The word 'Terf' is a slur right?

[flashbac]

And often used as a term of abuse.
So am I right to be concerned that a mental health charity is using someone with 'cher h8s terfs' in their bio* at their event and using said image from bio on the advert for the event?

*For context, the person is a Cher fan.

(Yes I've also posted this in aibu but wanted to see what the feeling is on here)

From your assessed linguistically link, WellBehavedWoman:

Is the word commonly understood to convey hatred or contempt?

Does the word have a neutral counterpart which denotes the same group without conveying hatred/contempt?

The author was more ambivalent about these questions than I feel. I have never, ever seen the word used except as a slur.

And surely GC feminist denotes the same group, though that term might be problematic if men are included.

And that poster is pathetic. I hope it’s unoffocial and is removed.

Been thinking about this.

'Terf' is a dehumanising insult and is on a par with other insults used on the basis of someone's race, religion, sexuality etc.

I had thought that a 'slur' meant accusing someone of being something that they aren't. But actually slur means 'an insinuation or allegation about someone that is likely to insult them or damage their reputation'. And 'terf' is so laden with unwarranted nasty associations and pure hatred that it really is a slur.

@WotchaTalkinBoutWillis
The thing about TERF is that calling someone it can have real life conquences which include physical violence. The other terms you mention, however distasteful to the recipient, thankfully dont have this issue.

If it wasn't a slur, they wouldn't be trying so hard to find an offensive acronym to use in its place.

@AnyOldSpartabix the linguistics link is 4 years old. Sadly, things have not improved in terms of unleashed misogyny aimed at women who raise issues of consent and autonomy for women. Which is where, and why, this slur is used.

I just C&P on the AIBU. Sorry, but some people really aren't worth creating new posts for. Silly little twit.

I always want to ask people who insist that TWAW why, if that's so, is the offending pattern so absolutely and unmistakeably male? And given that offending pattern is a large part of why we need and why we have single sex spaces, then why is gender identity (which clearly does not affect such offending patterns) the determinant, and not sex, which does?

This shit is not hard.

The word tf seems to get slung at anyone for even the mildest GC thoughtcrime viewpoint, so I can understand that even Wotcha has been called it for having the view that humans can't change sex, despite believing in gender identity (correct me if I'm wrong).

...a TERF, but a handmaiden, TRA, MRA, sealion.

I agree with Chiochan that there's an odd one out in this list of words. and WRT dehumanisation it's similar to the word 'slut', isn't it? Wrong kind of woman.

Anyway, I mentally switch the word t**f for either 'woman who disagrees with me' or, the frankly simpler and just as accurate, 'witch'. Then my immediate thought is "She turned me into a newt!" which just makes me laugh even more.

Re: Cher. I should point out first of all that anybody who doesn’t follow her on Twitter should know she is absolutely batshit crazy on there (in a good and funny way!) I did look it up after this thread and apparently she did denounce terfs... although in her usual posting style it’s hard to tell what she actually means. This is the tweet:

You might be a TERF if… | The TransAdvocate HATES HATE NO MATTER WHAT SEX U R.IM OG FEMINIST N
HOMIE DONT PLAY THAT 💩

I've seen quite a few women who think they're trans-allies post stuff that would be condemned by transactivists. I think the most common is talking about "transwomen and women" which is seen as appalling, because it separates women and transwomen as belonging to a separate class. Jess Phillips meekly apologised to Juno Dawson for that terribly hurtful error of speech, in fact.

At this point, almost anything that doesn't erase sex as a reality is called transphobic.

I've seen quite a few women who think they're trans-allies post stuff that would be condemned by transactivists. I think the most common is talking about "transwomen and women" which is seen as appalling, because it separates women and transwomen as belonging to a separate class

To which the next obvious, logical step would be to question the statement “trans rights are human rights”. If they think trans women are women and trans men are men then trans is... what exactly?

To which the next obvious, logical step would be to question the statement “trans rights are human rights”. If they think trans women are women and trans men are men then trans is... what exactly?

Only to be determined by those with lived experience.

Unlike being a woman, which is totally open to being determined by men who say they are women.

The pretzels are really ornate, aren't they?

The pretzels are really ornate, aren't they?

I’d personally start charging people to attend my own Yoga class if I found myself constantly bending backwards into illogical positions.

Terf stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

I linked to the origin of the term. We're aware.

It doesn't matter what it stands for: what matters is how it's used.

Retarded was a medical term that simply meant delayed. They still used delayed now - Global Developmental Delay is one example. But only hateful people use retarded - it's solely an insult and a slur, after years of such use. A word used to abuse people becomes a slur, even if it was originally a neutral descriptor.

Terf was created by those who disagreed with gender critical perspectives though. So it was never neutral to begin with.

That guy in Labour hustings who told Helen Steel, "Fuck off, terf" was not meaning it in an affectionate manner. He was using a misogynist insult. One that none of the candidates said a word about. It seems they're all good with hate terms aimed at women. Good to know.

Well I just went back to a feminist website (run by a man) that I used to respect. The site is now full-on TWAW and was cheering on a TW, Nyla Rose, who was just crowned women's pro-wrestling champion. I said how disappointed I was that the site is now supporting males in women's sports. Got four abusive comments back- the last was 'terfs aren't welcome here'.

Really sorry that you had that experience. It's grim.

Yeah it's sad that the site has gone that way. The bloke who runs it, David Futrelle, was great when it came to exposing MRAs but he picked the wrong side here.

I've never heard of it! What does it mean?!?

I thought it was a medieval slave?

I said how disappointed I was that the site is now supporting males in women's sports.

Pro wrestling isn't a sport, though, is it?

Don't get me wrong, I agree with every word about women's sports and it being ridiculous to have a feminist site where women can't even bring that up; but pro wrestling is just a show. No one is really fighting, the plot is scripted.

I wouldn't care about mixed competition where there is no advantage (e.g. shooting) so I don't see the issue with winning a panto.

How are women being shitted on by a charity supporting trans rights-?

@Katienlisa
The charity is a mental health charity not stonewall and mermaids lite. It should be representing people from all communities. Furthermore no one is saying trans people shouldn't be supported. What's concerning is the use of the word 'terf' which is a misogynistic slur against women, sometimes used with threats of violence.

@Katienlisa supporting trans rights is great. Using misogynistic slurs isn't.

It's not a complicated distinction, surely?