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The word ''TERF'' (or ''terf''; pl ''terfs'' or ''terves'') is a slur that is used predominantly by transgender activists and their allies against people who criticize the transgender movement on the basis of feminist concerns.  Since the slur is used for people with feminist concerns, the main target tend to be women.  As such, it's usually understood to be an anti-feminist, sexist and misogynist slur.
The word ''TERF'' (or ''terf''; pl ''terfs'' or ''terves'') is a slur that is used predominantly by transgender activists and their allies against people who criticize the transgender movement on the basis of feminist concerns.  Since the slur is used for people with feminist concerns, the main target tend to be women.  As such, it's usually understood to be an anti-feminist, sexist and misogynist slur.


The word was invented as an acronym for ''Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist'', where the "trans-exclusionary" part referred to those holding roughly the position that transwomen should not be included under a feminist definition of womanhood, and the "radical feminist" part was meant neutrally, i.e. for people who would indeed describe themselves as [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_feminism radical feminists] in the true sense.  Over time, the acronym pretty much became a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four-letter_word four-letter word].  Nowadays the capitalization is frequently omitted, and the already ambiguous original meaning ignored entirely.  Still, users of the term tend to claim that it's a neutral description.  The "trans-exclusionary" part may now refer to anyone who thinks transwomen should not have unfettered access to all female-only spaces (e.g. changing rooms), should not partake in women's sports where they have [[Transwomen in women's sports|unfair advantages]], should not be considered a natural part of the lesbian dating pool, etc.  Although most members of the public would see these as rather sensible positions, considering a "transwoman" may have intact male anatomy, transgender activists nevertheless see all of these types of "exclusion" as unacceptable.
The word was invented as an acronym for ''Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist'', where the "trans-exclusionary" part referred to those holding roughly the position that transwomen should not be included under a feminist definition of womanhood, and the "radical feminist" part was meant neutrally, i.e. for people who would indeed describe themselves as [[Radical feminism|radical feminists]] in the true sense.  Over time, the acronym pretty much became a [[Wikipedia:Four-letter word|four-letter word]].  Nowadays the capitalization is frequently omitted, and the already ambiguous original meaning ignored entirely.  Still, users of the term tend to claim that it's a neutral description.  The "trans-exclusionary" part may now refer to anyone who thinks transwomen should not have unfettered access to all female-only spaces (e.g. changing rooms), should not partake in women's sports where they have [[Transwomen in women's sports|unfair advantages]], should not be considered a natural part of the lesbian dating pool, etc.  Although most members of the public would see these as rather sensible positions, considering a "transwoman" may have intact male anatomy, transgender activists nevertheless see all of these types of "exclusion" as unacceptable.


A closely associated term is ''SWERF'', which is supposed to stand for ''Sex-Worker-Exclusionary Radical Feminist'' and is used for those who see the sex industry (prostitution, pornography, etc.) as highly exploitative and sexist.  Like ''TERF'', the term is almost always applied as a slur, and to misrepresent the political position of the person it's used against.  Ironically, some of those who have to face the term most commonly are women who worked in prostitution and became anti-prostitution activists as a result of their own experiences as so-called sex workers.
A closely associated term is ''SWERF'', which is supposed to stand for ''Sex-Worker-Exclusionary Radical Feminist'' and is used for those who see the sex industry (prostitution, pornography, etc.) as highly exploitative and sexist.  Like ''TERF'', the term is almost always applied as a slur, and to misrepresent the political position of the person it's used against.  Ironically, some of those who have to face the term most commonly are women who worked in prostitution and became anti-prostitution activists as a result of their own experiences as so-called sex workers.
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Another Feminist Current article defending those targeted with the slur was published in November 2015, written by [[Penny White]] and titled ''Why I no longer hate ‘TERFs’''.<ref name=fc-white/>  In the article, White explains how she herself used to be convinced that so-called "TERFs" are worthy of contempt, but changed her mind after starting to look closer into the issue.  This experience seems to resonate with many women and some socially liberal men to this day, who start out being supportive of the transgender movement, only to start becoming skeptical after negative experiences and observations, ultimately leading them to be also labeled "terf" and shunned by transgender activists and their allies.  After that, Feminist Current started publishing articles critical of the transgender movement with some frequency, much to the enragement of transgender activists.
Another Feminist Current article defending those targeted with the slur was published in November 2015, written by [[Penny White]] and titled ''Why I no longer hate ‘TERFs’''.<ref name=fc-white/>  In the article, White explains how she herself used to be convinced that so-called "TERFs" are worthy of contempt, but changed her mind after starting to look closer into the issue.  This experience seems to resonate with many women and some socially liberal men to this day, who start out being supportive of the transgender movement, only to start becoming skeptical after negative experiences and observations, ultimately leading them to be also labeled "terf" and shunned by transgender activists and their allies.  After that, Feminist Current started publishing articles critical of the transgender movement with some frequency, much to the enragement of transgender activists.


