The Gallery
Featuring works from our second issue, Renewal!
Spring '23 Contributors
All participants from our Spring '23 issue, Renewal!
@swordinthestonebutch (he/she) is a Mexican-Okinawan/Japanese-Filipino-Vietnamese stone butch lesbian transman.
​
Contributor
@swordinthestonebutch (he/she)
narcissus (daffodil)
Is a reflection on floral transformation, exploring sobriety and stone lesbianism toward indulging in transmasculinity.
Alex is a latino butch creative who has many pieces that center around butchness and being stone along with the intersection of religion and colonization
Contributor
Alex Rodriguez (he/they)
the dahlia
My femme emulates the beauty of the black dahlia and when I see her all I see is beauty, and when she sees me she sees the same thing, even in a world that views butches as undesirable and ugly.
​
Alyssa Mei Ungacta Chau is a queer femme indigenous pålao'an (woman) with roots in Taipei, Taiwan and village ties to Kañada, Otdot, Dedidu, yan Malesso on the island of Guåhan. Her work explores ideas of guinaiya (love), belonging, queerness/femme-ness, and the tangled messiness of existing within our own complexities.
Contributor
Alyssa Mei Ungacta Chau
(she/her)
Formations of Spring
This piece is an exploration of spring and all its forms. Its cycles of renewal, love, healing, intimacy, and rebrith. This spring in particular has been a season of creation for me, as I grow into myself and shed what I've grown out of. I recognize that I make love, intimacy, femme form, growth, tenderness, and all the sacred parts of my body.
​
Belén is a lencha, a dyke and a high femme lesbian. Based in Mexico city studying sociology but born and raised in Veracrúz. She enjoys to draw, dance, listen to music, arts and crafts, think about bella ramsey, and she is interested in all things related to love, community, the body, trauma and relations.
Contributor
Ana Belén Ornelas (ella/they)
Momentos de Stone Butch Blues
I made this in a date with my boyfriend. it was a way for me to process the emotional rollercoster that has been reading stone butch blues for the first time, it actually feels exactly like renewal and spring. When i think of spring i think of flowers growing, rebirth, and life. inevitablly i also think of death, to die and to be born again, i think of pain and sorrow and wounds healing. These are all also what reading stone butch blues was like. I felt alive for the first time and still my heart ached in every page.
​
in my defense, spring
These pictures are of myself, taken by my boyfriend. I intervened them by making them collage. I was inspired by the poem of Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, which reminded me of fucking with my boyfriend for the first time as a high femme"So in my defense, when he touched me, the lights of my body came on. In my defense, the windows were thrown open. In my defense, spring."
Femme Lesbian illustrator based in Glasgow, Scotland. My work primarily focuses on themes of Lesbian sexuality or gender. I also love to draw silly comics about my Butch and I :) You can find me as annamacdonaldart on Insta, or bananaanna1 on tumblr <3
Contributor
Anastacia MacDonald (she/her)
Butches on a picnic
I don't have much to say about this piece, I just wanted to draw two butches in love while experimenting with different brush textures :)
Butch gf...<33
Inspired by my love for my gf wearing literally anything , and then going absolutely crazy as soon as her upper arms are visible
​
Redraw of Gerard's "Psyche Receiving the First Kiss of Cupid"
This was a project from my third year of uni. The brief was to make a modern version of a painting from an “old master”. I initially thought that Gerard’s painting was of two women, so I re-imagined it that way. The lesbian identity has faced a lot of negativity and sexualisation throughout pop culture, so I wanted to represent a romance reflective of my own, to show that lesbian love is worthy of a narrative that is light hearted and realistic.
​
nice biggies
spring time..."taps aff" weather... boobies and silliness
Anesu is a Femme writing the occasional love poem in their room. This is a beautiful mess of life, they're just happy to still be living it.
Instagram:@anesukmtowa
Twitter: @ulster_afro
Contributor
Anesu Khanya Mtowa (she/they)
you brought the springtime
Spring has become my favourite season (though that might just be the Aries speaking). The earth comes back to life and watching that process brings me so much joy. I wrote this poem while thinking of lavender. I thought about lavender and I couldn't stop thinking about love that flowers after the cold.
angie is a femme lesbian from Canada studying English and creative writing at university. she is a 3x published poet and a defender of butches everywhere.
Contributor
Angie N.
(she/her)
golden hour.
this piece is about quiet summertime butch/femme love. it's about growing into healthy, comfortable routine with your partner and having someone who understands you effortlessly. it's about loving them for the little things they do, and for all their traits, good or bad.
my name is anto, and i'm a femme lesbian from chile. i love writing, all heart shaped things, and the color red (and not because i'm a communist). my writing is heavily influenced by the landscapes of the place i live in, and also by vivid imagery and queer analogies. i like to write as if you were watching a film, so that you can imagine the scenery in your mind however you'd like. i also write with a lot of nostalgia in my mind. other hobbies include: films, cooking, cats, and lesbianism. my twitter account is: @leninistfemme, poetry instagram account: @poetisadeloslagos
Contributor
Anto
(they/she)
Solsticio de Invierno
this piece is about being reborn when finding your identity. i explore that through the lense of femmebutch relationships, but also about me finding myself in being a femme. the imagery is all of native flora found in chile. in contrast to monoculture, native flora is diverse, unique, and natural, just like femmebutch relationships, and to me it represents fully the beauty of a land —or an identity, in this case—. i also wrote this piece originally in spanish, since it's my mothers tongue, because i wanted to show that femme and butch dynamics are not only found in the imperial core, as they replicate themselves in the entire world..
Ardith is a queer, non-binary, Jamaican and Canadian writer and editor from amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton, Canada). You can follow them on Instagram @ard.ith
Contributor
Ardith Wilson
(They/she)
Shave The Grass
Growing up I was praised for my long, chemically straightened, hair and I was not allowed to cut it short. I always yearned for short hair, and when I cut it all off a huge weight was lifted. In many pre-christian cultures it was customary to shave pubic hair after birth. I saw this removal of hair as a renewal, a rebirth. Sometimes I imagine my mind as a garden. It takes contant management–weeding, pruning, buckets and buckets of water–to ensure your plants thrive. In the garden of my mind shaving the grass, cutting my hair, was something I had been putting off for years. It was one of the vast vestiges of my femininity I wanted to get rid of. Once it was taken care of, shaving my hair became a part of my self care regimen. It makes me look more like myself. I think living authentically is infectious and gives others the permission to express themselves.
Aub is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator based in Salt Lake City UT. They enjoy working with independent zines designing editorial pieces and creating merchandise designs for bands. This is the first time they have submitted anything of their own to be in a zine! Very exciting.
When they aren't designing, you can find them watching reality tv with their girlfriend, cuddling their cat, or taking care of their many plants.
Follow them on instagram at @baddesignerr or @aubreycalapp.
