TERF
About
"TERF" is short for "trans-exclusionary radical feminist", a misnomer by which gender essentialist reactionaries pretend to be feminist/egalitarian while in fact working to reinforce and reinvigorate rigid hierarchical social dichotomies – a form of false advocacy.
It can also be used to refer collectively to the ideas and beliefs supported by TERFs.
Origin
The first documented usage[1] of the term was a 2008 article[2] by Viv Smythe, a cisgender woman who identifies as a radical feminist, as a way of distinguishing mainstream radical feminism from the trans-exclusionary fringe[3]:
It was passionate trans women activists online whose strong advocacy of their right to exist as women in the world showed me just how dehumanising the trans-hostile rhetoric is from some radfems about them.
Links
- CWRE for commentary of a more rhetorical/satirical nature
- Wikipedia redirects to Feminist_views_on_transgender_topics#Feminist_exclusion_of_trans_women
Conservapedia; one mention in gender ideology
: "While some feminists such as Judith Butler advocate gender ideology, not all feminists agree with it. There is a disagreement and vigorous war of words between transsexuals and radical feminists who do not accept biological men as "women". Transgenders have even created an acronym TERF meaning "trans-exclusionary radical feminist" which they use as a term of denunciation, hostility and abuse." ("Transgenders have created" is inaccurate; the term was created by a cisgender woman.)- Geek Feminism Wiki
- RationalWiki
- Social Justice Wiki
to file
- 2018-04-05 Ankhassa on Twitter "There is no need for any other definition for a woman apart from "woman". Its a description which has been representative for thousands of years. As has "man". If it doesn't suit you why on earth would you claim be one?" - ignorance boldly on display
News
- 2017/04/04 [L..T] Are Butches Disappearing? (video) "I've had enough of anti-trans lesbians attacking me, or trying to "save" me, which is incredibly condescending and erases the years of research and soul-searching (I actually prefer soul-creation) I have done. So I wanted to put all my thoughts down into a (big) “bite sized” chunk here to direct them to when they start to vomit a word salad at me."
Footnotes
- ↑ 2018-11-28 I'm credited with having coined the word 'Terf'. Here's how it happened
- ↑ 2008-08-17 Carnivalia, transgenderism and the gender binary
- ↑ 2013-10-11 TERF: Where the term comes from: "The term’s use was encouraged to honor RadFems who felt their movement was being subsumed by an anti-trans hate group."