What is a TERF?

[Gingerkittykat]

According to the independent

*What is a TERF?
The word TERF is an internet buzzword that became used by newspapers, TV shows and mainstream discussion to describe trans-exclusionary radical feminists.

It is a word leaden with meaning, and is a synonym for transphobia. The acronym refers to people who preach hate and exclusion against transgender women in the name of feminism.

They often use disruptive, aggressive protest tactics, including storming a meeting and intimidating transgender activists, and even deliberately misgendering them.

Feminism is about inclusivity and empowering women – all women – which is why TERF ideology is so at odds with most forms of feminism.*

www.indy100.com/article/joanna-cherry-snp-twitter-trans-rights-campaigners-pride-lgbt-edinburgh-8972341

Storming a meeting meant 2 women went in there and non violently asked some difficult questions!

Wow, a complete reversal

I think we should all stop buying the Independent so that it ceases publication.

Oh, hang on.....

Feminism is not about inclusivity. No. It’s about the liberation of women. Actual women.

Storming a meeting! It's as if someone just wants to get the wrong story out there so that when women complain about the bullying cries of "they started it" look like they carry some weight.

The Independent should be made to retract that, but I doubt they will.

I think we should all stop buying the Independent so that it ceases publication

Terfs are feminists, it's right there in the acronym.

From now on the Independent and others should talk about feminists and TRAs. It makes things clearer.

Don't you love the bit that says, "and even deliberately misgendering them."? I can just picture the look of outrage and horror on the writer's face having to speak of this appalling behaviour.

The author is pluralising incorrectly. Terves not terfs!

I’m assuming their name is now meant ironically?

Fuck off with your women hating bile.

I don't know what kind they're talking about but when someone calls me a TERF I assume this is the type they mean ^^

I love a good cuppa and am very flattered they think I am radiant, but I don't fit in at all with the description they've given of the other type. No meeting 'storming' or aggression here it goes against my female socialisation too much. No transphobia either, just support for women and our hard fought for rights.

Also, the whole thing about radical feminists gets on my nerves. I'm not a radical feminist, I just don't want the word woman appropriated by men, along with all our sex-based rights.

Don't you love the bit that says, "and even deliberately misgendering them."? I can just picture the look of outrage and horror on the writer's face having to speak of this appalling behaviour.

Yes, I thought much the same

What a shit rag.

Are there any FtM trans who complain about TERFs? Or is it just men not liking women having a voice?

It's just another example of begging the question.

Of course, the reader thinks, feminism should represent all women! (Though I have to say personally I think feminists can be a little deaf to women who don't say what it wants to hear, but that's an aside.) But they are right, feminism should be for all women, irrespective of race, religion, social class, education, political views.

But the sentence is assuming that "woman" means anyone who says they are a woman, and since that is the very question under discussion, it is just a big fat logical fallacy. Step one of any complex issue should really be to take easy crap like that out of the picture.

But it won't happen here because as far as I can see it doesn't happen with any issue anymore People accept whatever seems rhetorically convincing and let the stupid arguments go unchallenged. Frankly, even though I am a leftist, they are reaping what they have sowed on this.

FtMs do complain about terfs, quite a lot.

Not everyone called a TERF is actually feminist. Posie Parker isn't much of a feminist in my book - eg see her bizarre stance on that female climate protester being assaulted by the Tory MP.

Quite different to Julie Bindel (also called a TERF).

Makes me wonder if any of the newspapers are capable of printing any accurate news. I've totally given up reading them, don't believe the BBC and rely on social media. Which means I have no reliable source of news at all, really. I kind of know that events have happened, but not what actually happened in any detail. I don't even trust them to get the facts right, let alone trust any opinion pieces.

Terf is used by people too scared to call women bitches, whores and cunts.

They often pretend it means something more than 'you are not doing what I want', but if you've ever been called one, you recognise the same hate in their eyes as when men call women slags.

Terf will go out of fashion and they'll find a new word for women they disapprove of.

Repost - it’s always relevant!

I find it worrying that an article like this can even get published. This isn't some crap blog run by a 15 year old in his mum's basement. This is a site run by a supposedly reputable national newspaper. The Independent says of the site: "Because indy100 is from The Independent you can still trust us to take our facts very seriously (even the funny ones). Some of the stories will have been inspired by the brilliant work in The Independent. Most will be from the crack team of indy100 journalists."

Taking facts seriously? Crack team? Pull the other one.

Terf is what you call women when you want to abuse them in any way

So they can’t get away with burn a woman or punch a woman or hit a woman so they use terf instead and they get away with it
Even politicians use it

Imagine they said that about women
Would change the tone of coversation but they are too cowardly to say what they really think about women
That’s what they mean when they use the word terf
They mean women