In June 2017, transgender activist [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mya_Byrne Mya Byrne] came to the San Francisco Pride Parade with a t-shirt reading "I PUNCH TERFS", decorated with a large fake blood-stain.  Byrne uploaded a selfie of him wearing the t-shirt at the parade, captioned "This is what gay liberation looks like #pride #yesallterfs" which sparked many negative reactions.<ref name=fc-tra-violence/>  The t-shirt would later be displayed at an "art exhibit" at the San Francisco Public Library, set up by the trans activist group ''The Degenderettes''.  After complaints, the library removed the t-shirt from the exhibition, though similar items showcasing a violent mentality remained, such as baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire and painted in the colors of the transgender pride flag.<ref name=fc-tra-violence/>
In June 2017, transgender activist [[Wikipedia:Mya Byrne|Mya Byrne]] came to the San Francisco Pride Parade with a t-shirt reading "I PUNCH TERFS", decorated with a large fake blood-stain.  Byrne uploaded a selfie of him wearing the t-shirt at the parade, captioned "This is what gay liberation looks like #pride #yesallterfs" which sparked many negative reactions.<ref name=fc-tra-violence/>  The t-shirt would later be displayed at an "art exhibit" at the San Francisco Public Library, set up by the trans activist group ''The Degenderettes''.  After complaints, the library removed the t-shirt from the exhibition, though similar items showcasing a violent mentality remained, such as baseball bats wrapped in barbed wire and painted in the colors of the transgender pride flag.<ref name=fc-tra-violence/>


[[File:Sonicfox.png|thumb|right|300px|Dominique McLean's tweet glorifying violence against women.]]
[[File:Sonicfox.png|thumb|right|300px|Dominique McLean's tweet glorifying violence against women.]]


In April 2019, professional video gamer Dominique McLean aka [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SonicFox SonicFox] uploaded a video on Twitter, captioned "what I do to terfs," in which a male video game character strikes a female character's neck so hard that her skin comes off, while the camera shows her agony-filled face.  McLean can be heard yelling "terf!" into his microphone with each blow dealt to the female character, reminiscent of a lynching.<ref name=sonicfox/>  The tweet garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and many thousands of retweets and likes.
In April 2019, professional video gamer [[Wikipedia:SonicFox|Dominique McLean]] aka "SonicFox" uploaded a video on Twitter, captioned "what I do to terfs," in which a male video game character strikes a female character's neck so hard that her skin comes off, while the camera shows her agony-filled face.  McLean can be heard yelling "terf!" into his microphone with each blow dealt to the female character, reminiscent of a lynching.<ref name=sonicfox/>  The tweet garnered hundreds of thousands of views, and many thousands of retweets and likes.


McLean's tweet is made even worse by the fact that the hatred is not just directed at an imagined "terf" character, but at the voice actress behind the character, [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronda_Rousey Ronda Rousey].  Rousey, who is an MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter, is deemed a "TERF" for having stated, with blunt wording, that it's unfair for male MMA fighter [[Transwomen in women's sports#Fallon_Fox|Fallon Fox]] to compete against women.<ref name=rousey-fox/><ref name=rousey-marysue/><ref name=rousey-reddit/>  A year after Rousey's remarks, female MMA fighter Tamikka Brents had suffered a concussion and an orbital bone fracture during a fight with Fallon Fox,<ref name=fallon-fox/> but this does not seem to have changed the opinion of trans activists.
McLean's tweet is made even worse by the fact that the hatred is not just directed at an imagined "terf" character, but at the voice actress behind the character, [[Wikipedia:Ronda Rousey|Ronda Rousey]].  Rousey, who is an MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter, is deemed a "TERF" for having stated, with blunt wording, that it's unfair for male MMA fighter [[Transwomen in women's sports#Fallon_Fox|Fallon Fox]] to compete against women.<ref name=rousey-fox/><ref name=rousey-marysue/><ref name=rousey-reddit/>  A year after Rousey's remarks, female MMA fighter Tamikka Brents had suffered a concussion and an orbital bone fracture during a fight with Fallon Fox,<ref name=fallon-fox/> but this does not seem to have changed the opinion of trans activists.