Contributor
aub calapp
(they/them)
Buzzcut Baby
I love journaling, writing notes, and drying flowers. Combining those forms of preservation for the love I have for myself and the love I have for my partner, with the non-committal feeling I get when using a disposable film camera, made for the perfect way to express both how I feel about my butchness and how my partner helps uplift and support my self expression. They are the fucking best. I am so damn lucky. She is also the most beautiful being to ever walk this earth, so how can I not make a whole photo spread expressing our love and the gratitude I have for my femme??
Being butch was not always easy for me, I was often scared before I had the words to explain who I was. Now that I do, I love to share that experience with others and interact with my community. My Twitter handle is @bigstrongbutch
Contributor
August Alexander
(They/he)
Butch Joy
Butch joy is about my experience coming into the butch label. The things that helped shape me, the opinions I hold on what the butch label means to me, and how I felt pre-butch.
Bailey is just a working class butch lesbian who loves to write in his free time.
Contributor
Bailey & Valentine (He/him) (They/them)
Butch Lonnie and the Bar
Butch Lonnie is about the small moments in a young butch's life.
Teddy (@bearybutch) is a butch hobby artist who loves to express butch/femme dynamics through the lens of reimagining media couples or drawing himself and his fiancé. Romance, devotion, and self-love are the central themes they draw upon.
Contributor
bearybutch
(he/they)
Private Picnic
This is a secluded moment between a bug-loving femme and her floral butch on a date. I love the idea that femmes are often delightfully quirky and interested in specific, detailed subjects, and usually there's a butch tailing them hanging off their every word. I wanted to capture that moment of a butch feeling their love renewed all over again as they listen to their femme.
Bee (he/they) is a latino butch lesbian that works in many different mediums, with an interest in printmaking. They co-write The Anthill Zine with their femme; the zine can be accessed online at anthillmuseum.wordpress.com.
studiouslyconvalescing@gmail.com
​
Contributor
Bee
(he/they)
Ofelia
This piece, a traditional linocut, was inspired by TMG's "Broom People", depicting themes of intimacy, devotion, and longing.
​
Sett Buenaventura (they/she) is a pseudonym of “Sofia,” a 23-year-old baby butch non-binary lesbian residing in Metro Manila, Philippines. They only “came out” during the pandemic, and then butch after college graduation. They have previously locally published literary pieces regarding Filipina political prisoners’ rights, activism, mental health, and fights against corruption. These are written in a mix of Filipino and English.
Sett also likes the color pink, Hello Kitty, magical girl anime,and Loona. Additionally, to no one’s surprise, she’s also a huge “Billie and Emma” enthusiast. They also aim to promote Philippine sapphic writing, as there is an obvious lack of it. She currently works as a researcher and writer. If anyone’s curious, Sett is a Scorpio sun, Taurus moon, Gemini rising and Virgo venus. Hit them up on Twitter @lesbianymous, where she posts about her current favorite media!
Contributor
Bernice Navarro (they/she)
Braiding hair, swapping clothes, illicit underwear
This piece was about my first time experiencing what a lesbian friendship felt like, much more between a non-binary butch (me) and a trans woman femme (my friend). This piece also goes out to my butch and femme friends, whom I will always love dearly. We find ways, everyday, to live our truth. I love every single one of you. I am happy I continue to exist because of you. Special mention to my masculine-of-center, gender non-conforming, androgynous or trans sapphic peers. I see you, you see me. Our experiences may be different, and I move in a world far different from yours, but I'm here because of you all
​
Bianca is a Puerto Rican, disabled, communist, lesbian who loves to complain and yell. He struggles with his personal identities, and tries to achieve a deeper understanding of himself through poetry. He hopes to one day be himself and happy with his partner and their cat, Momo, who he loves very much. You can follow him @biancaxblue on instagram.
Contributor
Bianca Valle (he/they)
right.
I hope others with religious moms who call them gross for not shaving relate to this one :)
Castle Pascasio is a Filipino femme lesbian. Ve likes to write poems about all sorts of life experiences. Ve also occasionally posts vir art and writing to @stelrush on Twitter.
Contributor
Castle Pascasio
(ve/vir/virs)
to love a butch is to love the working class
This poem is a love letter to the Philippine National Democratic movement through the lens of a butchfemme activist couple. It talks about how revolution arises from the farms/countrysides and is brought to the city, how the fight for freedom of lesbians must come with the fight for freedom of the masses, and how revolution is a force of renewal that begins with the self and the people we are surrounded with.
%20-%20Rachael%20Sharp.png)
My name is Biz and I'm a soft butch dating a wonderful femme. You can find me @bizzybeewrites on twitter, or in the forest on a warm spring day.
Contributor
bizzybee (they/it)
beauty.
I wrote this for my wonderful girlfriend, who I love very much. With her, every day feels like a new life.
I’m Chase, a proud midwesterner and transbutch(for both) dyke illustrator whose work focuses on butchfemme culture and relationships and hopes to provide some of the representation I needed growing up. I love learning about Queer history, all things art and fantasy, collecting graphic novels, and overusing emdashes. I’m currently in school studying graphic design and hope to go into graphic novels and children’s illustration.
Contributor
Chase (she/he)
summer sweetness
I made this piece near the end of last summer, after finally embracing my butch identity. I found the online butchfemme community earlier that year, largely due to Lottie's videos defending butches. I found so much love and healing through learning more about butchfemme culture, but still felt something was missing. I only ever saw fem4fem lesbian representation and the rare, occasional butchfemme piece, but never any butch4butch. I made this piece as a love letter to butches, as well as something to try to represent my community. TLDR: I love being butch, I love butches, and we need more butch art.
Charlie Stetson is an internationally published poet studying English, Gender Studies, and Film at UCLA. She is a transmasculine butch dyke from Oakland, California working to become a high school English teacher, and makes poetry for women and lesbians everywhere to write about what makes them free.
Contributor
Charlie Stetson
(She/he/they)
Black Swan
This piece is about the struggle of finding my transmasculinity, and figuring out how much butch lesbian identity intersects with my transgender one. This piece follows my journey of repression and denial, anger, depression, and finally a hopeful acceptance amid the fear and judgement of society. This piece means to detail the life of the "Black Swan" who fails at womanhood, gender, presentation, and even sexuality and takes these tumultous feelings inside. But while the Black Swan is not an ugly duckling, she finds beauty and hope in her journey
Coco (they/them) is a potter, folksinger, fisherman, historian, and rabble-rousing butch lesbian from Cape Cod. They enjoy bugs, Star Trek, sea shanties, and long walks in the mud.
Website: www.coco-clay.com
Instagram: @coco_clay_
Contributor
Coco Raymond
(they/them)
Wild Mountain Thyme
Wild Mountain Thyme is a love letter to the rich and vibrant joy that is rural butch culture and rural butch4butch love. We are as deeply rooted as our thick grasses, as vast and wild as our seas, and as powerful and immovable as our mountains. Always, our summer comes, and we bloom for each other.
