIED BUTCHES had our workshops shot down, in favor of Sasha Goldberg who is a failed FTM, had her breasts cut off, and even bragged about it at the time, and with that male appearing hormone induced voice, now deciding, she really is a 'female identified' Butch...yeah....and their little Genderqueer darling.
Unless Female Identified and Female Loving Butches begin to SERIOUSLY organize and develope alternatives, and TAKE BACK OUR RICH AND PROUD BUTCH DYKE HERSTORY, we will be neigh invisible,and indeed it will be the'genocide of the butch' as I see every time I go back to San Francisco...and am dreading on Saturday and Sunday seeing who else has jumped on the trans/genderqueer/call me by male pronouns/cut off my breasts and take male hormones and sport a beart/stache bandwagon...WHILE STILL INFILTRATING AND COOPTING DYKE COMMUNITIES!
-MasterAmazon
June 21, 2011 5:56 PM
MasterAmazon said...
Also wanted to add this:
"Not one items above cannot be explained away by narrow gender norms society seeks to enforce and reinforce on a multitude of levels everyday. That the male medical machine is utilized in this endeavor is hardly surprising, they have been utilized to maintain "normality" for centuries using similar mechanism of torture." From Dirt
I SO AGREE with the above statement. Butches throughout history when found out they were living as men and loving women, assuming male privileges were often banished, murdered or put to death. In the 50's and before up until at least the 1980's Butches have been put in mental institutions and sometimes treated horribly with attempts to feminize them before they'd be allowed to be released, aversion therapy, electroshocked, and in the 1920's having their clitorises removed for being too sexually active and independent. Talk about trying to make someone not just feminine, and 'fit into' perfect ladylike roles, but also attempting to make them an 'ex-gay', and then there IS the 'ex-gay' movement which deliberately tries to feminize Butches, shame them, as well as try to get them to have sexual feelings to men. The psychiatric has never been kind to ANYONE with homosexual inclinations, and ESPECIALLY those who didn't conform to the feminine straitjacket and were too Butchy or tomboyish in the case of females, or too effeminate in the case of males.
So now the trans movement leans upon both psychiatry, psychology and medical doctors, the very institutions that have oppressed ALL homosexuals, and especially those NOT in the 'gender straitjacket' for hundreds of years, to help them NOW CONFORM to another 'gender binary' as they are so comfortable saying....that whole 'gender binary' crap is all a load of bullshit, used to silence Butch Dykes, other Lesbians and even some gay men now who object to how the trans movement is destroying our communities and abilities to relate to one another whether as Lesbian women loving women who LOVE or are learning to LOVE our own born female bodies, no matter our expressions, whether Butch, Femme or Androgynous or anything inbetween, or infiltrating the gay community with those with hetero/bi tendencies who don't have dicks but consider themselves 'gay'.
Maybe I DON'T want to hear discussions of hormones, surgeries, whining, villification of Lesbians, or being assumed I or my partner as a default because we are Butch are assumed to LIKE being called by male pronouns in all circumstances, and our very Femaleness invisibilized, as it's always been for Butches, the self fulfilling prophecy 'you just want to be a man' that is always hurtled at us because we TAKE UP OUR SPACE AND DON'T BACK DOWN, and that we are outside of womonhood altogether..... -M.A.
June 21, 2011 6:07 PM
MasterAmazon said...
One last thing: We ARE NOT OUTSIDE OF WOMONHOOD altogether, and feminine especially straight and sold out bi women try to sell us that line, activist Femme Dykes love Butches BECAUSE WE ARE WOMYN, and share that with them: though we may be tough, we are also compassionate, sensual, sexual and loving and often put our partner's sexual pleasure above or at least equal to our own. ALMOST NO MAN EVER DOES THAT!!! And that is exactly WHY we are different from them...at least one of the reasons. There are many flavors of womonhood/femaleness, and we MUST CLAIM our part in it, and NOT allow ourselves to be shut out of womonhood OR Sisterhood especially, we have been some of the FIERCEST Sisters. Think of the ancient powerful Gorgon Amazons, the most radical ones, and there were many others, and whether they were Butch, androgynous, and I can't imagine they were high femme because they were rebelling against the straitjacketing of female power and movement and expression because of the incoming patriarchal religious systems and societies, they were 'not nice' about it, and we gotta lose our 'niceness', in favor of our freedom and of our very core identities and Selves as part of the Sisterhood...not written out of it as 'Butch bros'! I fucking hate that! I'm not a 'Butch bro', I'm a Butch DykeAmazon and fierce Sister in the Sisterhood! And I will be till the day I die!