After McLean's tweet was reported for hate speech, Twitter initially decided that it [[:File:Sonicfox2.png|did not break their rules]].  Only after continued protest and many more reports did Twitter react, by removing the tweet and issuing SonicFox a mere 24-hour ban.
After McLean's tweet was reported for hate speech, Twitter initially decided that it [[:File:Sonicfox2.png|did not break their rules]].  Only after continued protest and many more reports did Twitter react, by removing the tweet and issuing SonicFox a mere 24-hour ban.


In late 2019, a social media trend dubbed "POV you're a TERF in my mentions" started, in which trans activists would pose with a weapon (baseball bat, sword, machete, or the like), sometimes preparing to strike or showing them mid-strike, taken as a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point-of-view_shot point-of-view (POV) shot] and captioned with the phrase "POV you're a TERF in my mentions" or variations thereof.<ref name=pov-terf/>  The pictures are supposed to represent the point-of-view (POV) of a "TERF" being assaulted by the depicted person.  In other words, women called "TERF" who look at the pictures are supposed to imagine themselves being violently assaulted.
In late 2019, a social media trend dubbed "POV you're a TERF in my mentions" started, in which trans activists would pose with a weapon (baseball bat, sword, machete, or the like), sometimes preparing to strike or showing them mid-strike, taken as a [[Wikipedia:Point-of-view shot|point-of-view (POV) shot]] and captioned with the phrase "POV you're a TERF in my mentions" or variations thereof.<ref name=pov-terf/>  The pictures are supposed to represent the point-of-view (POV) of a "TERF" being assaulted by the depicted person.  In other words, women called "TERF" who look at the pictures are supposed to imagine themselves being violently assaulted.


=== Real-life vandalism, harassment, and assaults ===
=== Real-life vandalism, harassment, and assaults ===
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In December 2018, human rights lawyer Prof. [[Rosa Freedman]] found her office door covered in urine after attending debates surrounding proposed changes to the UK's Gender Recognition Act.  She also reported being called a "Nazi" (she is Jewish) who "should be raped" (she is a survivor of sexual violence) and receiving abusive anonymous phone calls.<ref name=freedman/>
In December 2018, human rights lawyer Prof. [[Rosa Freedman]] found her office door covered in urine after attending debates surrounding proposed changes to the UK's Gender Recognition Act.  She also reported being called a "Nazi" (she is Jewish) who "should be raped" (she is a survivor of sexual violence) and receiving abusive anonymous phone calls.<ref name=freedman/>


In 2018, transgender activist Dana Rivers was on trial for triple murder.<ref name=rivers/>  The victims were a lesbian couple and their adoptive son.  Rivers stabbed and shot the victims, before trying to set their house on fire, in November 2016.  It remains unclear whether Rivers was motivated by the hatred against feminists and lesbians promulgated by transgender activists.  Rivers was, however, a member of the group [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Trans Camp Trans], which was created to protest the women-only rule of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (aka MichFest).<ref name=camptrans/>  Autostraddle described Rivers as a "very well-known transgender activist."<ref name=autostraddle/>
In 2018, transgender activist Dana Rivers was on trial for triple murder.<ref name=rivers/>  The victims were a lesbian couple and their adoptive son.  Rivers stabbed and shot the victims, before trying to set their house on fire, in November 2016.  It remains unclear whether Rivers was motivated by the hatred against feminists and lesbians promulgated by transgender activists.  Rivers was, however, a member of the group [[Wikipedia:Camp Trans|Camp Trans]], which was created to protest the women-only rule of the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival (aka MichFest).<ref name=camptrans/>  Autostraddle described Rivers as a "very well-known transgender activist."<ref name=autostraddle/>


