Tue 17 Aug 2010 In: True Stories View at Wayback View at NDHA
Pagan Kael and Sand Woods Do you identify with the term butch? Well if you do, a couple of proud butch women are seeking your story for an anthology they are putting together featuring "the good, the bad and the ugly" of living butch in New Zealand and Australia. Pagan Kael and Sand Woods want stories from all generations and places from within the two nations, saying they believe butches are invisible in the broader communities. "(We) hope the project is a way for to be one of the ways for us to be more accepted, celebrated, understood and visible. We hope this builds stronger community." Kael and Woods say they acknowledge that the very existence of the butch identity challenges people to think about a range of difficult and sometimes complex questions about gender - and they like it that way. "The term butch is self-defined really but stereotypically butches are masculine in appearance and come in many different varieties. Generally though there is nothing feminine about butches," Kael says. She agrees there has been a modern shift towards "socially acceptable" femme or androgynous looks in the lesbian world, but points out there seems to also be a rise in the number of younger people transitioning from female to male. "Many find that an attractive option. We want to show a raise in hands through autobiographical stories that show we are here and there is a place for young ones to be butch and be proud about that. We want to show that it's okay to have a female masculinity." Kael says some fantastic stories have already been sent in, mostly from people aged over 40, and she and Woods would like to read stories from younger butches. Would you like to submit your story? Here are the details from the pair: Submit a manuscript that has been edited for accuracy and clarity in communication, as well as proof-read for typos. We will proof-read as well. Cover sheet with your name, title and word count on it. Your name must not appear anywhere on manuscript and artwork except for the cover. MS Word document 2007 or earlier JPEG file for graphics Filename should include title of the work Arial font 12 Double spacing Please include a cover sheet with the following information: Legal name; pseudonym if applicable Contact details: address, phone and email. There is a limit of 6,000 words and the deadline has been extended to the end of 2010. The copyright for your story and photos is yours. The anthology copyright belongs to the editors. If your story has been published previously acknowledge this in your reference list. Talk to Pagan Kael and Sand Woods and send your stories via: LivingButch@gmail.com Jacqui Stanford - 17th August 2010