-MasterAmazon
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Responses to those who say "I'm not a Feminist" while they claim they are into Womyn's Spirituality/Ritual
Feminism STARTED this recent matriarchal renaissance. Without it we wouldn't have had Lesbian Feminism to empower Lesbians and create our own Dyke Marches, we wouldn't have had women's health care centers to stand up to the anti-choice folks, though like most women's stuff it has all gone defunct. Essentially much of feminism has died...our women's bookstores are all but defunct. There isn't a single one in the Bay Area, and most are gone across the nation..this was a place women could get alot of information, feminist, lesbian, women's empowerment and women's spirituality books, lucky to find a new one online...but nowhere to go and just connect with other women, socialize, go to a small concert there or hear a feminist/lesbian/women's spirituality author read from her new book and sign it for you.
They were our mini women's centers and hangouts where we could really feel community and safe. We wouldn't have had feminist Take Back the Night Marches and self defense workshops and Feminist women only martial arts schools to confront violence and abuse against women and girls and raise their consciousness to STOP the violence and to empower them. Most of those are gone too. We wouldn't have had our Feminist printing presses that printed our tomes because the mainstream press wouldn't even touch our issues and therefore we were effectively silenced till we created those printing presses...sadly most of those are gone too. We have taken such a huge leap backwards.
While women can get into new trades and careers, they are no longer supported by a strong and powerful Sisterhood behind them. And like I said before, it's Feminism that started the Tradeswomen movement which is still active today, but we are still at the same numbers (2%)dealing with the same issues we dealt with 30 years ago, and yet Affirmative Action, except on federal projects has been stripped away, thanks to the rightwing.
We are almost at the point of losing abortion rights, not my struggle, though I support it, cuz I'm a Dyke and have plenty of my own, like convincing young nonfeminist butch/boyish dykes that they should hold onto their breasts and feel empowered in their femaleness instead of so willing to shed it to taste the power of men at the expense of their own bodies and psyches...it is absolutely epidemic in the younger butch lesbian generation...BECAUSE THERE IS NO RADICAL LESBIAN FEMINISM and all our institutions have largely gone away: our bookstores, printing presses, women only events, grassroots sisterly spirit, and PRIDE in ourselves for being female, instead of shame. Too easy to be ready to take hormones and surgeries to counter the sexism, lesbophobia, and straightjacketing of female roles and opportunities they see......and they are NOT Female proud, like we were in the heady days of Lesbian Feminism in the '80's with our nascent and growing women's and Lesbian institutions.
We've lost so many of our women's businesses, by and for Lesbians and Women to have a safe place to go.....the biggest success has been the Women's Spirituality movement, but there too, so many of these young women don't feel they 'fit in', because they are essentially feeling shamed for even declaring their womonhood and their Femaleness, because it's different from the mainstream/malestream. So they identify as 'queer', 'genderqueer' instead...I hardly see Butch women at women's spirituality events and circles anymore, or even Lesbian and women only events...because they sadly, no longer see themselves as BEING INCLUDED in WOMONHOOD! And this is all very, very sad to me....the death of our Feminist institutions, and our safe places and our Feminist/Women/Lesbian businesses, cafes, ect. Even Osento our women only hot tub place the last to go on Dyke row on Valencia Street in San Francisco, shut down last year!
Feminism is about the FULL AND TOTAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AS A WHOLE...and there are many kinds of Feminisms.......some fit some of us, others do not. But to simply say...."I'm for all people's rights, but not necessarily a Feminist" denies that women are STILL OPPRESSED fundamentally, that we struggle under a patriarchal system, and while we've gained some pieces of the pie, we still got a LONG WAY TO GO! And in some ways have gone backwards....
-In Sisterhood,
-MasterAmazon
They were our mini women's centers and hangouts where we could really feel community and safe. We wouldn't have had feminist Take Back the Night Marches and self defense workshops and Feminist women only martial arts schools to confront violence and abuse against women and girls and raise their consciousness to STOP the violence and to empower them. Most of those are gone too. We wouldn't have had our Feminist printing presses that printed our tomes because the mainstream press wouldn't even touch our issues and therefore we were effectively silenced till we created those printing presses...sadly most of those are gone too. We have taken such a huge leap backwards.
While women can get into new trades and careers, they are no longer supported by a strong and powerful Sisterhood behind them. And like I said before, it's Feminism that started the Tradeswomen movement which is still active today, but we are still at the same numbers (2%)dealing with the same issues we dealt with 30 years ago, and yet Affirmative Action, except on federal projects has been stripped away, thanks to the rightwing.
