What Is Female Masculinity?

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Jack's Summary:

This is a really valuable set of interviews, in my opinion, because it shows a range of experiences which often don't get discussed in discourse around gender and presentation. If you are questioning your gender, it might be a good idea to listen to these interviewees speak, so you can see whether you relate to the experiences described. The interviewees use the terms butch, masculine-of-centre, genderqueer, Māhū, and gender-neutral to describe how their female masculinity manifests.

"Sometimes I'm not male or female," one interviewee explains, going on to say, "I believe that masculinity goes beyond aesthetics."

"Gender in general can be inherent, but can also be a performance," says another interviewee, "Your full identity can be some combination of how you feel inside, and what you like to see when you look in the mirror."

"I got top surgery two years ago," one butch says, "and before that, I was miserable to be around... And now, I'm happy."

If you are interested in butch experiences after watching this video, I recommend the magazine/organisation Butch Is Not A Dirty Word and the printed book version of BUTCH: Not Like The Other Girls.