I miss GNC, butchy, "dykey," girls, women, and tomboys

submitted by fuckupaddams from self.GenderCritical

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[–]BEB 22 insightful - 1 fun22 insightful - 0 fun23 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

When I was at university in the US, lesbians called themselves '"DYKES" very loudly and proudly.

Years later, post- Judith Butler, I was working with a young lesbian and I said the word "dyke" and she looked shocked, as if I'd slapped her. I asked her what lesbians liked to be called and she said, with this kind of coquettish smile, "GIRLS. We like to be called GIRLS."

I had no idea at that point that "Women's Studies" had become "Gender Studies" (and then later Queer something) and that women's liberation had morphed into the Men's Rights' Movement called 3rd Wave Feminism, but I remember thinking how sad that the fierce proud wimmin I'd known in school, the DYKES, now wanted to lose that edge and be called something soft and immature and powerless like GIRLS.

tl;dr Shut up, Judith Butler

[–]PeakingPeachEater 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

Oh, I did not know "dyke" was okay. In my country, if you say that word, it is extreme offensive. :(

But I think as long as your group claims it AND only they use it, it's fine. If a straight person tell you "dyke" they are not being nice or if they try to correct you on your verbiage, than they are being dumb.

I had a similar instance as you---I was explaining to my white american roommate at the time, years ago, about being called a racial slur, just a story of my time here and how I was treated, and she got offended and told me "DON'T SAY THAT!!"...okay?? But, I am not using it in offensive way, I am merely describing a story where people used that word against me based on my skin colour, and anyways, I AM that race, I may be 'mixed' as some may say since both parents are from different countries/cultures, but that word is VERY offensive to my paternal side, so why are you correcting me? Is my skin not "dark enough" like my father's for you in order for me to say word used as offense against me?

Anyways, I digress but I think I can sorta relate.

Also just wondering, but that word is typically used by/for lesbians NOT bi women, right? I see other bi women use it, but I do not. I do not know exactly the English connotation to it so I stay away from using the word.

I had straight people say "Oh, I thought you were a dyke!" Instead of just...saying lesbian...Though I am bi, I am not offended by being called lesbian, lesbian is not offensive word. I just happen to be another GNC women that they're surprised to hear I like men too...

[–]BEB 5 insightful - 1 fun5 insightful - 0 fun6 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Thanks for sharing! I love hearing the perspective of non-Americans living in the US. It really exposes how much SJW crap young Americans have been indoctrinated into.

I was at university decades ago, and, at my school at least, everyone used Dyke.

Bisexual women did not call themselves dykes, unless they were four-year lesbians. Those were bisexual women who were heterosexual before and after university. Most of the bisexual women at my university tried to bury their lesbian past once they graduated. It was sad, but bisexuality wasn't considered cool back then when I think it is very trendy now.