We are almost at the point of losing abortion rights, not my struggle, though I support it, cuz I'm a Dyke and have plenty of my own, like convincing young nonfeminist butch/boyish dykes that they should hold onto their breasts and feel empowered in their femaleness instead of so willing to shed it to taste the power of men at the expense of their own bodies and psyches...it is absolutely epidemic in the younger butch lesbian generation...BECAUSE THERE IS NO RADICAL LESBIAN FEMINISM and all our institutions have largely gone away: our bookstores, printing presses, women only events, grassroots sisterly spirit, and PRIDE in ourselves for being female, instead of shame. Too easy to be ready to take hormones and surgeries to counter the sexism, lesbophobia, and straightjacketing of female roles and opportunities they see......and they are NOT Female proud, like we were in the heady days of Lesbian Feminism in the '80's with our nascent and growing women's and Lesbian institutions.
We've lost so many of our women's businesses, by and for Lesbians and Women to have a safe place to go.....the biggest success has been the Women's Spirituality movement, but there too, so many of these young women don't feel they 'fit in', because they are essentially feeling shamed for even declaring their womonhood and their Femaleness, because it's different from the mainstream/malestream. So they identify as 'queer', 'genderqueer' instead...I hardly see Butch women at women's spirituality events and circles anymore, or even Lesbian and women only events...because they sadly, no longer see themselves as BEING INCLUDED in WOMONHOOD! And this is all very, very sad to me....the death of our Feminist institutions, and our safe places and our Feminist/Women/Lesbian businesses, cafes, ect. Even Osento our women only hot tub place the last to go on Dyke row on Valencia Street in San Francisco, shut down last year!
Feminism is about the FULL AND TOTAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN AS A WHOLE...and there are many kinds of Feminisms.......some fit some of us, others do not. But to simply say...."I'm for all people's rights, but not necessarily a Feminist" denies that women are STILL OPPRESSED fundamentally, that we struggle under a patriarchal system, and while we've gained some pieces of the pie, we still got a LONG WAY TO GO! And in some ways have gone backwards....
-In Sisterhood,
-MasterAmazon
Monday, May 30, 2011
"Claim Your Power"
Dear DykeAmazon Pals,
I will be leading a large women only ritual in August with this theme. As it's been a difficult year for me economically due to the economic downturn, I've been struggling more with financial issues and some difficulties bringing this ritual together. It's not coming easy, though I've been doing alot of study. There has been some turnover in co-leadership so I'm taking it on solo at this point, along with my lead Amazon Drumming Priestess, both of us depicted in the photo above! So, for some inspiration from the community at large, I'm wanting to do a very primal Amazon/Wildwomyn oriented ritual, unlike most Dianic/regular rituals where we REALLY feel the energies and our Powers and connect with Goddess in a very visceral real way, as well as with each other, weaving together our Sisterhood, AND claiming our power both within ourselves and from the Patriarchy. So, I'd like to know, what does 'Claiming Your Power' mean for each one of you???? Any positive input would be much appreciated! Thank you for responding and sharing your voice with me! If you'd like some energy too, I'm sure that could be arranged, because this will NOT only be about the women there, but for ALL WOMYN throughout the world to claim their power too, and the healing and connnection with Mother Earth and Her creatures so at risk environmentally.
-In Sisterhood,
-MasterAmazon
I will be leading a large women only ritual in August with this theme. As it's been a difficult year for me economically due to the economic downturn, I've been struggling more with financial issues and some difficulties bringing this ritual together. It's not coming easy, though I've been doing alot of study. There has been some turnover in co-leadership so I'm taking it on solo at this point, along with my lead Amazon Drumming Priestess, both of us depicted in the photo above! So, for some inspiration from the community at large, I'm wanting to do a very primal Amazon/Wildwomyn oriented ritual, unlike most Dianic/regular rituals where we REALLY feel the energies and our Powers and connect with Goddess in a very visceral real way, as well as with each other, weaving together our Sisterhood, AND claiming our power both within ourselves and from the Patriarchy. So, I'd like to know, what does 'Claiming Your Power' mean for each one of you???? Any positive input would be much appreciated! Thank you for responding and sharing your voice with me! If you'd like some energy too, I'm sure that could be arranged, because this will NOT only be about the women there, but for ALL WOMYN throughout the world to claim their power too, and the healing and connnection with Mother Earth and Her creatures so at risk environmentally.
-In Sisterhood,
-MasterAmazon
Friday, May 27, 2011
Now You See Them Now You Don't: For access to blog article below pictures
I apologize for the lack of the pictures. Here's the link for the original article. http://womensmediacenter.com/blog/2011/05/exclusive-now-you-see-them-now-you-dont/
Invisibility of Women thru Male Religion and liberal male sexism
This is a really great article showing from both sides the invisibility of women including Hillary Clinton through religious male sexism, and photoshopping of female images for male benefit.
