What are “TERFS,” and why are they harmful?
Photo by That's Her Business on Unsplash
In the past few years, the word" TERF" has surfaced on the internet and in mainstream media. It's been used in comedy skits by Dave Chapelle and is a frequent word used towards JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series. But where did this word come from, and what does it mean? Why is being a TERF harmful to the LGBTQ+ community and the feminist movement?
The word TERF originated in early 2008 by a feminist blogger named Viv Smythe. The acronym TERF stands for "Transgender Exclusionary Radical Feminist" the phrase is used to identify a subset of radical feminists who do not regard trans women's rights as equally important as other women's rights in the feminist movement. Another variation of this is the term "Radfem." They believe trans rights are not a feminist issue (which intersectional feminists would disagree with.)
Most TERFs do not acknowledge trans women's issues as issues comparable to cis women. They believe trans women can be predatory and use their "male advantages" for malice. These stereotypes are incredibly harmful to trans women as we see through current politics that, for some reason, trans rights are still a debate. TERFs use outdated facts of "basic" biology to dictate and create their idea of what a woman "is and should be." This argument has been proven false by advanced biology, which empirically proves that trans women are women as well, and forcing these critical binaries does much more harm than good.
Author's note, it's so upsetting that this still needs to be said. Trans women are and will always be women, undoubtedly. To understand and accept an identity, we should not have to dissect it for validity. Unfortunately, TERFs often ignore current and relevant information even when presented with facts.Some psychologists define "confirmation bias" as the selective collection of evidence that supports one's existing beliefs while ignoring or rejecting evidence that supports a different conclusion. If TERFs claim their arguments to be rooted in evidence and ignore all evidence that contradicts it, well... If irony was made of money, I'd be able to afford a spacious house in downtown Halifax.
Read more about how biology proves this here!
It resurfaced in the mainstream media as a term, with the release of information regarding JK Rowling and surfaced remarks and claims. When faced with resurfaced information like this, most celebrities apologize for their previous beliefs and try to set forward with change. JK Rowling, however, accepted these claims and deemed herself a proud transphobe. She shared posts featuring political cartoons with anti-trans messages, including implying trans women are perverted, with is a highly harmful claim.
Many political cartoons feature a women's restroom being infiltrated by men dressed as women, implying trans women are invalid in their identities and are predatory. Suppose you're worried about someone watching you in the bathroom. In that case, you're afraid of sexual predators and perverts, which are entirely different issues than trans women wanting to use the restroom without being attacked or getting stares. Furthermore, I have yet to see a toilet stall without doors. If there is one, it goes without saying it might just be best to avoid that bathroom altogether if you're concerned with people watching.
Trans exclusion has no place in feminism. The term "intersectionality" was created by Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black American lawyer, civil rights activist, and expert in critical race theory (sociology and social justice majors know how relevant this term is). It was created to show how in feminism, several identities overlap to contribute to oppression. For example, consider the complexities of being a trans-identifying POC.
It is critical to emphasize how transphobic attitudes are based on racism. If a person does not fit the mould of "conventional femininity" (white, slim, etc.), they are rejected, and their womanhood is called into question, becoming a source of debate and ridicule for all. Even today, we see the consequences of this, with Black athletes being required to have their chromosomes, testosterone levels, and genitalia thoroughly examined to compete.
And lastly, some of the greatest voices advocating for feminism and women's rights from the beginning have been trans women. It would be a shame to discredit the path they paved for cis women to have equal rights. Names that come to mind include Marsha P Johnson, Frances Thompson, and many more. Therefore, with evident roots like these, it's ridiculous to exclude trans women from feminism. Trans women are women, and feminism is for everyone.
So, where do we see this in the current media? A typical example of this is the acts of JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series. Tweets in early 2020 would soon spiral into exposing just how severe her transphobia was rooted. What began with a tweet, confused over the usage of the term "people who menstruate" in an article, quickly became her writing anti-trans articles and defending women who had been fired for posting transphobic remarks. One piece she published included "five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism." While Daniel Radcliffe and other Harry Potter stars were quick to speak out against transphobia and her claims, the damage was done.
Following the MASSIVE backlash, one would think she would have stopped there. Unfortunately, JK Rowling did not have that thought occur to her. Instead, she did just about the exact opposite and published more anti-trans propaganda. Her novel "Trouble Blood" generated another uproar on September 14, 2020. According to reports, the book depicts a detective on the hunt for a cis male serial murderer who disguises himself as a woman to seek and murder cis women. That's right, to prove a point, she resorted to writing her work of fiction. I cannot stress this enough: she wrote fanfiction to try and persuade people to side with her.
Trans exclusion also has no place in comedy skits. A Netflix special featuring Dave Chapelle received mass backlash for Chapelle claiming to be A "PROUD TERF" and insulting trans women, making their identities the point of his joke. In this comedy special, he defends Rowling: "I'm Team TERF. I agree. I agree, man. Gender is a fact." This sparked anger among several Netflix employees, as the special was sponsored and partnered with Netflix. They had supplied a platform to Dave Chappell, which he used to spread harmful hate and lies. Trans employees at Netflix reported no longer feeling safe or welcome there.
While this may seem like I'm preaching cancel culture, I find this is the exact opposite. Letting people have their own beliefs and forgiving ignorant past views celebrities might have is one of these, but allowing folks such as Dave Chapelle and JK Rowling to profit off of anti-trans statements and media directly and to spread this message of hate and lies further is okay by no means. The oppressed don’t always have the power to silence their oppressors, and derogatory remarks like these are very harmful to be said. Words are very powerful tools that can ruin, or save someone’s life.
What can we do about it? Educate and use platforms to have queer and trans voices heard. We should de-platform people spreading hate against human rights and actively discriminating, as someone's oppression should never be something to profit off. When the world seems full of hatred and bigotry, we must reach out to our loved ones and indulge in our safe spaces. When I doom scroll and get overwhelmed, I take a step back, put down my phone, and look at the beautiful community around me. As human beings, we should hold hands and be able to see through the eyes of others, step in others' shoes, and learn that each person holds a story, a dream, an identity.