Boi vs Boye
Life is always a process of learning and growing. I have recently learned of the history of 'boi' as a Black cultural identity originating among lesbians of color. As a nonblack person, it doesn't feel right of me to continue to use the term, despite its shift toward defining submissive butches in BD/SM.
In my research, I've been finding a lack of labels not rooted in a cultural identity to represent the intersection of sapphic masculinity and submissive identity. 'Boy' carries connotations of connection to Leatherman and achillean kink spaces and 'tomboy' is rooted in white supremacist propaganda to encourage young white women to engage in athletics to create more healthy babies.
So instead, I am changing my name from 'boi' to 'boye', an alternative spelling of boy that I haven't been able to trace to any prior history of use (Google has only yielded me results on crochet needles, which, frankly, is kind of cool 😎). I humbly propose this as a viable alternative for other sapphic aligned people like me who are seeking a label for their positionality as butch, submissive and non-achillean.
All of my posts are DNI for minors, but this one is an exception in case it brings meaning to you. This is not me condoning minors in submissive acts or in BD/SM spaces, simply acknowledging that identity can form and shift at any age.
