labels schmables.
So last night I was trying to complete my 8th chapter of my MA and I thought I should make the focus 'The Subcultural Labels of the Lesbian Community'. (must make it sound clever mah :])
Much as it has been a grey area which does little for gender identity, it seems to serve researchers well. From sheer observation, there is already a cultural divide in terms of sociolinguistics (read: those who prefer their mother tongue to English and otherwise).
Then there is the almost subtle class division from working class to elitist intellect (read: those who prefer to work their asses off whilst others prefer to hide in the academia so they can publish inane papers like mine!).
Then of course, there's the Hard/Soft Butch, Androg, Hard/Soft Femme,Trans, Pure, and-god-only-knows-what. Perhaps the best summary is your public vs private self. Some of us are externally very butch but still very feminine at heart in the way we see things a little more laterally than the average person. We only feel empowered to look boyish because it's still very much a man's world and strong attributes are naturally associated with the male gender.
All said, we are all very much shaped by our environment, much as we shape ours (loosely paraphrased Auden).
As far as I know it, only when we accept what/how we are will others also eventually.
Much as it has been a grey area which does little for gender identity, it seems to serve researchers well. From sheer observation, there is already a cultural divide in terms of sociolinguistics (read: those who prefer their mother tongue to English and otherwise).
Then there is the almost subtle class division from working class to elitist intellect (read: those who prefer to work their asses off whilst others prefer to hide in the academia so they can publish inane papers like mine!).
Then of course, there's the Hard/Soft Butch, Androg, Hard/Soft Femme,Trans, Pure, and-god-only-knows-what. Perhaps the best summary is your public vs private self. Some of us are externally very butch but still very feminine at heart in the way we see things a little more laterally than the average person. We only feel empowered to look boyish because it's still very much a man's world and strong attributes are naturally associated with the male gender.
All said, we are all very much shaped by our environment, much as we shape ours (loosely paraphrased Auden).
As far as I know it, only when we accept what/how we are will others also eventually.