#butches and bears protect what's theirs

[vaspider]

Probably a silly question but what does “butches and bears protect what’s theirs” mean? :0

It isn't a silly question! The poll seems to indicate that only about 20% of respondents, at most, know the saying. I'm glad to explain & thank you for asking so nicely. :)

Historically speaking, butches and bears have often acted as community bouncers - protecting the community from external (and occasionally internal) threats. One of the other things I used to hear was that we didn't need cops at Pride because we have "butches and bears with baseball bats."

It is a statement both of our community protecting its own and policing its own, a more specific queer security rephrasing of "we take care of us." It's one of the reasons why one of my favorite pins is my @foxflightstudios Brass Knuckle Butch pin.

To be clear, because people have been kinda weird about this, this is a statement that's said, when it is said, by butches and bears about ourselves and with pride. The word "what" refers to groups of people and communities, which is why it is "what" and not "who," but if a butch or bear says it about you or a community with you are in, and that makes you uncomfortable, just, you know, ask to be excluded from that idea.

[pastelbrachypelma]

Oops, I’m dropping my Sly Cooper OCs.

(Note: I’m going by Sonic the Hedgehog logic, I.e. mammals of different species can mate, but their children will always be one or the other and not a mixture of both. I’m also headcanoning that cross-type matings (like a mammal and a reptile) cannot occur.)

Some background: Murray has a male partner and they adopted a child together. Bentley and Penelope had a surrogate for one child, while Penelope bore the other with artificial insemination. Sly and Carmelita had theirs the old fashioned way. 😏

SELENA COOPER-FOX

-Her brother calls her “Nina,” but most of the gang calls her Selena or “Selene.”

-has a similar face shape to her mother and her mother’s eye shape and hair color, but she is a raccoon like her father.

-20 years old, panromantic, but is sex indifferent. (In her mind, there are better ways to spend the day.)

-slim build like her father, but more of an athletic build as opposed to curvy. Her breasts are almost non-existent, which doesn’t really bother her.

-keeps her hair cut short, so it almost looks like a boy cut (kind of like her father’s hair)

-dances ballet, though with no intention of becoming a ballerina. She is mostly using it to train.

-very interested in the Thievious Raccoonus and reads and rereads it often.

-keeps a journal

-talks to herself (the gang teases her for it.)

-stress-bakes

-wants to carry on the Cooper lineage, but isn’t sure how to.

CARSON COOPER-FOX

-his sister playfully insults him in Spanish when she’s annoyed with him, and sometimes calls him “booger.”

-a fox like his mom, though he has a face and eye shape similar to his father’s.

-18 years old, transman, straight (?)

-has broad shoulders and a more muscular build, and is about an average weight.

-his hair color is silver like his dad’s, but he is constantly dying it different colors, so the gray rarely shows through.

-his hair is shoulder-length, and he often wears it in a ponytail.

-though he’s been transitioning for a year already, he hasn’t had any surgeries. When he sweats, sometimes, that masks the musk he puts on himself, so he often gets called “vixen” and is bullied mercilessly. (Thankfully, Selena is always ready to cut a bitch for him.)

-has some interest in being a cop, but mostly wants to be a soccer player and have a cool car.

TESLA TORTUE

-a mouse like her mom, but has a dustier, purple-grey coat.

-22 years old, lesbian

-has a curvy, stocky build, with big hips and breasts. Likes to dress butch and is usually covered in motor oil with her black hair cropped short. (As you can guess, she looks a lot like the DNA from the sperm that fathered her.)

-gruff and grumpy at times, especially when woken up, but loves her sister more than anything and is incredibly loyal to her friends. (Cousins)

-wants to study aviation and become a pilot, but can fix pretty much anything mechanical.

-saw what her mom leaving did to her dad and sister and is very protective of them.

KENNEDY TORTUE

-known as “Ken” or “Kenny” mostly.

-has fibromyalgia and doesn’t get out much because of it.

-slim for a turtle

-her scales are aqua green and her shell has a pattern like a painted box turtle’s.

-18 years old, aromantic (jokes that computers are her true love)

-rarely sleeps

-is a fiend for junk food of any kind

URSULA DUCHAT

-Called “Ursie” by friends

-21 years old, questioning

-adopted daughter of Murray and his partner, Tom.

-a chubby butch bear who likes boxing and horror movies

-super protective of her friends

[vaspider]

Earlier today, talking about queer community security, I said, "Well, you know the saying about butches and bears," and the person I was talking to said "... no?"

So:

No "see answers" option, pick an answer or stay curious.

I don't have enough answers options to add location, so put your location stuff in tags & please reblog to satisfy my curiosity. Thank youuuuu.

[vaspider]

Butches and bears protect what's theirs.

Does that help? Or do you need more explanation? :)

(In the future, adding "gay slang" to your searches might help. This is not condescension, it's genuine advice.)

Earlier today, talking about queer community security, I said, "Well, you know the saying about butches and bears," and the person I was talking to said "... no?"

So:

No "see answers" option, pick an answer or stay curious.

I don't have enough answers options to add location, so put your location stuff in tags & please reblog to satisfy my curiosity. Thank youuuuu.

[ccacoo]

It's also just not a good saying?

Bears and butches have no obligation to protect you, and the phrasing "what's theirs", sure, could mean their community, but also sounds weirdly possessive if you think about it in an individual context.

Earlier today, talking about queer community security, I said, "Well, you know the saying about butches and bears," and the person I was talking to said "... no?"

So:

No "see answers" option, pick an answer or stay curious.

I don't have enough answers options to add location, so put your location stuff in tags & please reblog to satisfy my curiosity. Thank youuuuu.