Hi MNHQ, I remember some time last year you banned the term "TERF" as an offensive slur. Personally it doesn't affect me, but as some people seem to really hate the word I was all up for them not being forcibly labelled something they themselves reject or find offensive.
More recently I've mostly avoided discussions where this term might come up, but I'm seeing more and more usernames which include it. So is it a slur or isn't it? I fully aware of the concept of reclaiming a former slur, but even if I were black I couldn't "reclaim" a racist slur as my username. As a woman I couldn't use a word or phrase that was generally considered an offensive slur term. As an immigrant I couldn't call myself "dirtyjobstealingimmigrant" (sorry fellow immigrants) could I? Whether I was "reclaiming" it or not! Not least because this forum is anonymous, and for all anyone knows I'm not really an immigrant at all and I'm just looking to offend.
So that's it really. It makes me uncomfortable to see something that I'm told is a source of distress to a group - albeit not a group I identify as - particularly when it's otherwise banned. What's your pasition on this please?
FWIW I'd feel just as uncomfortable if the word related to disability, race, class or anything else, but I haven't happened across any users with names including recognised slurs against these groups - "reclaimed" or otherwise.
TIA