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| The Boi and Feminism |
The boi and feminism ...
Are boi lesbians feminist? Are they misogynist? Are they misunderstood?
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Quotes …
“I think the fluidity of gender is the next big wave in terms of adolescent development.” - Caitlin Ryan
"What began as butch, femme, and androgynous during the second wave exploded during the third wave — thanks to queer theory — into butch, femme, androgynous, hard andro, soft andro, soft butch, high femme, boi, genderqueer, transgender, intersex, drag king/queen, bio king/queen, male-to-female transsexual, female-to-male trannsexual (pre-op, post-op, non-op), bi-gendered, third gender, two-spirit, and infinite other variations." - Ryiah Lilith
"Is tomboy pop star Avril Lavigne to blame for all this? Not likely. Her single Sk8er Boi contains lyrics that are distinctly heterosexual. Apparently there are straight bois as well." - blogger
"We in society and in our generation are developing new understandings of sexual orientation and gender identities and what that means to us, we don't really have enough language to describe that; therefore, we have to create new words." - Carolyn Laub
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Articles …
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(WARNING: adult content on some links)
Being a boi means different things to different people—it’s a fluid identity, and that’s the whole point. Some women who call themselves bois are playing off “boy” in the gay-male S/M sense of the term, as in Daddy/Boy: The boy or boi is the submissive and, in the case of lesbians, has sex with dominant butches (tops). Some of the people who identify as bois are female-to-male transsexuals in various stages of the transition process, ranging from having had top surgery and taking testosterone (“T”) to simply adopting the pronoun he. Some, like Lissa, date other bois and think of themselves as “fags,” while others only date femmes. And others simply think being a boi means that they are young and cool and probably promiscuous. What all bois have in common is a lack of interest in embodying any kind of girliness, but they are too irreverent to adopt the heavy-duty, highly circumscribed butch role. To them, butch is an identity of the past, a relic from a world of Budweiser and motorcycles gone by.
http://newyorkmetro.com/nymetro/news/features/n_9709/
"At the very basic level, it’s about telling society that we’re not going to adhere to your rules. At some level, it is very political and anti-mainstream society. And on a different level, it’s also very personal — trying to figure yourself out,” says T.J. Jourian, a 24-year-old graduate student at Michigan State University who specifically calls himself a “transmale” — not just male — because he doesn’t want people to place his gender into a simple box. Born a female, Jourian does not always hide his high-pitched voice or mannerisms that many would consider more feminine. “Although I identify as a man, I have been socialized in this world as a female, and that experience plays a huge part in shaping my masculinity, my politics and my perspective in society,” Jourian says. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9556134
I wondered what it had taken Clair to make this request of me, and how she was dealing with my freaked-out reaction. When asked, she explained that it was difficult for her to accept that she wanted this kind of sex; in general, she doesn't feel like a woman, but as the receptive partner during strap-on sex, she is acutely aware that she is female-bodied — a feeling that isn't entirely comfortable for her. Yet despite her gender-dysphoric discomfort, Clair still wants the enjoyment and pleasure that comes from engaging in what her body wants. How could I consider myself an empowered, sex-positive feminist if I couldn't proverbially rise to the occasion?
http://matrifocus.com/BEL06/feminism-third-wave.htm
Justin, who is 19 and didn't want to use his last name because he's not out to his family as transgender, calls himself a "boi" -- with an "i" -- because he feels like a boy -- with a "y" -- but "I don't have the boy parts, as much as I wish I did." "I'm still learning the ropes of just being me," he added. Growing acceptance of gays and lesbians has also encouraged idiosyncrasy, Ryan said. "Identities are very personal. That was much less true 20 years ago, when identity was more around community. Now that there's a community, a vibrant one with resources, there's more room for personal identity. Before, the tribe was so much more important," she said.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/02/08/MNGKO4RNJP1.DTL
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