I don’t think I’m the only one who doesn’t have a problem picking up butches at a lesbian bar but can’t let the butch she likes know she likes her. Am I?
When I like a butch I revert to my teens. I may be rude (dancing with everyone but her at the Butch/Femme Society’s Butch Femme April Dance, leaving a restaurant saying goodbye to everyone except her, not wanting to sit next to her when a group of us goes to the movies), I may turn stupid (accidentally sending her an email or a text message about her that was intended to go out to one of my friends), and I may act like a psycho (epic email to She Who Shall Remain Nameless anyone?). In other words, I let the 15 year old living inside of me out and I manage to make a complete fool out of myself in front of her, which, of course, moves me directly to the bottom of her Dateable Femmes list.
Leaving all of the above aside, I do not like to tell a butch that I like her partly because in the past when I’ve been the hunter I’ve ended dating morons, and partly because, as I’ve grown more comfortable into my own femme skin, I can happily say that I want the butch to be the butch in the relationship. From my own experience, if a femme is the one asking out/chasing, butches get lazy and I don’t want no scrub.
If you are a 2×4 butch wondering if that hottie is into you, this is how a femme who doesn’t regress to her teens may let you know she likes you:
- she looks at you and looks away when you catch her looking at you
- she blushes when you look at her
- she giggles or smiles each time you look at her
- she lowers her chin and plays with her hair while talking to you
- she laughs at your jokes when even you are aware that they aren’t that funny
- she compliments your looks and the clothes you wear
- she uses the clothes you wear as an excuse to touch you
- she’s usually the soul of the party but gets shy around you
- she’s usually shy but she can’t keep her mouth shut around you
- she gets your number with some excuse and texts/BBMs you “just because”
- she lets you pay for dinner
- she insists on paying for her own dinner
- she gets really close to you when you are dancing
- she doesn’t smoke but goes outside with you while you’re smoking
- she volunteers to clean, cook, work the door or help you in any way she can with your next gig if you are some sort of artist/performer
- she invites you to her next gig (concert, poetry reading, yoga class) and makes sure you have a drink, great seats, etc
- she buys you a drink or ask you to buy her a drink
- she cooks or bakes for you if you are moving to a new apartment or going through something like a death in the family (including your partner)
- all of a sudden she is into things that you are into (museums, NY Liberty, hiking) and wants to make plans with you
- she happens to have 2 tickets for your favorite band’s sold-out concert
- she finds an excuse to spend time together (dance lessons, play dates for your dogs, volunteering at a non-profit) so that you can get to know her better
- she tells you point blank that she likes you and asks what you are going to do about it