Cindi is a screenwriter/fiction writer from Las Vegas, Nevada. As of writing this she is graduating with a degree in Film from UNLV in May 2023. She has written several completed short films, several uncompleted feature-length screenplays, and several semi-completed chapters of her unfinished novel (respectfully, writing is hard y'all). Her most recent writing work is the short horror-comedy-satire film "The Awesomely Gruesome Murder of Sara Mackenzie (Not Clickbait!!)" , where she also starred as "Bria." As well as writing she enjoys musical theater, painting, reading books, and photography. She is a slave to the free version of FadeIn on her laptop, has a love/hate relationship with the French language (mostly hate, it's very toxic), and thinks that all media would be drastically improved if you just added dykes. <3 Her art/book insta is @cassius_lee_
Contributor
Cindi Redus (she/they)
Shooting Practice
In a friend's short film I once played a cowboy and I've been mildly obsessed with them ever since. "Shooting Practice" was originally going to be a short film but I quickly realized that it belonged in a different format. This was written for a creative writing class I was in (and absolutely loved) with some adjustments added after the fact. This is also my official delve into the historical and romance genre as opposed to my usual comedy/drama/horror.
Dani Cordero is a writer and illustrator from Costa Rica.
IG: @authordani // TWITTER: @idkwhosdani
Contributor
Dani Cordero
(she/they)
through our love we will be sanctified
Growing up, I was told there would only be perdition in the kind of love I craved. I was told a heterosexual marriage was the only way to be a saint. At eighteen, I was ready to join a convent, knowing no other escape from my God-given desires. Through much hardship, I have come to know something different. This piece is a reclaimation of both my relationship with God and my relationship with butchfemme lesbianism. Love, camraderie, community, companionship: that is how we are sanctified.
Im a femme lesbian artist, in couple with a wonderful butch. I post illustrations and paintings on the_flying_snail on instagram and snailillu on tiktok.
Contributor
Constance Perez
(she/her)
How Cal love
This drawing is depicting the dynamic in my butchxfemme relationship and how we express our love for each others. Tulip is my favorite flower and represent how I love my gf and the butterfly umbrella represent how she protect and care for me. This piece show the intensity of the tenderness we have for each other.
"Dot." is an afro-caribbean dougla and transmasc femme lesboy from Jamaica, Queens (NYC). Outside of loudly being a himekaji genderfuck enthusiast, fae spends most of his time either drawing or writing sappy love poems. Otherwise, he's cooking, infodumping, and playing games with, or spending time with faer loved ones.
Contributor
Dot.
(He/Fae)
Journal Entry
This one was a little rougher, but I'd wanted to convey that feeling of seeing the light at the end of a tunnel. I went through a couple old journal entries and condensed them into one, going through what it felt like to finally stop repressing; Through surrounding myself in nothing but pride, and through having support and coming out again. To slowly easing into being myself again.
​
High Femme is Healing
A number of people as of late have been quite cruel about stone identities, arguing that stone butches and femmes are boring, or incapable of truly loving or pleasing their partners. I decided to write about my own experience as a stone femme, and my sexual relationship with my (service top) butch wife. How freeing, loving, and reassuring it can be.
My name is Deoraín Judas, DJ for short, I am going to school for Astrophysics and Cybersecurity.
Contributor
Deoraín Judas, Her Irishman
(He/him/sí/í)
The Light In Every Shadow
I made this at work one day, missing my femme. She had a project to tell love stories and asked me to write mine and I tried to but ended up writing what she means to me instead every time.
Hello :) I'm a Chinese-French-Australian butch genderqueer lesbian who loves all things art and all things queer! I spend my free time deep-diving into lesbian and trans history (there's heaps of it!) to try to fill in the holes of representation that I had growing up. My art is a response to this sterilisation of QTIPOC narratives in my life -- what I create and surround myself with heals me and fills my heart!
Contributor
Emmanuelle Chen
(they/she)
I come alive in spring
'I come alive in spring' is an exploration of how I felt when I came into my butchness. Finding this word and giving myself permission to use it felt like allowing every version of myself to live again, in all of their complexity. For a while, I felt like identifying as a butch could only be a present-moment feeling. But now I know that 'butch' encompasses my past, present and future. It allows them to all exist together.
Dyl is a part-time poet and full-time femme. They fell in love with the butchfemme community after reading the cornerstone novel "Stone Butch Blues" by Leslie Feinberg. All of their lukewarm takes can be found at transgenderpirates.tumblr.com. Dyl resides in south Florida with their dog and four cats.
Contributor
Dyl B.
(they/them)
Bar Napkin Love Story
I wrote this piece to reflect the beauty of fluidity within the butchfemme community. I wanted to celebrate the ways in which identities can grow and change.
Florian Francis is a neurodivergant and queer artist living in Philadelphia, making fun and funky rugs for other queer cutie pies.
Instagram: @florianfrancis_
Contributor
Florian Francis (they/them)
BUTCH 4 BUTCH
I made this rug piece for and inspired by Rio Romeo and their song Butch 4 Butch. The song is really cathartic and makes me want to be in an old jazz club with other butches and dykes wooing one another. Rio picked the design, colors, and font and I was able to bring it to life.
I'm an autistic, non-binary lesbian living on the border of England and Wales with my partner, and our two naughty tabby kittens. I'm a writer/poet and founder of Changeling Annual, an upcoming publication of art and writing for children aged 7+ solely by neurodivergent creatives.
​
emmy-writes.com
Contributor
Emmy Clarke
(she/they)
Discovery
I wrote this piece in 2020 - inspired by the first time my partner kissed me outside of my childhood home. It felt, in that moment, like a discovery of the self. A renewal of body, mind and soul. I've left my childhood home behind me now, but it lives within me, just like this memory. A lot of my work is inspired by memory and dreams, and that's the vibe I hoped to capture in writing this piece.
“gaylord” is the name amziel’s grandfather intended on giving to his second son that he never had, and so now they have chosen the moniker for themself as a connection between family legacy and queer existence. she fancies herself a storyteller, having been born with an imagination that rarely knows how to shut itself off and a constant inclination to create. currently she is interested on focusing herself on making comics, because it combines drawing which she has loved since the day she could put a pen in her hand and writing which she fell in love with during high school - but as life goes on they plan on branching out to other forms of storytelling.
instagram: @indefenseofambermariens
tiktok: @gaylordofpatrickhouse
Contributor
gaylord (amziel chioke patrick)
(she/they)
teatime: love letter
i just felt like celebrating queer love, even if very simply. <3
fern (they/them) is an illustrator and graphic designer in st louis, mo. as the name suggests, they are a plant lesbian who loves growing things to create sweet and savory little treats for their partner. their art focuses on mental health, queerness, and little pieces of magic and wonder in nature. you can see more of their work on Instagram at @fern_werm or on their website at liketheplant.com <3
Contributor
fern denne
(they/them)
spilling pomegranate juice with you
i often think of that one sappho translation that my closeted self saved from tumblr at least a decade ago -- "someone will remember us, even in another time". how do we remember and honor all of these untold love stories? can we hold them with care and reverence without being overwhelmed by loss? I'm not one for words but sometimes I look into the seeds of a fruit I share with my love, juice dripping down our fingers as we giggle in the sunlight, and I think of all of the butches and femmes who have shared this moment before.
