A Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF), is a specific type of feminist who holds the belief that trans women are not women, and therefore should be excluded from the same rights and protections that other women deserve. Ref. HSYQPOAUDH
Although the term was initially coined for the academic purpose of differentiating such people from other types of feminists, it should be noted that because the TERF mindset is in direct opposition to transgender rights it has sparked controversy in many circles. As a result, the acronym: “TERF“, is often now used as a way to call a person out for transphobic behaviour. Because this is a topic which can naturally become quite heated, many people will feel either offended or excited about receiving the label.
UNSAFE WARNING
This content has been flagged as unsafe because it contains topics which some readers may find uncomfortable. It touches on the meaning of trans exclusionary radical feminism and the difficulties it presents for transgender people. Contains mention of sexual assault.
The Many Branches Of Feminism
There are many different branches of feminism present in the world today and each individual will have their own nuanced understanding of the topic, so without going into great detail about each specific variant we have to generalise somewhat.
Let’s examine this as two main groups:
- Mainstream Feminism
- Radical Feminism
Feminism, in general, is a movement and ideology that advocates for equal rights for women in relation to the rest of society. This could mean maintaining a focus on reducing gender-based discrimination, pushing for fairer legislation, reproductive rights, or to reduce the gender-based pay gap - all things that are typically operating within existing systems in society. Ref. HAGFFPOIKS
Radical feminism, on the other hand, is a specific branch of feminism that believes in addressing the root causes of gender inequality which they see as deeply embedded in the structures of society. For example, a radical feminist may believe in challenging certain aspects of society itself: potentially by deconstructing the patriarchy, challenging the idea of the nuclear family and reducing our focus on conventional gender roles altogether. Ref. UASDJSUWYQ
There will often be some overlap in these two ways of thinking. Each person will have their own ideas and understanding of what feminism means to them.
Some women may go so far as to say that they do not want to be equal to men at all, but rather wish to be free from them.
When considering some of the views held by radical feminists, we can see that those which seek to exclude men from certain spaces are of particular significance here, especially when such views are coupled with the belief that trans women are simply men dressed as women.
Exclusionary Views On Gender Ignore Nuance & Medical Reality
In this section, we’ll use the “age-old bathroom debate” to make this clearer…
When we talk about “the bathroom debate”, we’re referring to the debate as to whether or not trans women present a danger to others women in public spaces such as bathrooms - a common proposal arising from TERF sentiment.
If a policy enforces public bathrooms only being accessible by women, and that policy does not recognise trans women as women, then logically they would be excluded from those spaces by such a policy. On the surface this appears reasonable based on some simple statements. Here’s what will often be presented:
- Men are men
- Women are women
- Sex is an innate, immutable property which cannot be changed
- We want women to feel safe in public bathrooms
- “There are only two sexes”
There are significant physiological differences between males and females, and some people may be pushing for policies like this because they believe it is the right way to keep people safe within our society. Moreover, there is some truth in the things being said, so if women are concerned about men being in a public bathroom with them, a policy like this may seem attractive.
Despite that, creating policy based on such statements is ill-informed, given that it overlooks key aspects of the situation.
To name a handful:
- Intersex people are known to exist, Ref. QRSGD73TGN yet are ignored entirely in such a policy and therefore not provisioned for.
- Hormone replacement therapy changes a person so drastically that their sex is of little significance to their physique. Ref. PCZUKO42NM
- Nothing stops cisgender (non-trans) men going into spaces and attacking women regardless of whether such policy exists or not.
- Creating policy which segregates marginalised groups puts those groups directly at risk while barring them from critical services. more
- Little evidence in statistics suggests that transgender women present a risk to other women. Ref. C5U5U31MAV
- Trans men also exist and are likely to be forced into women’s bathrooms as a result of such policy. Ref. 76ALB0JXMD
- Sex is not the same as gender, so it’s irrelevant that it can’t be changed. Ref. U5V70MTNMM
- Labelling transgender women as men either legally or in any other capacity is vastly undignified, carrying serious mental health implications. Ref. BKO5GWDOZ9
Exclusionary policy ignores medical reality and causes active harm to transgender, intersex and non-binary people. The resident doctors’ wing of the British Medical Association (BMA) have spoken about this in the past. Ref. EU6EWOYMPD
Exclusionary Policies Can’t Actually Work
Let’s consider the challenges of implementing a bathroom policy based on trans-exclusionary logic…
Identifying Transgender People
- If trans people can’t be recognised on sight, how can you ensure that no trans women are entering a women’s bathroom, or trans men, a men’s bathroom?
