#i think abt this especially in relation to those who would and (and Do) coopt what we think of as english folk tradition

[popsicle-stick]

wearing a t shirt that says 'A FOLK TRADITION CARRIED BY A SELECT FEW IS NO LONGER A FOLK TRADITION' and the back says 'TRADITION WITHOUT CHANGE IS SIMPLY REENACTMENT' and little shorts that say 'ABANDON YE SHAME HERE'

[butchspace]

I kind of want to be butch but two things are in my way: I've always been a v 'girly girl' and am nervous abt suddenly changing my whole vibe/that liking dresses and princesses as a kid instead of being a 'tomboy' makes me invalid and also I'm really scared of taking on all the heavy history and the weight of the identity? I'm scared I won't live up to who a butch should be? Like I'm letting down the batches who worked so hard to be butch by dressing and maybe identifying without working for it.

(I just sent an ask about butch identity and heavy history and stuff as well as being 'girly' in the past (ps i dont wwnt to say butches arent girls theres just ko other way to put it) and want to make sure it is anon) also to add like... I think it's the style I like more than anything and I want to try things out (identities, styles, etc) but I feel like I'm cheapening all the history by coopting that. Like I'm a lesbian but. Idk. Sorry if this makes no sense.

k so being a tomboy as a kid/teen or whatever isn’t a prereq for being butch, although it’s a common experience for a lot of us. however it is a lot more than just clothing/style so if that’s your main attraction to it then i would consider some alternatives to just flat-out identifying as butch. you can always dress in ways that are associated with butch identity without actually being butch; you can also flirt with butch identity by trying out new clothing styles and seeing how you feel about moving through the world when you “look butch.” if this clicks with you then you can maybe look into an actual butch identity or just choose to present in this fashion without being butch.

a lot of us are initially drawn to butch identity bc of appearance-related things (since those are most visible markers of the identity) and sometimes we want to do things like cut our hair short and dress in masculine styles bc those markers indicate something deeper that we are drawn to, even if we don’t fully understand it yet. so for that reason especially i don’t think that you’re doing anything wrong by wanting to explore a potential butch identity, as long as you’re respectful of the identity and not just trying to copy butches’ styles in order to make a fashion statement.

-mod p