Rural Butch Brotherhood

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Cover of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. Page 1 depicts a rural road that goes past a field and a mountain. The title of the comic sits in the sky and reads, “Rural butch brotherhood” (Al Benbow).

 

 

I presented this comic at the 2025 Lesbian Lives Conference in New York City. It explores the experience of myself and other butch lesbians I know passing as men in rural spaces, both intentionally and unintentionally. This leads to a complicated relationship with rural spaces and the other people I encounter in them; I often find myself holding my breath when interacting with strangers, unsure of their perception of me.

I’ve also forged strong bonds, however, with fellow butches in these spaces, due to our shared experiences and instant understanding and recognition of each other.

Page 1 of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. The first 3 panels contains a hand with long, painted nails turning a key in a lock. The person holding the key says, “The lock on the men’s is broken, so you’ll have to use the ladies. Sorry.” Panel 4 contains a long shot of three people standing inside of a sub restaurant. The person unlocking the restroom door has light skin and long, mid-toned hair. She is wearing a black t-shirt and pants. Two other people wait for the restroom. They both have light skin and short, dark hair. Lane is wearing glasses, a ball cap, a fleece, and pants, and is holding two wrapped sandwiches. Al is wearing a ball cap, hoodie, and pants. They say, “Oh, um –“

Page 2 of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. Al and Lane both stand with neutral expressions. Al says, “That’s okay.” The caption reads, “I do not look at lane, because I already know we’re thinking the same thing.” Al enters the bathroom and says, “thank you.” The caption reads, “This moment is familiar to both of us;” The caption continues in the next 2 panels: “the moment when a stranger unconsciously reveals how they’ve been perceiving you for the past two, ten, sometimes thirty or more minutes.” Behind the caption, Lane sits down at a table and sets down two wrapped subs.

Page 3 of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. Al and Lane leave the restaurant. Lane waves and says, “Thank you!” The caption reads, “I do not say that if both bathrooms had been unlocked, and I had been alone in the building,”. In panel 2, a pickup truck drives down a country road beneath the caption, “I would have chosen the women’s.” In panel 3, Al and Lane huddle over a phone at the trailhead. Lane says, “Okay yeah the trail starts here…” The caption reads, “The same way that later,”. The caption continues in the next panel, “I will not say anything to the women we step aside for,”. Below, Al and Lane step aside on the trail. Lane waves to someone off-panel and says, “Hello!”.

Page 4 of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. In the first panel, two women hike past Al and Lane. One of them wears leggings with a colorful stripe down the side, and replies, “Hi.” The caption continues, “even though I want to tell one of them that I like her colorful leggings.” The caption continues in the next panels as Al and Lane hike away, Al looking over their shoulder: “(I do not look like I would appreciate colorful leggings, and I do not want her to feel afraid of me.)” In panel 3, a man nods at Al and Lane as he passes them. He nods and says, “Good morning!” Al and Lane both nod and reply, “Morning.” The caption continues: “I will not say anything later when we pass a man, who nods at us in a way that I’ve learned men only nod to each other.”

Page 5 of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. In panels 1 and 2, a line of trees blows in the wind for a moment. In panel 3, Lane is looking up towards a tapping sound. Al looks at the ground. In the next panel, Al looks up. The caption reads, “Alone together, it’s safe to speak freely,”. In panel 5, a woodpecker pecks at the bark of a tree. The captions reads, “but I don’t have to say”. The caption continues across the next four panels, which contain close-ups of pond water, tree branches, river rocks, and tall grass: “that we are both in love with rural spaces”.

Page 6 of a 6 page comic with black linear and blue watercolor wash. The caption continues over a panoramic mountain view: “that we simultaneously find and lose ourselves in.” In the second panel, Al and Lane stand side-by-side, looking at the view. In the third, they both turn and begin to walk off panel. The caption reads, “My friend, who I’ve forged a butch brotherhood with over countless hours in the woods and the river”. The final panel contains just the view, and finishes the caption: “knows”.