Can't we reclaim "TERF"?

[expatmatt78]

Kind of just lighthearted in a non lighthearted peak trans way!
I'm very new to all this (we're talking weeks but it didn't take me long to get up there with you) but have fallen down the rabbit hole most nights this week til 2am reading reading reading mostly in total disbelief . I've even joined Twitter. When I first reached peak trans I felt very disheartened but now I see there ARE voices out there that are just as loud and more people like me are deciding that "coming out" as a TERF is probably worth the agro because if we don't speak up then we lose.

TERF seems to be used exclusively by TRAs as a slur. But I see on Twitter so many publicly claiming the label.
When I first came on here I had to ask what all the acronyms meant and I see many others doing the same.
So I thought it might be quite entertaining to change the meaning when newbies like me come on board and ask so that it stops being a slur and starts being a self identifying (ironic!) term like "feminism"

So I'll have a go. How about Totally Excellent Realistic Female?
Or
Tenacious Eager Recalcitrant Faction?
Anyone else?

[Destinysdaughter]

Someone on Twitter coined the term 'Terfragette', I think that's fantastic! And v apt...

[Bloodmagic]

The most common one i see is
Tediously
Explaining
Reality to
Fuckwits

[expatmatt78]

I like that one! But now apparently according to MB (see I know them all now!) even being a suffragette is bigoted exclusionary and something to be ashamed of not celebrated!
I actually find him more worrying than LM more people are laughing at LM but MB seems to spout unresearched nonsense off the top of her head (suffragettes were all white supremacists and deliberately excluded black women from getting the right to vote apparently) gets replies like "wow I never knew that it's changed my views entirely"
THAT is what is scary ! Spouting made up shite to an audience that take her comments as true

[expatmatt78]

blood again excellent !

[Korez]

I dislike the term Terf as I don't see anything radical about wanting to protect sex based rights...

Maybe coin something else which can be thrown back each time terf is mentioned...
POWSR= Protection Of Women’s Sex Rights

Or something similar... I'm sure someone far more creative than I can make it catchier

[Patodp]

People on here often use
Telling Everyone Real Facts...

You'll also notice terf is factually incorrect, and "transsexist" because terfs do include transmen in their feminism, seeing as transmen are female and deserve the protections that women have due to biology, and are welcome in most female only spaces.

Everything always has to be about the born males.

Personally I've openly described myself as a terf, I've even half attempted to reclaim "transphobic".

Transphobic has officially lost all meaning because absolutely fucking everything is transphobic, even being vegan.
I have said actually my fears of what is happening to women's rights in the name of transgenderhood is terrifying. We are all being terrorised by thought police into silence and our fears should be taken seriously not dismissed as an irrational phobia.

[Patodp]

I dislike the term Terf as I don't see anything radical about wanting to protect sex based rights

Most women who say something leading them to be labelled as terf, aren't even feminists let alone radical ones. Most of them are just your aunt or gran who just found out about the M&S changing rooms or whatever.

A more accurate or true descriptor of terf would be... Woman.

Replace the word terf with woman in conversations where terf is used by trans allies/activists, and get a real shock.

[TellsEveryoneRealFacts]

You rang?

[worita]

I'm fine being called a terf where the clear meaning is "anyone who questions anything about transactivism at all, even the most extreme issues in the most gentle of ways". I think most people are terfs under the current thinking, including a lot of trans people. So it's not remotely insulting.

[expatmatt78]

You guys never let me down with your brilliant replies I feel better now I know you're all out there too

[LangCleg]

I think we should have a girl band - Terf and the Terfettes.

[TeaEnjoyingRadientFeminist]

One step ahead of you!

[hackmum]

Reclaiming "Terf" is a bit like reclaiming "queer". In theory, I'm in favour of it, except that when you say to the TRAs that "Terf" is hate speech, they then say, "But ha ha! You describe yourself as a Terf".

I suppose we could always reply, as above, that it stands for "Tediously Explaining Reality to Fuckwits".

[BetsyM00]

And for lead singer in the band I suggest .

Happy to be a terf...

[AstraiaLiberty]

I call myself a terfragette on Twitter. I think it was Jennifer James who coined it.

TERF is intended as a slur, but I think that it's so liberally applied it has lost any power that it had. Saying that penises aren't female makes you a TERF. Sharing the Transgender Trend guidance booklet makes you a TERF. Being an actual lesbian makes you a TERF.

Most of the so-called 'TERFs' aren't radical feminists. Some of them aren't feminists at all. And the 'trans-exclusionary' part falls apart as soon as you look at it. When I hear that someone has been called a TERF, I don't wonder if they're a bigot, I assume they've said something sensible. I haven't been proven wrong yet.

[MrsFogi]

Terfragette - I love it! At the moment I am a Terfragist but if they pass any ridiculous GR law(s) I will rapidly become a Terfragette and indulge in civil disobedience etc

[TERFette]

I am happily reclaiming the TERF term thrugh my username....and also am currently walking my 74 year old mum around the feminism boards as she is also horrified.

[TERFousBreakdown]

TERF is intended as a slur, but I think that it's so liberally applied it has lost any power that it had.

Pretty much this. I actually used it as an analogy to explain inflation the other day and it worked ...

I absolutely don't mind being called a TERF at this point. It basically stands for 'person with a marginally valid understanding of basic biology'.

[expatmatt78]

I have yet to reach the holy grail of Terfdom as not yet blocked by LM ha ha

[XXHelenaXX]

Re Terfragette.

Ooh I am upset now!

It was not Jennifer James at all! It was me! And I can prove it!

Two weeks ago I was creating a series of funny memes to cheer up my little "terf" friendship group (of which JJ is a member) and being a historian of the suffragettes, I suddenly thought of the word "terfragette" and made a few banners. Lots of women loved the word so I made up some more banners, one of which was used by JJ.

I then changed my twitter name to Terfragette (I've changed it again since, because I, too, am ambiguous about "reclaiming" the word terf."

So, it was me, and I am happy to take the credit thank you very much!

[XXHelenaXX]

Lily Madigan calls ordinary blokes who never had a feminist thought in their heads "terfs", which proves that all the word means to them is "someone who dares question the trans agenda".

[SD1978]

@Patodp- transmen are welcome in female only spaces? Those with beards and obvious male attributes, are still good to use female only spaces? I’ve been reading all this with interest and other posts. Some educating, some not. But surprises that someone who lives, looks, and identifies as male should still have all female rights, when choosing to relabel their gender.

[littlevoiceofsanity]

Found this little gem on twitter tonight.

Sounds lovely. What shall we call this paradise?

twitter.com/MarkhamJonesToY


Lol your disgusting. I am a man and I think terfs should be shipped out to an island so everyone else can live in peace without terf violence. We'd be so much happier without your hatred.

[TerfsUp]

I don't mind being called a terf. I'm not a feminist - I'm an equalist - let alone a radical feminist.

If being a terf means challenging TRAs / MRAs, have at it. Water off a drake's back.

[TruScum]

Why not?

I’ve reclaimed ‘Truscum’ for myself as, even though it is hateful, it does a really good job of separating transsexuals from the current car crash of perverts and misogynists hiding under the label of ‘transgender’.