Hannah is a butch lesbian who is trying to get better at arts and crafts. They started knitting because they kept going on tiktok while watching TV, and that was absurd. She is still knitting because it worked. She recently starting using twitter (@douglasfirdyke) after not logging on for 7 years because tiktok was causing brain rot and twitter is slightly less bad. Hannah loves wikipedia, maps, biochemistry, ecology, the PNW, harm reduction, and dykes.
Contributor
H.E.R.
(they/she/he)
Handy(man)craft
Knitting is butch art. Forming a length of yarn into a gift, designed for its recipient stitch by stitch, far more expensive in both time and money than its store-bought equivalent. It is an appreciation of the slow craft and non-commodified creation. It is, in a word, renewal. I’m not a great knitter by any standard. My pieces are full of uneven tension and mistakes I didn’t bother to fix. I suppose a better poet than I could form some metaphor about how that represents life or relationships or whatever. To me, it means I made it with my own two clumsy hands, the same ones my great aunt held in her own as she taught me how to knit all those years ago. It means I took the time to create something new out of a pile of wool for the person I love, knowing they will wear it flaws and all.
Hello! I'm Gillian and I am a 26 year old trans masc butch lesbian. While it is only a hobby and unfortunately unrelated to my actual work, creating art has always been a significant outlet and escape for me. Sharing and experiencing art with others brings me an immense amount of joy! When I'm not working or making art, I'm spending time with my dog, reading queer books, rewatching my favorite shows, or seeing my sweet friends. You can find me on TikTok or Twitter @lesbian_spock.
Contributor
Gillian
(they/them)
lovers
There’s truly something special about trans lesbian couples. Two people who have experienced their own unique struggles in life, yet there’s still a connection that goes further than just surface level understanding. I really wanted to capture that distinctive understanding and the gentleness, rawness, and beauty that comes with it. As a trans lesbian, it can be difficult to connect with others, especially when they don’t understand where you’ve come from and what you need. To be able to share space and time with someone who doesn’t question your boundaries or the things you need to be yourself…there’s just nothing quite like it
​
I Go by Cyd online and i am a butch lesbian artist and writer. You can find my work at @ieatbugggss on Twitter and @ieatbugggs on tiktok.
Contributor
IEatBugggss
(He/it)
Fruit
This piece is inspired by my t4t butchfemme relationship. I was inspired by the Greeks belief in oranges having healing properties. I compared this with my feelings of my partner having healing and comforting properties, and feeling as though she is curing my ailments by being in my life. The characters are inspired by me and my girlfriend, and the orange tree represents the Greeks myth of healing.
​
Violet thoughts
This piece is inspired by my butchfemme relationship with my girlfriend. The motif of violets is based off of Sappho’s, an ancient Greek poet, who featured violets heavily in her lesbian poetry. The violets in this piece represent my devotion and love towards my partner, the characters having a resemblance to me and my partner. The poem explains how nothing but my partners and their beauty can move me to expressing my feelings in poetry which I don’t favor.
Hayan is a Korean femme lesbian living on Tongva land. A self-described femme in STEM, she has a passion for biology and all animals. She enjoys sci-fi + fantasy books and birding.
Contributor
Hayan Lee
(she/her)
The Shadow
This comic is a way for me reflect on my relationship to femininity as a femme lesbian, especially from a Korean-American background. Being femme allows me to explore love and my culture in a new freeing way
Jaena W.B is a butch writer and educator from the South of England whose work reflects both the fantastical imagined futures and real-life experiences of queer people. When not writing, they can be found out at sea, hidden behind large mugs of coffee, or deep down research rabbit holes.
Find them on Instagram @jaena_wb
Contributor
Jaena WB
(They/Them, Xe/Xem)
Hair: A Memory
I first cut my hair short when I was around 8 or 9. I had been obsessed with George from the Famous Five and with books about girls who cut their hair and ride dragons and fight metaphors for the patriarchy. I love reading stories about butch and gnc adults, but wanted to portrey this part of my childhood which is no less a part of the butch identity.
Isabell is an 18 year old ofos high femme in love with bones, books, and butches. An aspiring doctor, much of their time is filled with textbooks and flashcards, but making time for poetry and queer literature is never a hardship.
Team Member + Contributor
isabell
(they/she)
resurrection
​
Resurrection is a poem about my personal experiences with religion and its intersection with my femme identity. A small church in the American bible belt was not the most nurturing place to spend time as an out lesbian, but this poem details my reverence of butch/femme identities and community, and the way that my femme identity has truly renewed me.
I’m a nonbinary high femme lesbian, and an art student getting my BFA in Painting/Drawing. Someday I hope to teach at a community college, inspired by a professor at my own.
Contributor
jean post
(they/she)
lovers in the park
My intention with this piece was to channel the cozy and at-peace feeling of being in nature with a lover, as being in the ButchFemme community evokes a similar feeling in me. This feeling is something that rejuvenated me as a person into someone happier and more at peace with themselves.
J. Conway is a femme lesbian poet and historian living in Rhode Island. She spends her time collecting vintage lesbian pulp novels from the 1950s and 60s, and has a wonderful dog named Evie.
Contributor
J. Conway
(She/her)
spring is
She found someone else, but I still have her jacket.
Jo is a person who has made: dances, poems, dance writing, tapestries, crochet, digital art, mixed media/collages, music videos. They believe in the power of having a creative life. He lives in Seattle with his wife, cats & rats. You can find them on twitter @_sofinch and instagram @jo_sofinch.
Contributor
Jo Berliner
(they/he)
8 a.m. (new shirt with lavender)
Inspired by the feeling of sun through the window on my skin, feeling clean and fresh and illuminated. My wife and I had bundles and bundles of dried lavender at our wedding, and we have a live lavender plant that blooms bigger every year; I associate lavender with abundance and pure love.
​
olfactory memory
A scent memory of my wife’s hands that knocked the wind out of me, when I was first realizing that we were meant to be together.
Jasper is a nonbinary butch lesbian loverboy and an aspiring mystic. He is also a tarot reader and amateur astrologer. You can find them musing about being a student of expansive love, divination, relationship anarchy, and ecology at juicybadboy on all social media platforms.
Contributor
Jasper Linnea
(they/he)
Tea Party With My Femme
This piece was written from a daydream of the love I want to cultivate with the next femme I fall for. I didn't base it off of anyone I know yet, but it serves as a reminder of the love that I deserve and hopefully I will meet the inspiration for this poem soon.
​
Devotion Through Puff Pastries
Love shouldn't hurt!! Healthy love will make my nervous system feel safe, and that's what I wanted to remind myself with this piece. My intuition speaks to me through my body and my stomach especially. Every heartbreak feels like the last time I will experience love but that isn't true! I'm healing my relationship with food slowly but surely.
Juno believes any space needs a trans women's touch, and that's why she's happy to once again submit her work to Beloved!
In her free time, Juno loves building LEGO sets, having a butch carry her grocery bags inside, and complimenting butch mustaches.