In June 2019, [[Julie Bindel]] was physically attacked by a trans-identifying male person after holding a keynote speech about male violence against women at the Edinburgh University, together with Prof. Rosa Freedman.<ref name=edinburgh/>  "He was shouting and ranting and raving, 'you're a f***** c***, you're a f****** bitch, a f****** Terf" and the rest of it.  We were trying to walk to the cab to take us to the airport, and then he just lunged at me and almost punched me in the face, but a security guard pulled him away."  The male person, who calls himself "[[Cathy Brennan]]" (after famous lesbian and radical feminist lawyer, whom he despises) had previously stood out on social media for [[:File:Joe-brennan-twitter.jpg|encouraging physical violence]] against feminists at Gay Pride events.
In June 2019, [[Julie Bindel]] was physically attacked by a trans-identifying male person after holding a keynote speech about male violence against women at the Edinburgh University, together with Prof. Rosa Freedman.<ref name=edinburgh/>  "He was shouting and ranting and raving, 'you're a f***** c***, you're a f****** bitch, a f****** Terf" and the rest of it.  We were trying to walk to the cab to take us to the airport, and then he just lunged at me and almost punched me in the face, but a security guard pulled him away."  The male person, who calls himself "[[Cathy Brennan]]" (after famous lesbian and radical feminist lawyer, whom he despises) had previously stood out on social media for [[:File:Joe-brennan-twitter.jpg|encouraging physical violence]] against feminists at Gay Pride events.
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File:Sonicfox3.jpg | McLean defending his tweet on the grounds that Ronda Rousey is a "TERF" and as such deserving of the violent contempt
File:Sonicfox3.jpg | McLean defending his tweet on the grounds that Ronda Rousey is a "TERF" and as such deserving of the violent contempt
File:Sonicfox-copycat1.png | A copycat tweet showing another video game character dying brutally, with the caption "FUCK TERFS"
File:Sonicfox-copycat1.png | A copycat tweet showing another video game character dying brutally, with the caption "FUCK TERFS"
File:Sonicfox-copycat2.png | Another copycat tweet.  The GIF is of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat_11 Mortal Kombat 11] character [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion_(Mortal_Kombat) Scorpion] burning his opponent alive.
File:Sonicfox-copycat2.png | Another copycat tweet.  The GIF is of [[Wikipedia:Mortal Kombat 11|Mortal Kombat 11]] character [[Wikipedia:Scorpion (Mortal Kombat)|Scorpion]] burning his opponent alive.
</gallery>
</gallery>


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File:Terf-gallery-1.png | "terf isn't a slur ... terfs don't deserve rights"
File:Terf-gallery-1.png | "terf isn't a slur ... terfs don't deserve rights"
File:Terf-gallery-2.jpg | "All terfs will be arrested on sight"
File:Terf-gallery-2.jpg | "All terfs will be arrested on sight"
File:Terf-gallery-3.jpg | "It's [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride#LGBT_Pride_Month Pride] punch a terf"
File:Terf-gallery-3.jpg | "It's [[Wikipedia:Pride Month|Pride]] punch a terf"
File:Terf-gallery-4.png | Putting "terf" right aside "nazi"
File:Terf-gallery-4.png | Putting "terf" right aside "nazi"
File:Terf-gallery-5.png | [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Chu Arthur Chu] supporting SonicFox's hate speech
File:Terf-gallery-5.png | [[Wikipedia:Arthur Chu|Arthur Chu]] supporting SonicFox's hate speech
File:Terf-gallery-6.png | "Being a TERF is a choice.  Like being a Nazi."
File:Terf-gallery-6.png | "Being a TERF is a choice.  Like being a Nazi."
</gallery>
</gallery>
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== Analysis of the term ==
== Analysis of the term ==


The original acronym could be split in two halves: "trans-exclusionary" and "radical feminist."  Though many people targeted with the word do not see themselves as radical feminists, their ideals most often tend to align with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_feminism radical feminism] anyway, making that part somewhat accurate.  The "trans-exclusionary" part however is rather ambiguous, and its meaning seems to change at the whim of the person using the term.
The original acronym could be split in two halves: "trans-exclusionary" and "radical feminist."  Though many people targeted with the word do not see themselves as radical feminists, their ideals most often tend to align with [[radical feminism]] anyway, making that part somewhat accurate.  The "trans-exclusionary" part however is rather ambiguous, and its meaning seems to change at the whim of the person using the term.


When those using the term want to justify it as an objective and accurate description, they will use rather mundane and basic definitions of "exclusion" that applies easily to most people the term is used against.  Examples of this might include:
When those using the term want to justify it as an objective and accurate description, they will use rather mundane and basic definitions of "exclusion" that applies easily to most people the term is used against.  Examples of this might include:
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