Butch Voices Conference to Spotlight Identity

The Butch Voices conference, which is coming to West Hollywood on Oct. 8- 10, is designed for those looking to fully express themselves in ways that transcends gender and sexual orientation. Butch, femme, bois, studs, trans-masculine, AGs—no matter what word feels most appropriate, this conference is about embracing one's true unique identity in a supportive community. 

Butch Voices will take place at Plummer Park and will feature workshops, panelists, fashion, comedy and participant discussions.

"Sexual identity and personality is so fluid," said Sandra Valls, a Los Angeles-based comedian who will be mixing music and spoken word in with humor in the event's closing show, "Butch Revival." 

Valls doesn't like relying on one label to define herself. "[In] my own personal experience people would ask, 'Are you butch or femme?' and I would say, 'Um, I'm tomboi,' " she said. "It depends on my mood."

Being a part of this conference is exciting for Valls, who believes it's important to help foster self-identity and understanding. "In our own community we're so much more free to express ourselves," she said.

Butch Voices will have made stops in several cities for regional conferences before arriving in Weho, including Portland, OR; New York; and Dallas. It attracts teens to seniors from all over the United States and Canada.

Jeanne Cordova, who is this year's conference chair, said the event has a welcoming attitude.

"[Butch Voices] goes out of [its] way to be all inclusive…You could be a confident butch woman or you could be sitting on the fence and not [be] quite sure…We don't want to draw any lines."

Event organizers suggest preregistering for the conference, but people can sign up at the conference Oct. 8. The event kicks off with a meet and greet and the opening of the Art Lounge, which features artists and photographers who celebrate and question the butch identity.  

Vendor booths will also be set up for participants to shop for items from designers and artists at the conference. A fashion show and after-party will round off Friday evening, allowing for a sense of community to form in time for the panels and workshops the following day.

Registration will be open again Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There will be four sessions during the day, each of which has five panels and workshops to choose from. The panels include topics such as "The Many Faces of Butch," which will consider the nuances of the butch identity and the trans-masculine spectrum.

Other options include "Butch at the Movies" with filmmakers discussing "butchophobia" and the depiction of butch identity in film and TV.

The workshop "Shall We Dance?" will go over the details of choosing to lead or follow in a variety of ballroom dances.

Another workshop titled "To Windsor or Knot" is for those who are interested in the dapper style and need some brushing up on how to put on a necktie.

To find out more about the conference, workshops, speakers and accommodation options, visit the Butch Voices conference website.