EXCLUSIVE: Now You See Them, Now You Don’t
By Merav Michaeli
May 25, 2011
Israeli journalist Merav Michaeli explains why a Brooklyn newspaper recently removed Hillary Clinton from a famous photograph: another case of Photoshop in service to the patriarchy.
"Der Tzitung" woman-less version of the Situation Room photograph.
It used to be magic, now it’s only Photoshop: Hasidic newspapers erased Hillary Clinton and Audrey Tomason (director for counterterrorism in the Obama Administration) from the iconic photograph of the situation room during the Bin-Laden hit. It’s nothing personal. Under the excuse of fostering sexual restraint (the Hasidic newspaper also claimed multiculturalism freedom as a further justification for the erasure), religious authorities are laboring to create a women-free world: a pure surrounding for the angelical Jew or Muslim man. For that purpose, women are made to cover themselves completely (even Christian nuns are required to cover their heads totally, unlike priests), their movement is strictly controlled, they are banned from entering certain places, segregated and silenced. Sometimes even the mention of their name is absent from an invitation to a family event.
The photograph, pre-Photoshop
In the real world, with actual women, this fantasy of a women-free environment is coming up against a growing difficulty—after all, in secular states segregation is unacceptable; even in Israel the fight against segregation is attaining success and in the Muslim world the feminist fight is growing with diligence; also there are some things for which women are still needed. In the meantime, this fantasy can come true in the world of images. And indeed: woman will not be shown in Jewish Orthodox areas and newspapers in Israel. No matter if it is a model, an actress or the head of Opposition Tzipi Livni, whose face was missing from the billboards of her campaign for prime minister. Even the photograph of a mother who was killed with her family in the settlement Itamar two month ago was missing from the report in an Orthodox newspaper. The exact same goes for religious Muslim newspapers and in representation in public sphere.
Having to survive within secular societies, this elimination of women and their representation is a tool to differentiate holy from earthy—us from them. Everything in a religious community is regulated, everything is either Kosher (ours) or non-Kosher (theirs). How does one make a newspaper, a secular object by definition, into a kosher one that is ours? Take out the women. All women, no exceptions, and there you are: a safe kosher newspaper.
For the record: there is no basis in the Torah or in the Koran for not showing women; it is all interpretations on top of interpretations. Clearly, the fundamental purpose for which the so-called religious argumentation is recruited is the achieving and maintaining of the patriarchic hierarchy, that which is in the core of all three main religions. From bottom to top—woman, man and the main man: God. In fact, Patriarchy is their religion.
But leaving it all on the religious is far too easy and irrelevant. Patriarchy may be the actual religion, but it is also still the dominating ideology and practice just as much in the Secular, Liberal western world. A fresh demonstration related to this case is given by the liberal Stephen Colbert when he criticized the Hasidic newspaper for erasing Hillary Clinton from the photograph, and while doing so insinuated that the hilarious part is suggesting that women like Hillary Clinton or Margaret Thatcher can be considered sexually attractive.
And indeed, since it is all about male sexual urges, Photoshop is the perfect nutshell for the whole story. Photoshop is used regularly to manipulate women’s bodies: lengthen legs, narrow waists, slim hips, enlarge breasts, push up cheek bones. Photoshop is used in a way that regards women as sex objects and makes sure they are made into such, according to the latest standard designed by men to fulfill their fantasy. Since it is all about the male fantasy, why should the Secular, Liberal male fantasy be more legitimate than the Orthodox male fantasy? Why should it be allowed that Photoshop execute one male fantasy but not the other? Essentially, the secular manipulation and the religious one are the same one, only with someone else holding the brush, leading to an outcome that looks differently but does the same: it rips off a woman from the autonomy of her body, from her own voice and her independent existence as a free human being in this world. And the Secular, Liberal brush is far more sophisticated and effective.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author alone and do not represent WMC. WMC is a 501(c)(3) organization and does not endorse candidates.
To support women journalists who are changing the conversation, donate to the WMC here.
To read other recent WMC Exclusives, click here.
This entry was written by Merav Michaeli, posted on May 25, 2011 at 1:06 am, filed under *Feature*, Exclusives, Exclusives Articles, Uncategorized, WMC and tagged Der Tzitung, Hillary Clinton, Merav Michaeli, Osama Bin Laden, religious patriarchy, women in media. Bookmark the permalink.
