Am I a TERF?

It's pretty arrogant to appoint oneself speaker for a whole demographic.

I think if you speak for most trans people, it's far from a moot point that you understand the language used, and use it property.

Your one trans person. With not a lot interesting or intellectual to say about the OPs situation. Just your own sense of self worth.

Hiya @Boiledbeetle - I can make safe assertions about how most trans people are on some topics as I've literally built trans communities and speak (like, actually speak) with many on a daily basis..and I've been in this terrible excuse for a debate for 5-6 years. Sure there are plenty of areas where trans people are very divided and I wouldn't make that claim, but not here.

Sadly as there's not many trans ppl here, but feel free to go to trans spaces (be polite) and ask on these topics.

Look just because those people may not see themselves as women doesn't mean that actual women wouldn't still welcome them if they walked through the door. We can recognise our own and those of the make half of the species very easily.

It's just the male women we have a problem with, when it comes to single sex spaces anyway.

I can speak for most trans people and they're far more interested in your actions than your beliefs.

Why do you suppose this though? Can I ask how you know this? Because that seems very out of kilter with the constant deplatforming, violent protests against women speaking etc? It seems you are out of touch or playing a false appeal to your own authority.

TERF excludes all trans people regardless of their sex.

Hence it is an inaccurate description, as we include transmen in our feminism - they being female.

A more accurate description would be TWERF, or even MERF.

I suppose the original meaning of 'trans exclusionary' in relation to feminism is women who said that males couldn't include themselves in the class of 'women'.

Of course no male can ever be female; we are a dimorphic mammals and come in two sexes. Sex is immutable. I expect most trans people are perfectly aware of that, so reality is that nobody can be 'included' in a class which they are by definition not a member of. To 'identify' as something which one isn't is a meaningless nonsense in real life.

As you note, OP, no male will ever experience the things that most women have to deal with that are a fairly large part of living as a woman.

Linguistically and legally, is a different matter, of course.

I mean @YoBeaches the position I've seen many times being expressed is that they'll include trans guys, but obviously any self-respecting trans guy will take that as an insult. Like none of the dozens of guys I've spoken to would consider that as in any way a good thing.

It's kinda moot tho.

TERF is the new witch, the new word to dehumanize women to justify violence against them. It has a very negative connotation because trans activists made it so.

Even asking a question makes you a "TERF". Only unwavering blind devotion to gender ideology makes you not a TERF. So you can be a cultist or a TERF.

So welcome to the coven lol

You are not a bad person for asking questions or having doubts. This is not a normal every day situation. Personally I find it very offensive for them to act like they are just the same as women. We have a right to our own experiences and words. Appropriating those is just disrespectful.

She wouldn’t be included when I am talking to my female family members and friends about my gynaecological issues. As she wouldn’t be able to relate or understand

Did they attempt to intrude on these while they were with you? Because no, this would be disrespectful to take part in conversations where a person expects to be only having this conversation in a single sex environment. If the male doesn’t excuse themselves (obviously neutrally) then that is inappropriate and questionable behaviour.

Personally I don't give a monkeys what your beliefs are as long as you're not trying to remove my rights or slight me to my face.

Sounds nice and rational, and what most of the women posting on this board will also say.

The question is, EvilBee, what are your rights? Are you a transwoman claiming the right to express your beliefs and sense of self without being ill-treated, regardless whether you are in a men's single sex space or a unisex space? Or are you a transwoman claiming the right to freely access all single sex women's spaces?

I can speak for most trans people

No. You can speak for you.

The rest they can speak for themselves

TERF excludes all trans people regardless of their sex.

Not 'just' Transwomen.

I mean, @PurplePalms, like I said, I can speak for most trans people and they're far more interested in your actions than your beliefs..and you don't sound like you're not someone who wants to make another person uncomfortable, so perhaps just let differences in ?ontological beliefs lie and just be two people who get on for lots of other reasons?

Like, I have discussions with people at work and friends all the time about differences in our beliefs, but we can still hold mutual respect and love.

I hope that some help x

She wouldn’t be included when I am talking to my female family members and friends about my gynaecological issues. As she wouldn’t be able to relate or understand.

You have every right to assert your own boundaries. IMO any male trying to claim a right to female only spaces is a misogynist and clearly demonstrating that they do not understand the experience of woman.

Radical feminism is a specific strand of feminsm that generally is distinguished from more recent liberal feminism, OP.

Very, very loosely: 'opposing the sexual objectification of women, raising public awareness about such issues as rape and violence against women, challenging the concept of gender roles'

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_feminism

[hmmm]

That is a strange reply. Who ‘invented’ what definition?

Since I’ve heard them having intercourse in our family members house we were all staying at over at during Christmas.

Ugh! Grim and really bad manners.

Just out of interest, what ‘rights’ do you refer to with:

“you're not trying to remove my rights”

Does that have any impact on who is a terf in your mind or not?

Invented the definition of 'woman'? Okay, pet.

Not interested in getting into another "we've invented this definition and we've decided you should stick to it" type argument, Arabella, it's anti-intellectual and very, very boring.

Thanks for the low effort troll tho.

What is a 'real man / woman'? Personally such vague language sends me up the wall.

You're quite right - 'woman' is perfectly clear and has a definite meaning. Adding 'real' to it is a tautology.

Hiya, Trans person here,

I mean the saying "trans men are men.." could end with trans men are men, but not cis (not-trans) men" and 95% of trans ppl would agree.

The 'real' thing is weird. What is a 'real man / woman'? Personally such vague language sends me up the wall.

You should post this in a trans friendly space as well (? /r/asktransgender) for interest.

Are you a TERF? Like personally I reserve TERF for actual anti-trans feminists and 'gender critical' for the 99%..are you a radical feminist who wants to exclude trans women?

It's kinda moot - you have a choice as to whether you wanna 'live and let live' with this trans woman? Personally I don't give a monkeys what your beliefs are as long as you're not trying to remove my rights or slight me to my face. Perhaps just talk to her and try and understand her experiences?

Welcome to the reality side where science rules! Be proud of your common sense and critical thinking skills. You are among like-minded women here (mainly) and you will learn much from them.