#196 Slaven Number 1 Must Have!

Twitter was jumping with Northwest appeal yesterday. Slaven found us and sent this great pic and photo zine link. Adorable right? Right.

"My buddy Adrien and I were in Portland, Oregon to DJ and take pictures for our photo zine #1 must have (http://number1musthave.tumblr.com/). We had just finished drinks with friends and were waiting for a Radio Cab to take us to dinner when he took my photo. We (including the spirit of Sam on the right) all live in Seattle."

#195 Joey doesn't conform

Joey found butch sightings on Twitter and submitted this photo. Sometimes a butch just has to take things into their own hands. Here's what Joey has to say:

"Hey saw you guys on twitter wasn't exactly sure how you found butches but I am very much a self identified  butch. I'm 31 I'm in the medical field married for 5 years but very proud butch lesbian. Yeah my name is Joey. Yes, that's a nickname but it's a childhood one. I work with hiv/aids patients, I'm covered in tattoos, I consider myself alternative in that I really hate conformity and at times will even have a mohawk, consider myself punk/butch."

#194 Chase at the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show

My partner, daughter and I went to the all breed dog show today at San Francisco's Cow Palace, a big old arena in Daly City. I saw what I thought were a number of butches - some with dogs, some with families, some just strolling by. Most looked busy and some looked like they simply could have been from the Midwest (e.g. rugged straight women) so it wasn't until we were walking out that I got the courage to do a formal butch sighting. Chase and Nyki strolled up behind us on the ramp to the parking lot as my (tired, silly) daughter was turning a new dog bed into an elaborate "old lady" hat over her head.

Thanks for being "sighted" Chase!

#193 Nyki at the Golden Gate Kennel Club Dog Show

Chase told me Nyki was butch, she just didn't know it. Or maybe I'm remembering wrong. She certainly looks confident in her butch self. Nyki and Chase are both dog lovers - I even saw a picturne of the cute old man dog Nyki is fostering.

Nice to meet you, Nyki!

#192 Rob, Northampton Stone Butch

Robin, our East Coast Butch Sighter, writes:

"Rob, a stone butch of Northampton, MA, escorted Butch Sightings to Chelsea, NYC art openings. At a photojournalism show of WeeGee, we saw this image of two butches -- so I made it three."

#191 Rebecca, Photographer Butch at Chelsea Art Opening

Robin, East Coast Butch Sighter, writes:

"Last night was a night of Chelsea gallery openings. I had my eye out for butch sightings. At the last gallery of the evening, I spotted Rebecca. I asked her if she was a butch and she looked puzzled so I told her about the project. Ariella said Rebecca just cut off all her facial hair. I asked if she was trans and she said no, she was a butch with facial hair. Rebecca is a photographer who's been with her femme of 13 years, Ariella, a film curator. They live in Fort Greene, Brooklyn with their 22-month-old daughter"

#190 Chewy and B in the Costco Parking Lot

So yesterday at lunch I went to renew my Costco membership and get cheap(er) gas. Walking back from the store on the way to the car, I heard two people walking behind me. One said to the other, "You're the butch!" in a voice that told me they were both in good moods. How could I resist? I turned around and said, "Are you a butch? That's great, because I have a web site called Butch Sightings and I'd love to sight you!"

Butch identity confirmed, Chewy and her partner B posed for me (although B was not happy that she wasn't wearing lipstick. We forgive you B, I mean, it is Costco! Plus, you showed me that fabulous photo of you and Chewy dressed to the 9s!) B, incidentally, is a jewelry designer who works with large gemstones.

Chewy says she has been "butch from birth."

Nice to meet you!

Chewy with her arm around B. A wonderful couple.

#189 Paulette & Latrice AGs at the Brooklyn Museum

Robin, our East Coast butch sighter, writes:

"Last night was the Brooklyn Museum's monthly First Saturday event. This one celebrated the Still/Here show of GLTQ art that's caused an uproar in DC last year. The museum was packed for the many different events. Paulette (left) and Latrice (right) were standing on the edge of the dance floor in that tough butch pose: arms crossed over chest, wide stance, kind of scowling (...femme growl). They both identify as AG. I really liked their shirts together. What a couple of friendly butches beneath the tough stance. But we femmes all know that. ;)"

Hotness!

#188 Rania at the Brooklyn Museum

Robin, our East Coast butch sighter, writes:

"I saw Rania and her tall pretty femme as they entered the museum. The crowds were thick and I kept losing her. You know when you have a definite butch sighting, when the question 'are you a butch?' seems redundant. Rania is a service manager at a BMW dealership outside Philadelphia. She and her femme met at a party for Michigan Womyn's Music Festival fans."

#187 Imani and Gram at the Brooklyn Museum

Robin, our East Coast Butch Sighter, writes:

"Imani Rashid (left) is a writer and distinguished elder in the GLBT community. Imani has a blog on Huffington Post and a book about celebrating Kwanzaa for families. When I told Gram Davis about Butch Sightings she listened politely and then broke out in a warm smile and said what a great project it is. I had to run off to get a pen and when I returned, Gram had explained it to the femmes who were with them and they confided in me, oooo, these two are trouble! :)"

#186 Tijanna: NYE San Francisco

The butch sighting fun was non-stop on New Year's Eve. While many of the butches I know and love and have previously sighted, there were some new ones too. Excitement! This is Tijanna who was born in Detroit then dragged by her family to live in Hawaii (sounds nice maybe but she left everyone she knew and loved). She says she is "kinky, poly, recovery and plays bass in a band called BINKY that plays carnival death metal." (What is carnival death metal? I must do some research).


Tijanna used to play in was a fan of Mick Karn's band, Japan.

She did the first pose quickly and with a lot of laughter, and then insisted on the second (but I said I just had to post both, I think you'll see why).

 

#185 Red: NYE San Francisco

I met some great butches on New Year's Eve, including Red (a great friend of a great friend). Red is a genderqueer massage therapist who has id'd as masculine since he was a kid, "I secremed bloody murder when mom tried to put me in dresses." When I asked how he imagines himself in the future Red said he hopes to win the lottery 10 years from now." Red loves to write, loves queer culture and loves people too.

#184: Brahm in Northampton

A butch did a butch sighting! Love that.

"This is Brahm, he ids as genderqueer. He and his gf, Laura, just moved back to MA from GA where he was getting a degree in Historic Preservation. He's looking for a job and cooking at a great local queer-owned restuarant, The Green St Cafe."