EXCLUSIVE: Now You See Them, Now You Don’t
By Merav Michaeli
May 25, 2011
Israeli journalist Merav Michaeli explains why a Brooklyn newspaper recently removed Hillary Clinton from a famous photograph: another case of Photoshop in service to the patriarchy.
"Der Tzitung" woman-less version of the Situation Room photograph.
It used to be magic, now it’s only Photoshop: Hasidic newspapers erased Hillary Clinton and Audrey Tomason (director for counterterrorism in the Obama Administration) from the iconic photograph of the situation room during the Bin-Laden hit. It’s nothing personal. Under the excuse of fostering sexual restraint (the Hasidic newspaper also claimed multiculturalism freedom as a further justification for the erasure), religious authorities are laboring to create a women-free world: a pure surrounding for the angelical Jew or Muslim man. For that purpose, women are made to cover themselves completely (even Christian nuns are required to cover their heads totally, unlike priests), their movement is strictly controlled, they are banned from entering certain places, segregated and silenced. Sometimes even the mention of their name is absent from an invitation to a family event.
The photograph, pre-Photoshop
In the real world, with actual women, this fantasy of a women-free environment is coming up against a growing difficulty—after all, in secular states segregation is unacceptable; even in Israel the fight against segregation is attaining success and in the Muslim world the feminist fight is growing with diligence; also there are some things for which women are still needed. In the meantime, this fantasy can come true in the world of images. And indeed: woman will not be shown in Jewish Orthodox areas and newspapers in Israel. No matter if it is a model, an actress or the head of Opposition Tzipi Livni, whose face was missing from the billboards of her campaign for prime minister. Even the photograph of a mother who was killed with her family in the settlement Itamar two month ago was missing from the report in an Orthodox newspaper. The exact same goes for religious Muslim newspapers and in representation in public sphere.
Having to survive within secular societies, this elimination of women and their representation is a tool to differentiate holy from earthy—us from them. Everything in a religious community is regulated, everything is either Kosher (ours) or non-Kosher (theirs). How does one make a newspaper, a secular object by definition, into a kosher one that is ours? Take out the women. All women, no exceptions, and there you are: a safe kosher newspaper.
For the record: there is no basis in the Torah or in the Koran for not showing women; it is all interpretations on top of interpretations. Clearly, the fundamental purpose for which the so-called religious argumentation is recruited is the achieving and maintaining of the patriarchic hierarchy, that which is in the core of all three main religions. From bottom to top—woman, man and the main man: God. In fact, Patriarchy is their religion.
But leaving it all on the religious is far too easy and irrelevant. Patriarchy may be the actual religion, but it is also still the dominating ideology and practice just as much in the Secular, Liberal western world. A fresh demonstration related to this case is given by the liberal Stephen Colbert when he criticized the Hasidic newspaper for erasing Hillary Clinton from the photograph, and while doing so insinuated that the hilarious part is suggesting that women like Hillary Clinton or Margaret Thatcher can be considered sexually attractive.
And indeed, since it is all about male sexual urges, Photoshop is the perfect nutshell for the whole story. Photoshop is used regularly to manipulate women’s bodies: lengthen legs, narrow waists, slim hips, enlarge breasts, push up cheek bones. Photoshop is used in a way that regards women as sex objects and makes sure they are made into such, according to the latest standard designed by men to fulfill their fantasy. Since it is all about the male fantasy, why should the Secular, Liberal male fantasy be more legitimate than the Orthodox male fantasy? Why should it be allowed that Photoshop execute one male fantasy but not the other? Essentially, the secular manipulation and the religious one are the same one, only with someone else holding the brush, leading to an outcome that looks differently but does the same: it rips off a woman from the autonomy of her body, from her own voice and her independent existence as a free human being in this world. And the Secular, Liberal brush is far more sophisticated and effective.
The views expressed in this commentary are those of the author alone and do not represent WMC. WMC is a 501(c)(3) organization and does not endorse candidates.
To support women journalists who are changing the conversation, donate to the WMC here.
To read other recent WMC Exclusives, click here.
This entry was written by Merav Michaeli, posted on May 25, 2011 at 1:06 am, filed under *Feature*, Exclusives, Exclusives Articles, Uncategorized, WMC and tagged Der Tzitung, Hillary Clinton, Merav Michaeli, Osama Bin Laden, religious patriarchy, women in media. Bookmark the permalink.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Post off of Dirt's site, and quoting from C.L. who asks a question about Butches, whether Lesbian or Straight and my response
"I have noticed that only lesbian women are allowed to be butch in our society and then only begrudgingly by a society that would rather erase these women completely.
