Butch Voices was two weeks ago and I am just getting around to writing about my experience there. I haven’t read anyone’s posts on Butch Voices yet either. I guess I wanted to wait until I had time to really sit and pull the pieces all together and for me that can take a minute. So I have finally whittled away at my other distractions enough that I can sit still for a few minutes. I realize for me, just actually going through with presenting there was me actually pushing my own edges a bit. A push I am very happy I decided to make.
Presenting at Butch Voices was a step outside the norm for me as of late. After spending almost three years now traveling and presenting workshops in the kink/leather community, I was actually hesitant to submit a class to present there. I mean, I have become so spoiled presenting in a community that accepted my gender identity, allowed me to be the boi that I am with no fuss or dust up. What if my leather identity proved problematic for the dykes/butches/studs who weren’t leather at all at this event? I also hesitated with my topic, I had looked at the teasers for the workshops already on deck, presenters, and keynote speakers and there were some amazing people lined up with some equally amazing and profound topics at the ready.
I went back to thinking about my original motivation for wanting to present at this event, which was to contribute what I could to the success of a first time event like this. In my part of the country, excluding the city of Atlanta, butch visibility is incredibly low. I wanted to help fill out the spectrum of visible butches for those who may have thought they wouldn’t see themselves reflected in the presenters or the various workshop topics. Continue reading Butch Voices
