I’m a butch transbian. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my butch identity, and how my experiences with butchness overlaps and maybe differs in some areas to my non-transfemme butch siblings. For example:
- We’ve likely grown up with very different bodies and genitals, and that has impacted our relationship to our butchness
- Our struggle with presenting butch in a way that doesn’t get us misgendered or give us dysphoria
- Dealing with the pressure from outside transfemme circles and inside to present more feminine
- Feeling like a fraud in lesbian spaces, because I feel like I’m dressing like a “man”, despite knowing that butch identity is a whole separate thing.
- Fearing exclusion from cis lesbians, what if they think im a cis dude creeping around?
- The lack of representation for butchness in transfemmininty
- How do other butch transfemmes feel about femminine clothing?
- How do we feel about compliments? Beautiful vs handsome?
- Feeling tension between wanting to present more feminine in some ways to “escape” the masculinity I was imprisoned by growing up.
I would love to hear about any thoughts and experiences you’ve got.
Idk where I fit in regards to butch/femme. I vary in my presentation based on my mood. High femme is simply too much work and impractical. It’s not that I don’t admire it when someone else does it, but I’ve tried out make up and such and it’s really not my thing.
I’ve had long hair for a while and it was fun getting to do that and stuff but it’s too long now and difficult to care for. I want to try a shorter cut again but I’m worried about being misgendered due to my size.
I like skirts. They fit my hips better and for day to day wear are really practical. I worry that makes me not butch enough.
In terms of household work I fill all of the gendered roles. I do the cooking and cleaning, the finances, fix stuff, am the sole breadwinner etc. I sometimes joke that I’m both the dad and the mom of the house. I wish my partner would do more things for herself. I don’t like filling these roles.