Do you think society will ever be ok with straight butch women?" -C.L.
May 18, 2011 12:33 PM
MasterAmazon said...
As long as femininity is put on a pedestal, even in the women's spirituality movement, the term: "Divine Feminine", [I much prefer the term Sacred Female, or to amend it to Divine Female to include us Butches]when indeed there are thousands of Goddess representations of all body sizes, races, temperaments, expressions, ect. of such a diversity we NEVER see in the media, one can see with the Goddess images themselves how originally they were very primal, mostly a depiction of garguantuan undefined females(meaning more of a universal Female)_that as civilization continues they get shrunken down in size, and concurrently with the particular culture, the reverence of women get shrunken down in power and ability, She is more and more feminized and differentiated.
To look back there are only a handful of Goddesses I could cite who are 'Butch', if not solely in appearance, certainly in temperament, defenders of women and of women's mysteries, often Warriors and Protectors in their own right, and the Crone, the aged one is considered the most powerful in Her way....these Goddesses get demonized the more patriarchal males begin to empower themselves AT THE EXPENSE OF WOMEN, and women's spiritual power, demonize any form of physical or sexual deviance, and replace the honoring of the Sacred Female, the Warriors, the Priestesses, the Amazons, with THEIR OWN worship of the male,does the Goddesses then become more and more helpmates, highly feminized, sexualized, and then ultimately invisibilized....that the roles of women are shrunken down, the acceptable appearances of women further controlled, the more women, whether a form of womon loving womon Butch, or a strong peasant kind of heterosexual capable woman Butchness to work the farm, handle animals, tools or even choose to go to war, begins to be demonized.
The Butch THREATENS patriarchal males, because she takes up her space in a way a woman is 'not meant to', because now she's meant to be his helpmate, fuck object,in the domestic sphere providing sons for him, ect. ect., and ANY FEMALE out of that role with much greater independence is a threat BECAUSE SHE COULD BE A SEXUAL or Economic equal! She could be competing for women too, or competing for the same opportunities to make a heroic name for herself, or have a legacy. But by keeping her down, and demonizing the Butch aspect of Femaleness, straight or Lesbian, as well as the Crone aspect(older women who were tribal healers/shamans/spiritually and magically powerful), and ONLY honoring the nubile Maiden to be conquered for her 'maidenhead', or the nurturing Mother aspect to be the bearer of his sons, all of women's power has thusly been stolen away by and for the spiritual, economic, emotional and physical ascendancy and pleasures of men....hence the state we STILL are in to this day..as we scrabble for what few rights we do have....
-MasterAmazon
Do you think society will ever be ok with straight butch women?" -C.L.
May 18, 2011 12:33 PM
MasterAmazon said...
As long as femininity is put on a pedestal, even in the women's spirituality movement, the term: "Divine Feminine", [I much prefer the term Sacred Female, or to amend it to Divine Female to include us Butches]when indeed there are thousands of Goddess representations of all body sizes, races, temperaments, expressions, ect. of such a diversity we NEVER see in the media, one can see with the Goddess images themselves how originally they were very primal, mostly a depiction of garguantuan undefined females(meaning more of a universal Female)_that as civilization continues they get shrunken down in size, and concurrently with the particular culture, the reverence of women get shrunken down in power and ability, She is more and more feminized and differentiated.
To look back there are only a handful of Goddesses I could cite who are 'Butch', if not solely in appearance, certainly in temperament, defenders of women and of women's mysteries, often Warriors and Protectors in their own right, and the Crone, the aged one is considered the most powerful in Her way....these Goddesses get demonized the more patriarchal males begin to empower themselves AT THE EXPENSE OF WOMEN, and women's spiritual power, demonize any form of physical or sexual deviance, and replace the honoring of the Sacred Female, the Warriors, the Priestesses, the Amazons, with THEIR OWN worship of the male,does the Goddesses then become more and more helpmates, highly feminized, sexualized, and then ultimately invisibilized....that the roles of women are shrunken down, the acceptable appearances of women further controlled, the more women, whether a form of womon loving womon Butch, or a strong peasant kind of heterosexual capable woman Butchness to work the farm, handle animals, tools or even choose to go to war, begins to be demonized.
