
|
IDENTITY
|
|
|
Being a Lady Ain't Easy
by Blacklines: Vicky Nabors 2004-03-01
|
|
This article shared 2520 times since Mon Mar 1, 2004
|
|
March is National Wimyn's Herstory Month - and by golly I'm a womyn, so I wanna celebrate, from a butch angle, the achievements of my Black sistahs, i.e. her: high-heels, stockings, fashion, make-up, nails and fly azz hair styles. I commend my sistahs for perfecting the craft that many call becoming 'a lady.' I never could get that stuff right. My mamma tried her best to groom me to be a mirror of herself, but it wasn't meant to be. Let me just say that I'm secure enough in my butch demeanor to discuss my gurly adventures and still retain my studly pride. Now, I'll admit that I tried to walk in pumps during my teen years to please my mom on Sunday mornings. The problem for me wasn't wearing the pumps - just the walking part; I always fell, tripped, or twisted my ankle. I don't' see how you gurls do it. And then there was those 'keep your legs closed' dresses, my dad always left his handprint on my thigh to persuade me to do just that. Shoot, it was more comfortable sitting spread eagle; I had thick thighs. Stockings were another challenger for me because they always managed to get ripped before I got them up to my waist, mom made me wear them anyway - another lesson I think. Hair was the final challenge for me back then, and I wore all the styles: Afro, Gerri Curl, perm. The layered perm look was the worst, I had to sleep on my stomach with my chin on my hands to keep my head off the pillow. Finally, the absolute worse experience for me was my nightmares with makeup. On three occasions my female family members ganged up on me and did the unthinkable - they held me down and put that paste on my face and lips. Senior prom was the first time the crime occurred, my 'I'm trying to be a heterosexual' wedding was the second horrible event, and the last crime was committed on Valentines Day by an ex-lover and my daughter. The makeup never lasted more that 30 minutes, as soon as my hands were freed - it came off. It was clear to me, and I'm sure to my family, that I was never going to concede to being a lady - I was a boigurl, a butch womyn. Today, however, I rejoice whenever I see a beautiful Black sistah working those heels, sensuous stockings, and bringing a plain dresses to life with her curves. Her hair, nails and accessories only serve to heighten her appearance and her appeal. I truly appreciate the time, patience, eye towards detail, and pride that femme and straight sistahs put into their overall look, it's damn right alluring. It's an achievement that I salute. To my fione Black high-heel wearing sistah - I say happy womyn's herstory month. Enjoy the festivities this month, and remember the womyn who've, historically, paved the way for us today.
vickynabors@aol.com .
|
 |
|
 |
This article shared 2520 times since Mon Mar 1, 2004
|
ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE |
---|
| 
|  | Actor/model David Pevsner challenges age and body stereotypes in recent book 2022-05-24 - When writing his recent bookDamn Shame: Desire, Defiance and Show Tunesactor/model/filmmaker David Pevsner noticed three themes coming to the fore: body shame, sexuality and ageism. "All three of those are ...
| 
|  | Mary Lynn Rajskub: Actress/comedian discusses acting, sexuality in new book 2022-04-10 - Emmy-winning actresses and stand-up comedians who just finished publishing their new memoirs, while simultaneously embarking on their stand-up tours, rarely have moments to themselves. Thankfully, Mary Lynn Rajskub, best known for her work on the TV ...
| 
|  | VIEWS Queer kids are under attack and we must speak out 2022-03-16 - LGBTQ+ kids are under attack. Last week, legislation was passed in Florida that restricts elementary school teachers from addressing gender and sexuality in the classroom. But cisgender and heterosexual identities ...
| 
|  | Queer players of color explore gender, sexuality through role-playing games at NU 2021-12-08 - All of the characters Akbar creates have a similar background: They are intensely asexual, visibly South Asian and around Akbar's age. Sometimes the characters dress like Akbar, too. Akbar uses these characters for Tabletop Club, a ...
| 
|  | VIEWS Reporting on queers of color needs to investigate absence as much as presence 2021-11-19 - Earlier this month, I pitched a Windy City Times article that sought to explore how role playing games (RPGs), such as Dungeons & Dragons, enable queer people of color (QPOC) to explore their gender and sexuality ...
| 
|  | LGBT History Project: Tee A. Corinne: Photographer of lesbian sexuality 2021-10-19 By Victoria A. Brownworth - Over her decades as a lesbian photographer and artist, Tee Corinne said, "I'm one of the most obscure famous artists." Famous? Yes. Obscure? Certainly not within artistic circles nor within the queer art world where she ...
| 
|  | About Face Theatre's 27th season to be produced at The Den Theatre beginning March 2021-07-29 --From a press release - CHICAGO (July 27, 2021) — About Face Theatre is excited to announce its return to live, in-person theatre with its 27th season. Dedicated to telling queer stories that advance dialogue about gender and sexuality, AFT will ...
| 
|  | Pastor Donnie McClurkin's struggle with sexuality mirrors the Black church's 2021-04-13 - The most significant factor that keeps the Black church on the down low are closeted, homophobic ministers. Pastor Donnie McClurkina three-time Gospel Grammy winner and the former poster boy for ...
| 
|  | Author and educator Sarah Chadwick talks new book on female sexuality 2021-02-21 - Sarah Chadwick's debut book, The Sweetness of Venus: A History of the Clitoris, was the result of her desire to understand the status of female sexuality in the West from an historical perspective. During Chadwick's research, ...
| 
|  | OP-ED The media needs to stop reporting about Queen Latifah's sexuality 2020-04-28 - Does the media's cat and mouse game of chase with Queen Latifah lead many of usespecially in the LGBTQ+ communityto another "Gotcha!" moment of her coming out- that ain't!? A recent Zoom version of Red Table ...
| 
|  | Rush kicks off ambitious LGBT-health initiative 2020-01-21 - Officials from Rush University Medical Center marked the launch of their new LGBT-focused health program, Affirm: The Rush Center for Gender, Sexuality and Reproductive Health, at an event in the facility's lobby the morning of Jan. ...
| 
|  | Pioneering gay cartoonist Cruse dies at 75 2019-12-01 - (WILLIAMSTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS, Nov. 26)Howard Crusea pioneer in the LGBTQ cartooning movement and the author of Stuck Rubber Baby, a 1995 award-winning graphic novel about the intersection of race and sexuality ...
| 
|  | Study says revealing sexual orientation at work improves well-being 2019-10-07 - HOUSTON — (Oct. 7, 2019) — Being open about your sexual orientation in the workplace is beneficial to your overall well-being, according to new research from Rice University. "Opening up about your sexuality at work is ...
| 
|  | Softball player reflects on sexuality in sports, teamwork 2019-06-26 By MACKENZIE MURTAUGH - From morning to night, Chicago Bandits pitcher Aleshia Ocasio commits herself to two things: softball and benevolence. During the season for the National Pro Fastpitch team, she bustles away during training, practice and under the ballpark's ...
| 
|  | Vatican publishes anti-LGBT document 2019-06-10 - The Vatican has released the document "Male and Female He Created Them: Towards a path of dialogue on the question of gender in education" to address issues surrounding sexuality and gender identity, PBS reported. "Male and ...
| |
|
|
|
|