The Difference Between Transmen and Masculine Lesbians/Studs/Butchs

Sidenote: Straight women stop assuming every Masculine Lesbian wants you because they are nice to you. Because we don't.

Good Evening, let's get into a Gay ASS but super important conversation. Today, I will be breaking down the definitions of what a Transman is and how Masculine Lesbians ARE NOT trans. While also briefly mentioning two terms that I feel have been lost in the past decade: tomboy and STEM, AND NO, I’m not talking about women in engineering and technology. I’ll even dive into the two most common masc lesbian types: Studs and Butchs.

So first off, what is a transman? A transman is a person who was registered as female at birth but who lives and identifies as a man; a transgender man, according to Google's definition. Transmen and non-binary people who are assigned as female at birth often get breast removal surgery or bind their breasts down. Now, Studz and Butchs do the same to have a more masculine appearance, but they STILL IDENTIFY AS A WOMAN AND ARE STILL A WOMAN.

This is the Transman Flag:

The difference between this and the Trans flag is that this one was specifically made for Transmen, so the pink is missing. The blue in the Transflag represents masculine energy and indefinability. With all of that being said, that’s what a Transman is. They fully identify as a man and their goal is to be seen and treated like one in society.

Ok, before I get into what a Stud, Butch, and overall Masculine Lesbian is. Not going to lie, I’ll probably ramble on for a minute with that one because I do identify as one, and I’ll be sharing some experiences I’ve dealt with, especially in the workplace.

The definition of a tomboy. A tomboy is a girl who enjoys rough, noisy activities traditionally associated with boys, according to Google. Before I knew and accepted that I was gay, I grew up being a tomboy. Not every tomboy is or grows up to be a lesbian. Not every tomboy hates being around women. A TOMBOY IS STILL A WOMAN. She tends to behave in a boyish manner, but she can be straight as a fucking nail. To be honest, I know a lot of women who were tomboys growing up who married a man who could see her outside of the stereotypical way a wife and a woman are supposed to be seen in by society. They never kissed a girl, and if they did, it probably was in college, so it doesn't count (I’m joking…unless you actually feel that way, which is cool too.) There is no tomboy flag because tomboys aren't a part of the LGBTQ Community.

Now, STEMS are a lesbian, particularly within the Black and Latinx communities, who embody both masculine and feminine characteristics. It's a term that bridges the gap between "stud" (a masculine-presenting lesbian) and "femme" (a feminine-presenting lesbian). Essentially, a stem lesbian's gender expression combines elements of both, creating an androgynous or "soft butch"/“soft stud”. STEMS can often be mistaken for a Fem or a tomboy or a cis-straight woman. I found this STEM flag on Pinterest after searching, you guessed it, ‘STEM Flag’:

I doubt STEMS are using this flag because most STEMS have a good sense of fashion, so this might clash unless it’s used during the fall season. Definitely getting fall vibes, but not going to lie, I’m not a rainbow-wearing gay, so take my opinions with a grain of salt.

Now, my favorite way to end this educational blog post. What is the difference between a Stud and a Butch? A Stud is a black or Latinx masculine lesbian, and a Butch is a white masculine lesbian. I’m an older gay, and these are terms that have been around for decades. With that being said, I know we live in a time where these terms are being used by the opposing race, which is problematic in my opinion, especially when white masculine lesbians are calling themselves Studz when it’s a hell no. Before I go too deep, I want to show you all what the Masculine Lesbian Flag is:

The different shades of orange represent masculine lesbianism. Now, as you’ll see below, the Lesbian Pride flag has different shades of pink and orange to represent femmes (<3):

Studs, Butchs, and masculine Lesbians in general tend to get this hate and a certain level of aggression from cis-men. They tend to confuse us with trans men and can’t comprehend that we ARE still women. I’ve seen a lot of masculine lesbians get harassed online and in public. I have been a victim of that in the workplace, and it isn’t very pleasant. It's also scary because you hate me and want to harm me because either you don’t understand me, or you fear your girl might wish to fuck me. Masculine lesbians AREN’T TRANSMEN, but we’re just gay Tomboys in my opinion. We just wanna dress fly and treat fine ass women with good souls nice. Hopefully, make one of them our wives as long as it’s legal. But at the end of the day, we’re just people trying to live. We can’t nor do we try to hide our gayness to blind in with society, nor are we trying to hurt somebody. No one knows how much courage it takes for masculine women (especially POCs or ones that come from a strict religious background or are the ONLY daughter) and feminine gay men to be ourselves.

Before I go, I do feel the need to address one last thing. I have seen and kinda supported how the LGBTQ Community took the word Queer from being an insult to now an umbrella term to describe someone's gayness. I view the same way African-Americans (predominantly) took the n-word and tried to change the meaning. But just like how we don’t like it when non-blacks say it (yes, that means the Latinx CAN’T say either, or if you have a black partner. PARENT? YES! PARTNER? NO!) non-POCs can’t be out outhere calling themselves Studz. Like, y’all will never see a POC call themselves a Butch or any other white LGBTQ term. Because let’s not act like it’s not the same thing, and at the end of the day, LGBTQ POCs and white LGBTQ people tend to have a whole different lifestyle.

Thanks for reading my fun educational piece I hope you either learned something or enjoyed reading it. Stay blessed and safe- Chyna Price.

LGBTQ Support Hotlines: https://pflag.org/resource/support-hotlines/