The Butch THREATENS patriarchal males, because she takes up her space in a way a woman is 'not meant to', because now she's meant to be his helpmate, fuck object,in the domestic sphere providing sons for him, ect. ect., and ANY FEMALE out of that role with much greater independence is a threat BECAUSE SHE COULD BE A SEXUAL or Economic equal! She could be competing for women too, or competing for the same opportunities to make a heroic name for herself, or have a legacy. But by keeping her down, and demonizing the Butch aspect of Femaleness, straight or Lesbian, as well as the Crone aspect(older women who were tribal healers/shamans/spiritually and magically powerful), and ONLY honoring the nubile Maiden to be conquered for her 'maidenhead', or the nurturing Mother aspect to be the bearer of his sons, all of women's power has thusly been stolen away by and for the spiritual, economic, emotional and physical ascendancy and pleasures of men....hence the state we STILL are in to this day..as we scrabble for what few rights we do have....
-MasterAmazon
Monday, May 16, 2011
Warrior Goddesses: A post I wrote for Medusa Coils' blog
I'm proud to be a Dyke Amazon Warrior/Amazon Witch, and a lifelong martial artist. I combined all these aspects of me to define my spirituality and the spiritual mysteries I teach as an Amazon Warrior/Amazon Witch/Amazon Priestess....I believe the ancient Amazons were the last defenders of the Matriarchy, those peaceloving cultures of the Mother that were being badly trounced by some of the more patriarchal Greek, Roman and other cultures....
As in the martial arts, when I see that energy in the Sacred Female, at least the dieties I personally work with, it is always and primarily IN DEFENSE, and Self-Defense, not in aggression and conquering of other peoples and other ways of being, but protecting ourselves as womyn, our Sacred Mysteries and our Sacred places and Female spaces.....
I have never been a pacifist, but neither do I support warmongering either and the support of constant warmaking. This is PRECISELY WHY I'm into Goddess worship and ultimately worship the Goddess of 10,000 Names as She comes in many forms and temperaments, connecting with those that fit for me and that I need in my life and connect best with. The whole concept of a matriarchal peaceloving culture like Catal Huyuk lasting 1000 years without war is amazing to me...and what I long for. But as a Butch Dyke, just to survive, I need to be an AmazonWarrior, a Warrior for women and myself as the type of woman I am, just to survive in a world that would just extinguish my kind.
The other side of me is Amazon Priestess, where I serve Her and Her beautiful Planet and womyn and She guides and moves through me...these are deep deep vows I have taken being on this Path of Goddess worship for 30 years, ever since the Dyke Witches brought me out in 1981!
As in the martial arts, when I see that energy in the Sacred Female, at least the dieties I personally work with, it is always and primarily IN DEFENSE, and Self-Defense, not in aggression and conquering of other peoples and other ways of being, but protecting ourselves as womyn, our Sacred Mysteries and our Sacred places and Female spaces.....
I have never been a pacifist, but neither do I support warmongering either and the support of constant warmaking. This is PRECISELY WHY I'm into Goddess worship and ultimately worship the Goddess of 10,000 Names as She comes in many forms and temperaments, connecting with those that fit for me and that I need in my life and connect best with. The whole concept of a matriarchal peaceloving culture like Catal Huyuk lasting 1000 years without war is amazing to me...and what I long for. But as a Butch Dyke, just to survive, I need to be an AmazonWarrior, a Warrior for women and myself as the type of woman I am, just to survive in a world that would just extinguish my kind.
The other side of me is Amazon Priestess, where I serve Her and Her beautiful Planet and womyn and She guides and moves through me...these are deep deep vows I have taken being on this Path of Goddess worship for 30 years, ever since the Dyke Witches brought me out in 1981!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
About being/staying a Butch Female rather than transitioning to male: response to Dirt's blog 'What would make you transition to male?'
March 28, 2011 2:43 PM
i.d. said...
"I have a very feminine face that could be considered 'beautiful'. This means I'm unable to 'pass' most of the time, also that some men actually find me attractive despite the fact I have a shaved head and wear men's clothes. I also have gay men trying to hit on me because of my feminine face etc which must make them think I am a young boy etc.
I know Dirt thinks passing isn't a good thing, but frankly, why would I want to live a life of hassle and homophobia by being openly masculine and female. What kind of a life is that eh?"
___________________________________
MasterAmazon's reply:
Well, some gay men's pedophilia really does get to me.... or their worship of very young men....and they DO hit up on Butch Dykes too, including when I was younger and thinner, and almost always on my first partner in SF, who was petite and Butch thinking she was just out of boyhood...which disgusted both of us....that IS a real phenomena, and BEING MEN, they don't have sexual boundaries oftentimes, or respect. One drag queen at the last gay event I went to felt up my Butch partner's nipples as they passed by and I was out of the room. My partner was very upset about it..it was very clear she was a BUTCH DYKE, NOT a dude! And yet, this drag queen felt they had the right and privilege to hit on her....
At the end of the night the drag queen touched my arm, and I said "Don't EVER touch my partner again!". Which makes me NOT want to be in mixed situations with gay men...