She can be found talking about theory and cracking jokes on tiktok at @Whoa_Juno or on Twitter at @JunoMayzie
Contributor
Juno Mayzie
(She/Her)
Mirror In The Girl's Bathroom
The best place to find rebirth is staring at the mirror in a girl's bathroom at a club. This piece shares what is whispered in reflected glances as we learn to love ourselves and let go of who we once where.
jo is a first-generation chinese butch student, writer, and aspiring physician. his writing bridges years of lesbianism, transness, and a fascination with medicine. you can find his work at https://matchaseltzer.wixsite.com/yaoguaihua!
Contributor
Jo
(he/him)
on october 13, 2021, i became myself
i wrote "on october 13" with the intent of expressing the impending doom of my youth pre-transition and the euphoria of starting hrt into something fantastic and surreal. medical transition turned my life into something worthwhile and made it possible for me to see a future for myself. testosterone cypionate was and is my saving grace; transition itself can be something verging on the divine.
A lesbian animator and illustrator based in the UK. Can be found on Instagram and Twitter as @Tonkable and on Tumblr as @tonkable-art.
Contributor
Kat
(they/she)
Slow Dance in a Field
Exploring butch4butch relationships as a means of finding and loving yourself with the help of a partner.
In love with my dyke identity and looking to share the love found in the mundane.
@bunnielav on Instagram and Tumblr
Contributor
Josephine
(She/They)
my lamb,
A love letter to my sweetheart, dreaming of Spring and all I thought of was her. Being 2,000 miles away from your lover can be difficult but it only makes the time together sweeter- nothing beats that brief glimpse of domesticity.
lavender butch (@lavendersbook) is a French transmasculine butch, part-time chemistry student, part-time reader and writer (as @alixnicoud). He loves to talk about trans and lesbian books on social media and has recently started to write his own stories.
Contributor
lavender butch
(he/him)
i can't let him see me swoon
I can't let him see me swoon is a story that spiraled out of control from its first sentence. It was intended to be a butch4butch erotica piece that would highlight the eroticism of the transmasculine body but somehow the characters caught feelings along the way. Spring is a time for new relationships, new chances, and letting go of your fears. Jules speaking French was not planned but it came naturally to me, after all, ze were named after an old word for butches in French “jules”.
I'm Kal (@caleil_), a digital artist from Medellín, Colombia. I've been drawing as a way to express myself since I can remember. Lately, I have been highly interested in depicting themes such as sexuality and identity in a way to recognize myself and my experience inhabiting a trans, stone butch lesbian body.
Contributor
Kal
(they/he)
Contemplación
In this piece, we can see a ButchFemme couple holding closely and tenderly. They are both looking at the other with love and admiration, a gentle gaze of contemplation. To me, this resembles the way we as a community protect each other in an environment of care and kindness. We grow and rest in each other's arms. I drew the butch with highly noticeable top surgery scars that decorate their chest, showing that there are many ways to be butch, and we have every right to do what allows us to be at peace with our bodies. Also, symbols such as the kiss mark, the double venus tattoo, the heart-shaped earrings, and the carabiner are present to display the character's identities and connection to each other.
Leila is a disabled femme lesbian composer, musician, music producer, writer and artist from Australia. Their art primarily focuses on womanhood, queerness, disability and anti-capitalism. Leila is particularly fascinated by the monstrous feminine and mad women. One of their recent projects is a feminist gothic horror opera titled Plain Bad Heroine - a retelling of the Faust legend which deals with women’s hunger for power, knowledge and love. Their music has performed well at prestigious competitions and festivals. Amongst several other projects, they are currently working on their debut album and their thesis. When not creating, she can be found looking after rescue cats, knitting/crocheting, drinking copious amounts of tea and reading a lot. You can find them on Instagram @leila_harris27
Contributor
Leila Harris
(they/she)
Becoming - a perpetual state of wonder
“Becoming” is about an overwhelming feeling that I have recently grown to love – the feeling that I am finally growing into myself. In our cisheteronomative society, it is really difficult to find your authentic self and to determine what that even looks and feels like. As a nonbinary lesbian, bit by bit, I am working out who I am and growing to love that person. With the prompt of Spring and renewal, I immediately saw images of shedding my skin and burying it in a garden to grow something new and beautiful that nourishes me and those I love. I recently read that queerness was a constant state of wonder – wondering who you might be and who you could be. This is both liberating and terrifying! “Becoming” is about birth and rebirth, and growing comfortable with constant reinvention of the self.
I am an artist from Canada, growing up in the prairie provinces has shaped how I see things. I mainly spend my time at my job or my Uni or interacting with the local music scene. I like cats and I’m thinking of starting a shrimp tank.
Contributor
Kody G
(He/him)
Butch Love in the Parking lot
This was my final project for my printmaking class. I wanted to create a piece focusing on casual queer love!
Lilyanne Kane is a lesbian poet and educator. They hold an MFA from the Mississippi University for Women. Their work has appeared in Passengers Journal, SOFTBLOW, and Okay Donkey Magazine. They can be found on twitter @CrumbPrince and Instagram @PrinceOfCrumbs
Contributor
Lilyanne Kane
(They/them)
"Baby Dyke of Thebes in the Cretan Labyrinth"
I’ve always felt for the Minotaur, who was considered a monster simply for being. I wanted to breathe some love and lesbianism into the tale, and to share the sense of renewal I discovered when I came into my butch identity.
With a Capricorn Sun, Pisces Moon, & a Gemini Rising, I'm a little too convinced I could take over the world someday, but for now I'll just settle for being an International Studies major. My only known natural enemy is the Oarfish, so to avoid the ocean I fill my free time with writing poetry, embroidery, and spending time with my partner and our cat <3.
Contributor
Lee Merritt
(They/she)
Immortelle
Immortelle (formerly called Bone Digging) was inspired from a lecture I had in a cultural property class. We were talking about the moral and institutional dilemma of creating displays and exhibits around humans utilizing human bones and remains as the focal pieces. How bones being dug up in the name of science often led to a loss of identity. How the remains go from human to artifact. I used that imagery to portray my own struggles with being outed a lot earlier than I was ready for. It took a lot of time for me to be secure in my own identity, but in doing that I found community and joy and I wasn't afraid. I was at peace with my fate.
Danny Valero is an artist and illustrator based in Southern California. Their art primarily engages with the intricacies and interconnections of their transmasculine butch lesbian identity with their mixed-Korean/Chicano heritage. Focusing on the concepts of humanity’s interactions with and embodiments of the natural world, resilience through suffering, seeing the world within their neurodivergence, and navigating the struggles of life through humor, Danny uses their artwork as a medium to process and explain the world around them.
Growing up in the American Southwest in the age of the internet, Danny strives to combine natural forms (including the figures of humans, plants, and animals) with distinct digital and technological motifs, primarily using digital drawing as their medium of choice to reflect this amalgamation. They often utilize traditional design elements (such as scanned paper textures, faux ink distress/damage, and others) in their digital work to emulate physical mediums. Despite the use of extremely bright, saturated colors, their work often bridges the visual threshold between digital and traditional. Currently, they are in the process of finding an artistic practice/method that works for them, combining their desire to consistently improve their technical ability while also embracing spontaneity, abstraction, and freedom.
