I'm not a TERF

[musicalfrog]

I'm not radical.

I've always known, since I was a little kid, that boys and girls are different and can't change into one another.

That's not radical. Never has been.

So I don't need a label.

Just because some weird mad ideology grew up around me in the last few years, doesn't change who or what I am, I haven't changed at all.

I'm just me, just like I always have been.

I proudly self-identify as a Terf. For me, it's an honorific.

Horses for courses, people can adopt the label or not as they see fit. Point is, we are all on the same side, that of material reality, protecting children and women's rights.

None of us are. We are simply rational, compassionate individuals.

We just embraced the term in order to demonstrate our security in our conviction and that we refused to be shame-bullied out them.

Besides, as I like to say to people who call me a TERF, "How can I be considered trans-excluding, even I included transmen in my feminism?" (Not that I say transmen, but the accurately descriptive expression I use sometimes leads to deletion on MN.)

Oh for an edit button on the app!

None of us are. We are simply rational, compassionate individuals.

We just embraced the term in order to demonstrate our security in our conviction and that we refused to be shame-bullied out of it.

Besides, as I like to say to people who call me a TERF, "How can I be considered trans-excluding, when I include transmen in my feminism?" (Not that I say transmen, but the accurately descriptive expression I use sometimes leads to deletion on MN.)

I'm not a heathen, heretic or an infidel in any way that means anything to me. TERF is the same (except sexist as well). It says more about the person saying it than it does about the person they are saying it about.

I don't particularly care if religions or ideologies use these terms within their own circles, let them purity spiral themselves into oblivion. I'm not going to be using or claiming any of the terms though. I know when people are doing so to poke fun at it though, I don't mind that.

It is sad that I would now hear "feminist," and not know if it was male centred or not, so essentially lost a term - but I'd much rather reclaim that than take a term based in their ideology for ourselves. I wish we hadn't let the word "gender," be so taken and kept the discussion clearer with "gender identity," forcing clarity whenever gender was used (do you mean sex or gender identity?) Similarly, I won't use cis and I won't use TERF.

In an odd sort of way, I find it strangely satisfying to be a TERF. I never thought I'd be regarded as a radical feminist. My heels are too high and I wear too much makeup! Plus, I've been actively heterosexual for most of my adult life. So it's quite refreshing to be able to claim the mantle of Sheila Jeffreys, Julie Bindel, Linda Bellos et al.

I think if I have to I consider myself to be a MERF. Male exclusionary. I'm bothered about males being in spaces they shouldn't be.

I'm a terf, as a cunning mumsnetter styled it, tired of explaining reality to fuckwits.

I’m not a fan of the term TERF, but equally I don’t give a shit if it’s used as an easy descriptor.

And yy to pp who said we should be questioning the linguistic use of gender Vs gender identity.

Yeh I have no beef with the term itself, I just think it's wrong that through no fault of our own we suddenly get given this label due to outside forces.

Especially one with the word 'radical' in it! The ones who believe in the impossible are the radicals surely?

Is it weird that I'm not too enamoured with "TERF" but love the words derived from it: terven, terfy, terfing, terfectly, ...

Well then I'm weird too. If you're ever in Wales check out 'terfyn' on some of the road signs. Apparently it means 'limit' or 'boundary' 😁

The 'radical' in radical feminism simply means 'the root of'. Radical feminists believe the way to liberate women is to free the world of the root problem - the patriarchy.

Perfect.

I came on to say this so will just repost instead! People think radical means extreme but it doesn’t.

I refer to myself as a TERF in the same way that other groups have ‘reclaimed’ slurs and reframed them to mean what they want.

I absolutely exclude any male from my version of feminism. TBH I’m not sure females who identify as men would want to be included but they are whether they like it or not, so I’m not trans exclusionary, I’m TW exclusionary. A TWERF if you like.

I don't mind terf. I don't call myself a feminist, though! 🙂

The thing is that this is a movement where the only commonality is a proposition that biological sex is real, it matters and it can't be changed.

The tent of people who agree with that is SO big that it includes people from all parts of the political spectrum who probably disagree with each other on almost everything else.

The term TERF has become meaningless in the sense that people now use it as a shorthand to refer to everyone in that tent - many of whom are not feminists, or are feminists but not radfems, or who are not trans exclusionary except where it matters for the safety or dignity of women and girls.

But as usual, it's women and feminists who get the most outrage and disapproval for not making way for men's wants, and hence we get TERFs and SWERFs.

I am a transwoman excluding transman including rad fem hence my username.

This may not be the right place to say this but my ONLY concern with any group of people or cause is how they relate to so-called "cis"* women like myself. If they claim to have the same "equipment" as me or want to use the same "women only" spaces as me, then I'll be a "TERF". If they are happy to be self-contained and not bother me and NOT use my spaces, then I'm happy for them to exist.
*not usually a term I use but ppl know what I mean here.

I dont have a clue wat anyone is talking about.

'"Terf" is a word that is considered to be a slur, Kabir Sondhi, prosecuting, told the court.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66676737

Which is why the BBC's front page article using the word to describe feminists fighting for single sex services is so hugely offensive.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5148805-bbc-claim-grover-is-a-self-declared-terf-an-acronym-that-stands-for-trans-exclusionary-radical-feminist-terfs-views-on-gender-identity-are-widely-considered-to-be-hostile-to-trans-people?reply=137746366

The history of 'terf' is that it was descriptive (if inaccurate), became a slur through the way it was applied in a hostile way towards women, and has sometimes now been 'reappropriated' or 'reclaimed' by some women.

But as is always the case with people reclaiming slurs, that doesn't mean that other people can use the term with impunity.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/terf-ultimate-slur-against-women-transphobia-feminism/

Content warning:

https://terfisaslur.com/

Thank you this meaning escaped me and makes more sense in this context. I consider myself educated!

Thank you, precisely.
This linguistic misunderstanding has caused a lot of problems and
schisms.