#butchsafe

i remember when i realized i could be butch. i don’t remember the date or the weather or what i was wearing but i remember the feeling. the first time i called myself butch was the first star twinkling into view in the evening. every time since has added another star, and i’m going to spend the rest of my days filling up my sky.

- it makes it seem as though being tender makes you less butch when we’re already some of the most tender people  

- seriously, some of you will see a butch fucking smile and go “omggg this soft butch!!”

- often used in connection with the butch-femme scale which is a load of crap  

- building off of point 3, I see it used by people who aren't butch a looot. what the fuck do you people think butch is, you like to wear a belt, eyeliner and a floral button up?? what is butch to you people even.

- literally it makes it seem as if there's a scale of butch when it is literally as simple as you’re butch or you’re not. if you feel like butch is constraining, you’re not butch and that’s chill but don’t make it seem like butch is an evil box you’re being forced into lmao 

- it’s often internalized butchphobia because “I’m not like those other ugly butches” or “I’m too pretty to be butch” and indirectly brings butches down (point 1)

- also sometimes used to mean butch bottom when you could literally just say. butch bottom 

- there’s probably more but basically: I want to take a sledge hammer to this term for good and this isn’t the eloquent essay I wanted to write but fuck it

i love being a butch who loves other butches, with their callused hands, strong arms and big hearts, who don’t give a fuck about what society expects of them, who are the most beautiful and compassionate people i have ever met in my life.