More of Danny's work can be found on their Instagram, @salmonbutch
Contributor
Mar
(he/they/she)
God Loves Us (His Lesbian Children)
Often, I find myself returning to the themes of lesbianism (as well as transgender identity) coupled with divinity in my art. I think this piece is a very literal representation of this thematic combination. In my work, I often don’t draw figures with faces, since I want them to have a more universal and ambiguous presence. In this instance, I think the absence of a face, instead replaced by a starburst reminiscent of a halo of light, leaves the figure’s identity up to interpretation: is this figure a lesbian child of God, or God himself? Regardless, God is most definitely a he/they butch lesbian and you can’t change my mind.
levi fiedler is a butch, a boy, a Jew, and a couple other things.
Contributor
Levi Fiedler
(They/he)
nature held me close and seemed to find no fault with me
​
​
venus, he/him
The original Venus of Arles was sculpted over 2100 years ago. I made some improvements.
Mel Jayne (She/Her) is a British artist and writer. She has been anthologized by Coin Operated Press, featured in The Hyacinth Review, and awarded runner up in the Prose Purple Writing Competition. Her webcomic Summer of Seoul is free to read on Tapas, Webtoon, and Tumblr. Find out more at www.melissajaynewriter.co.uk or @meljayne on Tumblr and @meljaynedraws on Instagram.
Contributor
Mel Jayne
(She/Her)
Hyacinth
I made 'Hyacinth' to reflect on the tenderness of butchfemme love, with a gentle butch as a figure of desire. The repeated comparison between the unnamed butch lover and a hyacinth flower hearkens back to classical Greek mythology where a pretty boy, Hyacinth, is the object of Apollo's affections. This creates an impression of timeless queerness that has existed for centuries while highlighting the gentle masculinity of the butch character. The final image of the comic is the butch holding a hyacinth against their chest, featuring top surgery scars, to reinforce these themes while linking transness to wholeness (through the idea of someone "blooming") and desire.
Femme. Lover of anything orange. @fiatlz on Twitter and Tumblr.
Contributor
Luz
(he/she)
A Laranja
My piece depicts a couple wearing Portuguese wedding attire, with a poem by Brazilian author Mario Quintana. I like playing with the gendered clothes and codes of my cultures as I feel cultural clothing is often left out of queer discussions about gender presentation. The butch is wearing "king earrings", which are despite the name traditionally worn by women, while the rest of their outfit is typical men's wedding attire. The femme's hair is uncovered, in itself a gender transgression as traditionally it's something only men can do. I liked these ideas because they show lesbian masculinity and femininity are not as rigid and bound to strict rules as their cishet equivalents. Mainly what I enjoy about femme femininity is how freeing it is and how it feels mine more than imposed on me, nothing is really off-limit to me. The poem reads: "the orange cut in half/ wet with love, longing for the other one.../it's this way, exactly this way that I want you!"
Nell is a 21 year old femme lesbian based in South Carolina. She enjoys wandering, writing in the notes app (a little too much) and finding colors to base their life and joy around every other month. She is always in a mood of orange and pink, loving their queerness through and through. You can find her @noelleanneliese on Instagram, steeping in her dismay of capitalism, and trying to catch time by the tail.
Contributor
Noelle (Nell) Kriegel
(they/them/she/her)
Under a Femme-Moon, A Fierce Other
This piece follows the maturation of identity in the speaker, from instances of finding solace in the "otherness" that are fairy tales, the out-of-place acceptance of a moon in daylight; to coming into it hesitantly, then fully realized. Femme took nurturing, took surviving girlhood to surviving seasons of hiding in plain sight. Femme, distinct and fiercely other, is love.
Pascal is a bisexual butch from Italy. He spends much of her time in an occupied community space in Milan - whenever they have time, though, they write. Poetry has been his favorite form of art since she was a kid. They like collecting physical memories, taking pictures and making people gifts.
Contributor
Mar
(he/they)
Congratulations!
Through the literal manipulation of free use text and images, I made this piece to explore my own identity as a butch4butch lesbian. It’s about the reclamation and redefinition of words that are usually meant to hurt people like me. It’s also about the exciting event of finding community. Formatted like a gender reveal card with a clear ironic twist, this piece is meant to be a playful and beautiful celebration of love and identity.
Hi I’m Onyinye, the artist behind this piece. I am a 21 year old nigerian born stud/butch. I love all forms of art, especially fibre art. Like most artists, much of my work is informed by my interests and experiences and this piece is no different. I have an account @hookednbusy where I post my fibre art and some patterns and a main Instagram @scarysappho where I post the rest of my life.
Contributor
Onyinye A
(they/he)
Lesbian lovers - bag edition
I wanted to create a love letter of sorts to the different identities within our community, especially in the midst of so much animosity towards GNC lesbians. I think of it as an appreciation for the members of our community, particular those who are GNC and visibly lesbian.
M.A.M. is a 19 year old nonbinary butch lesbian and aspiring author, singer-songwriter, actor, singer, filmmaker and activist. You can find them on twitter @lesbianoflight
Contributor
mateo adrian
(they/them/their)
a baby butch's ode to butches
I wrote this about butch4butch love, as I identify as butch4butch, and also about the insecurities I feel about being butch "enough." Writing this piece didn't erase those fears, but it helped ease them a bit.
Rachel is a fem lesbian who lives in the Carolinas and teaches courses on American Lesbian Literature at a local university. She is a funky and fabulously dressed lady who finds joy in writing poetry and cooking for whoever's hungry. If you'd like to follow her food/ writing adventures, follow her @r.a.c.hel (on Instagram) or @fem-fox (on Tumblr).
Contributor
Rachel Currie
(She/her)
Acts of Giving/ Molten Center
I'm interested in the ways butches and fems approach sex after assault. When I started dating butches, I felt like I was redefining sex, which was necessary, but also disorienting. There are often times where, as a fem who loves butches, I feel like a relic, but when I think about our sex, there's this deep connection to a history much bigger than me. I wrote this poem to bring my history into the present, as well as to place myself within it.
Mo Neville (she/her) is a gender nonconforming lesbian artist and rookie poet based in Boise, Idaho. Her work often confronts love, loneliness, and generally being a weird girl in a conservative state. Also, organized religion.
You can find her artwork on Instagram (@germstate) and her waking thoughts on Twitter (@mysstikspiral). This is Mo's first time submitting poetry to something that isn't the Notes app on her phone.
Contributor
Mo Neville
(she/her)
on DIY masculinity and butch love
Growing into my masculinity has been a journey I only began last year. This piece reflects on experiences shown to me (good and bad) that helped me figure out who I am.
Just a little transmasc butch lesbian making their way through the world! I'm studio artist with a focus in metals. I am also an art education major! I have strong love for making and supporting queer art of all kind. <3
Insta: @skuttlebugg
Contributor
River Kirby
(He/They)
The Moon & Sun Are Lesbians
The Moon may have to leave the Sun during the quiet night, but for a brief moment during the day they get to see each other again. The Moon holds her Sun tight for only a short while. Their time together may be limited, but their love is infinite. Medium: Reduction screen print with screen filler and drawing fluid.
