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!

It means a woman that refuses to accept or pretend that a man can transition into a woman. Therefore 'women only' excludes all men, even those who believe they are women.

I suppose that these idiotic people would call Piers Morgan the "T" acronym?

I love the idea that he is a radical feminist.

Oh, hang on, are only women called this?

Is this yet another insult which is ONLY applied to women?

I suppose that these idiotic people would call Piers Morgan the "T" acronym?

Of course they would!

I'm long since past caring what the latest word for non-compliant women is. Been called them all at one point or another. Still not compliant.

Someone should tell Mr Morgan that he is a radical feminist.

He has a right to know, yeah?

TERF is an acronym, not an insult
It's invariably used as an insult, therefore it is an insult.

Yeah, what's with this Posie Parker and the activist in red dress being assaulted business?
What's she said? I'm on her Facebook and nothing was on there.

terfisaslur.com/

Rjfirth said:

TERF is an acronym, not an insult. If it offends you, perhaps some self reflection is in order?

It's stupid to say that acronyms can't be insults, completely illogical.

ACAB was a particularly nasty acronym, non?

"FOB" is one that I heard growing up. Was an acronym (Fresh Off the Boat) but was still a slur.

@RJFirth

Eh? I don't get offended by being accused of excluding trans people.

However I do get offended by " KILL ALL TERFS" " TERFS DIAF" "DIE CIS SCUM"

Your point is that people who are at the receiving end of the insult TERF should "check their thinking" on threat of violence?

It is an acronym which is being used as a synonym for Witch
Telling us we need to "die in a fire" ( burned at the stake). The parallels couldn't be clearer

You want TERFS who don't like the insult to recant and repent? You might have a long battle on your hands

A bit like when we use the word "witch" do describe all the women who were murdered across Europe in the witchcraze. We aren't insulting them by calling them witches in the history books. We understand that a "witch" was another word for a midwife, or a woman who had knowledge of healing, and other knowledge that made her wise such as how society worked.
However the accusation of witch was accusatory, it meant they would be killed.

@RJFirth

That's one thing that makes me really proud to be a woman. The witches were made to recant/ repent. And they wouldn't because they knew they hadn't done anything wrong.

(They were defending midwifery and healing from masculization by male physicians as well as other female dominated fields. )

So your ominous statement that if I don't like being called TERF I should rethink my politics is precisely like a "witch" being told to repent.

Walked past graffiti only this morning saying "Terfs will pay in blood" spray painted on a fence. Incitement to violence in my book.

Can you go back and add ‘menstrual’?

Menstrual blood! Omg genius. Do it.

Terfs will pay in menstrual blood.

It's funny because Terfs are women, and yknow that pesky biology winds them up no end. TW don't get periods etc.

TERF is an acronym that can be used as an insult or not. It depends on the contexts an on the intention of the person that uses it.

Or just splash over the whole graffiti thing in menstrual blood from the mooncups of a hundred Terfs (aka witches/bitches/cunts).

Terf means cunt in many ways.
Cunts bleed.

TERF is always an insult, even if it wasn't supportive of male violence towards women, because it implies that there are radical feminists who are "inclusive" of MTF trans as women when nothing could be further from the truth.

What they really mean when they say
Trans exclusive radical feminist is
Transwomen exclusive radical feminist.

Radical feminists include transmen, what with them being female and everything, and those who use the slur know this. They're deliberately conveying a message to all people everywhere that there is a type of feminism that excludes all trans people, transmen and transwomen, when this isn't true.
Feminism excludes males. Get over it.

The correct acronym would be TWERF.

That would be a more accurate description of a group of people. TWERF would almost certainly become an insult too in it's commonplace usage, but at least it would be slightly more true.

Some feminists have tried to say "Not Terf. I'm a Perf" but it hasn't quite got off the ground.
(Penis exclusionary..)