Butches of the World Unite

I have to admit, I'm really sad that I won't be able to attend the Butch Voices conference in Oakland next month. As far as I know, this is the first conference of its kind in the US. Butches coming together to organize, strategize, inspire and educate. Could anything be sexier?

We are woman-identified Butches. We are trans-masculine Studs. We are faggot-identified Aggressives. We are noun Butches, adjective Studs and pronoun-shunning Aggressives. We are she, he, hy, ze, zie and hir. We are you, and we are me. The point is, we don’t decide who is Butch, Stud or Aggressive. You get to decide for yourself.

One of my favorite writers, Ivan E. Coyote is leading a writing workshop. There's another for those of us who identify as butch and maintain a female identity. There's workshops for XL butches, butch safety and butches having babies. The one I'm really bummed about missing is the intergenerational butch panel.

Oh, I hope they hold the conference again next year when I can go! But don't let my inability stop you. If you can swing it, attend the Butch Voices conference in Oakland, California August 20-23, 2009.

And for those of you in Portland, be sure to attend the Butch Voices fundraiser next Thursday at the Egyptian Club.