Nora Armânâ is a student, translator and aspiring writer from Serbia. Substack: https://inthedollshouse.substack.com/
Contributor
Nora Armânâ
(she/they)
Through your eyes I am born again
Through your eyes I am born again is an essay about the feeling of finally finding your community, and how it makes you feel like you are born again
I’m a southern butch and a proud astronomer. I’m lucky to share my heart with others and write til my hands give out.
Contributor
Sam P.
(they/he)
floral fondness
I’ve always loved historical flower languages, and with how beautiful the lesbian flag is, I decided to pick flowers for each color. I have grown because of embracing myself, and that’s what this poem encompasses.
​
"writer"
Contributor
north
(none)
Last April, May, June, July
poem
In many different regions strawberries are a symbol of love, you give them to your loved ones as a symbol of your affection. Spring is a time of growth with so many new opportunities and feelings.
Contributor
Sarah
(they/them)
Blossoming
In many different regions strawberries are a symbol of love, you give them to your loved ones as a symbol of your affection. Spring is a time of growth with so many new opportunities and feelings.
Orlando Silver (he/they) is most recently featured in “Best Lesbian Erotica 6”, “Big Book of Orgasms 2”, and “Heckin’ Lewd: Trans and Non-binary Erotica”. They are the author of “Soft Fruit: Transmasc erotica”; and co-author of “Daddy4Daddy: queer kink erotica”. They write on intsa as @orlando_silver_ and also https://orlandosilver.substack.com/​
​
Contributor
Orlando Silver
(He/they)
Mango
Because the best butch/femme erotica is even hotter with fruit x
hi hi!!! i am a hasidic-raised jewish high femme lesbian and i have always been a big reader and writer. i have recently started dabbling in poetry and i hope you enjoy my work! you can find me being pretty and annoying on instagram (@/nisshrooms)!
Contributor
sie !
(they/them)
To Be a Yiddishe Femme
i was raised hasidic in a very closed off community and left that when i was only fourteen. i integrated into the secular world and felt lost and misunderstood. accepting my sexuality was easier than my judaism and i have recently been reconnecting with my heritage. i can be both and i do have a place in both queer spaces and jewish spaces and this is who i am. i hope that the little ode to the beauty of shabbos, and the role of a jewish woman and the way that intersects with my femme identity, came across the way i wanted it to!
Riley Swan grew up in a dozen places across Australia, and has now settled on unceded Kaurna land to study a Bachelor of Creative Industries in Writing & Publishing. He loves writing about teenagers and young adults grappling with the familiar nuances of being autistic, nonbinary, and a lesbian while pursuing their dreams. When he's not studying or writing, Riley works in student advocacy, plays video games for ten hours straight, and thinks about cats. They can be found on Twitter at @rileyswan, Instagram at @swanscripts, and TikTok at @lesbic0re.
Contributor
Riley Swan
(he/they)
Her Brush
This piece, to me, encapsulates the connection between Butches and Femmes—no matter the kind of relationship. It touches on the things we share and the things that differ, and how each of these detailed edges makes us fit together in the perfect puzzles.
Sojo is a femme artist and a senior at Smith who has been writing poetry and making collages since high school. More of her work can be found on @sojomakes on Instagram.
Contributor
Sojo
(she/they)
Learning Desire
The desire that grows between a butch and a femme is a beautiful thing, and it has taught me so much about how I love, both myself and others. I wanted to represent that magic visually through objects and art that remind me of both feeling desirable and desiring another: the initial attraction, and the continuing longing for the other.
Hi there! I'm Sacha (he/they), I'm 27 and I'm a nonbinary butch lesbian from France. I make all sorts of art, primarily illustrations and comics. I also write poems, songs on my uke, and occasionnally make funny reels about my experience as a transmasc lesbian who recently got top surgery. I like making people laugh, I make the best puns and I'm terrible at lying. You can can check me out on Instagram, @stupidement_poetique :) Have a great day!
Contributor
Sacha Ghezi
(he/they)
Inner Child
I drew this a few months before getting top surgery. It was something I had been thinking about ever since I grew my breasts. I had the idea for this drawing when I stumbled upon some photos of me as a child. These are a bit bittersweet, because at the time nobody cared if I was "a boy or a girl", I was just a kid running shirtless on the beach. I was so flat! I looked so free! Seeing those pics, I thought to myself, 'hey, when I get top surgery I will be reuniting with that child, I'll be myself again'. This piece is all about healing your inner child and making peace with yourself and your past. To me, getting top surgery was that kind of renewal. I have never felt more like myself than I do today, now that I have done it.
Based in RVA, Sweta is a poet who is fully committed to studying the human condition. Sweta has submitted once to Beloved Zine under the name ‘surya’, the piece titled “taking up space: a short essay”. He lives his day-to-day working, studying and playing with his cat, Tulsi. They hope to contribute more to Beloved Zine in the near future.
social media: twitter & ig - internetbutch
Contributor
sweta
(he/they)
this is why i love the rain
since january, the words “season of life” has been popping up a lot and that was the inspiration for this piece. entering a new season of life and moving on from the past, from what you’ve known. my life has come to a point where parts of my life are turning, alluding to the garden in the poem. i am preparing for a new harvest, and although i cannot vision how bountiful it may be, i keep in mind that in decay nothing is completely wasted. it only makes room for other flowers to bloom.
My name is Sarah Alvarez. If you like my art, my art account on Instagram is @art_bysga. Check it out! I am a college student in Kentucky studying art. I’m currently concentrating in ceramics and metals, but I have been known to dabble in digital illustration and printmaking as well. Outside of art, I like to spend time roller skating, rock climbing/bouldering, watching horror movies, and playing violin! I also love to read, especially Sylvia Plath and Alison Bechdel.
Contributor
Sarah Alvarez
(She/They)
Be My Butch
This piece is a Linocut made combining a few of my favorite things: loving butches, hearts, and the iconic pink/red color combination. Growing up as a femme4butch lesbian, I noticed time and time again, not a lot was made for such an important, yet overlooked part of the lgbt community, butch lesbians. While lots was made for mlm couples and fem4fem wlw couples, I could never really find much specifically for masculine women and non-binary people, so I created a physical love letter to those who may feel left out.
I’m a transmasc butch artist and I love portraying my transness and relationship in my work. Being a trans butch is sacred to me. experiencing life in a body that is completely mine has made me a better artist, person, and partner. I’ve struggled a lot with my gender and dysphoria these past couple of years, but it has led me home. taking the steps i needed to feel comfortable and confident was more than necessary, top surgery truly saved me. I have a wonderful femme who i’ve been with for the past 5 years, and having her by my side has made me feel like the luckiest butch in the world. i’m more confident in my identity than ever before, i truly love being butch.