But what kind of life can you live as a Butch Female, indeed if that is what you are, which just by what you say you may not be, is living a life of integrity. I was NEVER feminine, maybe at a very young age I didn't object to wearing dresses, because I didn't know about the differences between boys and girls and I hadn't yet felt the deep sting of being treated differently than my brother. I was the older sibling, and I went to an all girls school where we were all equals....it wasn't till I began to realize around age 7 that I was treated differently and forced to play with dolls and do domestic things like cook and clean while my brother didn't have to do either, that I objected...and began to adopt more tomboy ways...I've been a tomboy all my life since then..it's not something 'I decided' to be, like one day you're Butch, the next day Femme or feminine...so what are you saying? That you'd rather stay feminine so the gay boys leave you alone, or you'd rather transition to male, where THEY'D STILL HIT ON YOU, NOW THAT YOU'RE FULLY MALE APPEARING?
Being and staying a Butch Dyke is LIVING a life of integrity, not having to 'pass' either as feminine to survive, like many Butches had to do in the past, especially in regards to work, and could only 'butch it up' in the dyke bar scene, or to submerge my Butch Femaleness by adopting even more male attitudes, hardening myself, or transitioning to male.
So yes, you'd deal with homophobia and hassle being an open Butch FEMALE, rather than passing as either feminine, or transitioning to FTM, but you'd also be living a LIFE OF INTEGRITY, where you did not have to hide who you truly are.
That is why I see most Butch Females as true Amazons, because we are strong, powerful womyn, part of a Sacred Sisterhood of women loving women, throughout time....and that WE ARE NOT ALONE, even if sometimes it feels that way!
-MasterAmazon
i.d. said...
"I have a very feminine face that could be considered 'beautiful'. This means I'm unable to 'pass' most of the time, also that some men actually find me attractive despite the fact I have a shaved head and wear men's clothes. I also have gay men trying to hit on me because of my feminine face etc which must make them think I am a young boy etc.
I know Dirt thinks passing isn't a good thing, but frankly, why would I want to live a life of hassle and homophobia by being openly masculine and female. What kind of a life is that eh?"
___________________________________
MasterAmazon's reply:
Well, some gay men's pedophilia really does get to me.... or their worship of very young men....and they DO hit up on Butch Dykes too, including when I was younger and thinner, and almost always on my first partner in SF, who was petite and Butch thinking she was just out of boyhood...which disgusted both of us....that IS a real phenomena, and BEING MEN, they don't have sexual boundaries oftentimes, or respect. One drag queen at the last gay event I went to felt up my Butch partner's nipples as they passed by and I was out of the room. My partner was very upset about it..it was very clear she was a BUTCH DYKE, NOT a dude! And yet, this drag queen felt they had the right and privilege to hit on her....
At the end of the night the drag queen touched my arm, and I said "Don't EVER touch my partner again!". Which makes me NOT want to be in mixed situations with gay men...
But what kind of life can you live as a Butch Female, indeed if that is what you are, which just by what you say you may not be, is living a life of integrity. I was NEVER feminine, maybe at a very young age I didn't object to wearing dresses, because I didn't know about the differences between boys and girls and I hadn't yet felt the deep sting of being treated differently than my brother. I was the older sibling, and I went to an all girls school where we were all equals....it wasn't till I began to realize around age 7 that I was treated differently and forced to play with dolls and do domestic things like cook and clean while my brother didn't have to do either, that I objected...and began to adopt more tomboy ways...I've been a tomboy all my life since then..it's not something 'I decided' to be, like one day you're Butch, the next day Femme or feminine...so what are you saying? That you'd rather stay feminine so the gay boys leave you alone, or you'd rather transition to male, where THEY'D STILL HIT ON YOU, NOW THAT YOU'RE FULLY MALE APPEARING?
Being and staying a Butch Dyke is LIVING a life of integrity, not having to 'pass' either as feminine to survive, like many Butches had to do in the past, especially in regards to work, and could only 'butch it up' in the dyke bar scene, or to submerge my Butch Femaleness by adopting even more male attitudes, hardening myself, or transitioning to male.
So yes, you'd deal with homophobia and hassle being an open Butch FEMALE, rather than passing as either feminine, or transitioning to FTM, but you'd also be living a LIFE OF INTEGRITY, where you did not have to hide who you truly are.
That is why I see most Butch Females as true Amazons, because we are strong, powerful womyn, part of a Sacred Sisterhood of women loving women, throughout time....and that WE ARE NOT ALONE, even if sometimes it feels that way!
-MasterAmazon
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