Contributor
Theo Juniper
(They/Them)
Cards In Our Favor
As a butch with top surgery, i feel completely renewed. my life has been changed for the best and i felt the universe has lead me here. i wanted something to represent how everything fell into place with time. (drawing and poses in reference to Cupid and Psyche)
Hello! I am a 21 year old pisces and lately I have been inspired to write again. I have found myself writing about love more because it is something that i want people to feel. I am kinda funny and i make tik toks and I already submitted it with the wrong @! but my Tiktok/ Instagram is @khlohilo
Contributor
Season
(they/them)
Girl Blunt
I wrote this during my birthday weekend where I visited one of the few lesbian bars left in the US. It was called the Peal Bar and was honestly an experience that made me feel creative again. There is so much beauty and safety in this space and This is just a piece of what happened.
​
When I say my Gender
In 2021 I met this girl at a gay club in Nashville after texting for a while she gave me my favorite compliment and I knew I had to write about it.
Trinnity Sistrunk is a queer writer of color who enjoys exploring sexuality, religion, and complex relationships through writing using either horror, romance, or a combination of the two. She is currently in her senior year of studying creative writing and this will be her second official published piece :)
Contributor
Trinnity Sistrunk (she/her)
Lady Husband
With this piece I wanted to explore two unsung stories that are so often not told in the history books. Both the relationship between two sapphic figures, well as gender exploration through the butch identity. Being distinctly non-male but still masculine, and loving a woman who loves you just the same. I find a great deal of inspiration from queer figures within history, and many people to try and force them into modern labels without realizing the nuance that comes with understanding one’s identity from a different time period (this is often done by those following terf ideology) Through this piece I wanted to focus on the exploration of gender nonconformity and a WLW love story that has just begun to bloom as the two characters begin to see each other as people, following the theme of renewal as the enter a new era within their marriage to one another.
Sritama, Alo to her friends is a writer, poet and student of English Literature from India who loves looking for queer subtext in her favourite books and media. They run @papenathys on Tumblr and have published their works on several zines and websites. Their works almost always centre the sapphic community of West Bengal, particularly in her hometown of Kolkata. You can find her at @sritamasen_ on Instagram.
Contributor
Sritama Sen
(she/they)
melting, you're a daydream
This story is dedicated to all the queer brown girls I have known and loved over the years, and takes inspiration from my own childhood and adolescence as a schoolgirl at a Catholic Convent. Please do keep in mind that the Bengali queer experience is different than the West and approach the story with an open mind.
viv (they/she) is an LA-based, neurodivergent, and femme4butch poet with pieces in Palaver Magazine, LATER Magazine, and the reflection/refraction anthology. in addition to writing gay poems, they also down iced coffee like water, paint sapphic cartoon scenes, and mess around on guitar. you can find her on Instagram and Twitter at @vivbriseno.
Contributor
viv briseño
(they/she)
we spent all night
This poem explores how the butchfemme experience has been unexpectedly yet incredibly healing for me as a survivor. Until my first butch partner, I’d never had a sexual chemistry so intense that it transcended self-consciousness and sexual trauma, and this partner of mine literally helped me rewire my body to crave the kind of touch it once flinched from.
Tea Turenne (they/them) is a mixed media artist and illustrator. Originally from Michigan, they are currently based in Baltimore, Maryland, where they are earning their BFA in General Fine Arts, with minors in Illustration and Book Arts. Their identity as a butch lesbian greatly informs their work, which is largely based in 2D dry media. They gravitate towards vivid color palettes and utilize the flower as a motif of invention, reinvention, growth and transformation. More of their work can be found on their Instagram, which is @001tea.
Contributor
Tea Turenne
(they/them)
(through your eyes)
your eyes savor every inch of me
will you look at me the same
when thick hairs dance up my chest?
when my stubble wakes up
and graces my chin?
when i begin to feel more beautiful, will you
see it too?
yves ([iv]) harris (he/him) is a transmasc illustrator based in scotland. he's always open for work & you can find more of his art on twitter @risottobismarck or at risottobismarck.tumblr.com.
Contributor
yves harris
(he/him)
brand new
with details inspired by delftware and antique handkerchief embroidery, "brand new" captures the gentle intimacy of transmasc lesbian love. title & words from "nothing" by petite league.
Tianna is a disabled lesbian artist living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. She explores themes of identity, body image, mental health, and joy through painting and embroidery. Find her work on Instagram @tummyachedyke or search TummyAcheTextiles to find her on Etsy.
Contributor
Tianna Price
(she/her)
Meadow
I dream of slow living. I dream of someday being a housewife and having a garden through which I can sustain my little family. I created this piece as a response to the joy I feel while daydreaming about tending to my garden. The thoughts of digging through the dirt on my knees, watering the plants, and harvesting the vegetables I'll grow, cooking them up and feeding my wife makes my heart burst.
​
Love
This piece is an outpouring of my love for lesbians. Connecting with those who share my identity can be challenging. My heart was yearning for this connection when I made this piece.
Vanessa, or Ness, is a Black femme lesbian and university student studying Creative Writing and English Literature. She's passionate about writing prose and poetry surrounding her own lived experience and the beauty and heartache of sapphic love. Her writing is often deeply personal as she uses her art to navigate her inner world, as well as the world around her. You can find her @ lavenderfemme on twitter, where she is sometimes active when she's not trying to stay on top of university assignments.
Contributor
vanessa van-dunem
(she/her)
A RECIPE FOR NEW LOVE
This poem is one that came together gradually. Originally, it was an unfinished narrative style poem in the form of a recipe for a writing exercise on experimental forms. But as I edited, I made the decision for each step in the method to take the form of a haiku, and I think that’s when the piece really “came into its own”, so to speak. This poem is perhaps a projection of my own yearnings as a hopeless romantic, and encapsulates the freshness of spring with a blossoming romance. I was also inspired by the wonderful courtship rituals of OFOS butches and femmes—to me, that careful care and consideration is the peak of romance! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading, and did you catch the reference to a certain piece of lesbian history?
My name is Wren and I am an Australian artist and local introverted gay person, I love art and, when i'm not being crushed under a massive art block, i love being able to express feelings and desires on page, as well as try to show people like myself, loving themselves. Shout out to all butches out there, I love ya.
You can find me on:
twitter: ghost_sparrow
and instagram: ghost_sparrows
Contributor
Wren Askew
(They/them)
Wreathed Lovers
This piece surrounds the intersection between my lesbianism and my transness, the beauty and truth I find in trans bodies, to love and be loved, and the dreaming, fantasy, and virginial longing of yet to be relationships, dancing just out of reach.
Zoë Davis is a student at Salisbury University where they currently study political science and creative writing. They are originally from Baltimore, MD and you can find them under the username zoxelizabeth on Instagram and/or TikTok.
Contributor
Zoë Davis
(they/she)
Sappho’s Renewal
I wanted this poem to be a representation of the way my identity as a Femme4Butch lesbian has been a place of renewal for me. Figuring out that I was a lesbian was something sacred, something that was soft and thawed out slowly. Along with that I wanted the writing to capture the care and togetherness thats weaved into the ButchFemme community.