Should you search the contents of people’s underwear upon entry? Or should people be verbally outed if they have more masculine or feminine features? Should cameras be put in all of the stalls so that people can be identified by an AI agent and punished discreetly once they have left?
Some key points:
- Performing sexual assault as a method of enforcement in a space which you’re attempting to make safer, is counter-productive.
- Any such policy legitimises scrutiny in a place where privacy is imperative. Such behaviour would be undignified for all involved.
- Many women have masculine features, so cis (non-trans) women will inevitably be caught in the crossfire. The same is true for cis men in men’s spaces, where some men may have more feminine features. more
This sentiment results in the enforcement of such policy being almost impossible and instils fear in many bathrooms users, transgender or not.
Considering Transgender Men
- If transgender women are being legally classified as men, logically transgender men are being legally classified as women. How will you deal with transgender men using women’s bathrooms?
After a few years of taking testosterone, a trans man is likely to look like any other type of man and are likely to have the strength and muscle mass to suit. This presents a situation where transgender men are now being forced into the women’s spaces, presenting a confusing and uncomfortable situation for the women (and man) there.
Forcing transgender men into women’s spaces has not corrected the problem but merely shifted it onto a different group of people, decreasing people’s perceived safety.
Using Documentation To Enforce Policy
In the UK, you may have heard of a gender recognition certificate, or a GRC. This is something which some transgender people may choose to pursue in order to gain certain legal benefits surrounding their transition, such as being able to legally marry or die as their gender. Some people have surmised that this documentation should be used as a way to allow entry for gendered spaces.
Again, this presents problems:
- Most transgender people do not possess a GRC.
- The pathway to acquire a GRC is long and doesn’t always succeed.
- A GRC bears no representation to physical attributes, so a trans woman with a GRC may very well have a penis and no hormone therapy, with no desire to change that.
On top of this, it largely doesn’t solve the problem mentioned about identifying transgender people, given that any person who is not recognisable as transgender in the first place is unlikely to be asked if they possess a GRC, and cis people don’t carry any comparable documentation either.
Providing Different Spaces Entirely
Given that no other avenue of their exclusionary policy is functional, the next idea purported to be acceptable by TERF sentiments, is that gender non-conforming people should be forced to use entirely separate facilities altogether. To use the bathroom scenario again, that could mean forcing them to use unisex or disabled toilets, but it becomes less clear how that may work in many areas of life, given that plenty of facilities are simply not capable of supporting an entirely new set of resources purely for transgender people.
This is directly discriminatory and would result in transgender people having insufficient access to vital services.
Historically, creating separate spaces for marginalised groups was termed: “segregation.” Ref. OYOYVTUDMB
The Harm Caused By Exclusionary Policy
The idea that harm will be caused by transgender people being allowed into public bathrooms of their desired gender, is built on falsehood. Ref. 557GJCXGAH. Not only is it not reflected in statistics, but it worsens the stigma surrounding transgender people - already a major source of difficulty within the transgender community. Ref. OXU5S2M0GX | Ref. MFWYGVVLBW
The Incidence of Transgender Sexual Assault Victims
Harmful policy serves to legitimise hateful behaviour, and when forcing transgender people into gendered spaces to which they don’t belong, you inherently increase the risk of them being targeted. The risks to transgender people are already extremely high. From here: Ref. FULKAJSSUY, 47% of all transgender people have been victims of sexual assault and here: Ref. XGSMWFHL02 transgender people are four times more likely to be the victims of sexual assault than their cisgender peers.
This graphic pulls from multiple sources to highlight the issue:
View the source of this infographic.
Vital Services Lost
Access to women’s hospital wards is a vital service. Trans women, who develop breasts through feminising therapy, face an increased risk of breast cancer and require regular screenings like any woman Ref. FK79APF38H - or some transgender men. Denying access to these wards effectively blocks trans women from essential care such as mammograms.
Fear While Using Public Bathrooms
Exclusionary policy actively contributes to worsening health. 31% of transgender people say they avoid eating and drinking out of fear using public bathrooms. 8% develop kidney problems as a result. Ref. U3MCUMMA68
The Importance Of Protecting All Women - The Shame Of Systemic Failure
Something that’s important to address is the sheer number of women have faced extreme difficulty in their lives. From feeling fearful when out in public, to having to cover up their bodies to minimise the risks of sexual assault, or being ignored by institutions around the world. Being denied control of their own bodies with regard to pregnancy, being subjected to painful medical procedures without anaesthesia - the list is a long one, and it often goes unnoticed.
Policies which directly legitimise women’s suffering are completely unacceptable, and it’s imperative that we continue to work as a collective to rid such problems from our world.
Many transgender women have experienced the same issues: assault, hate crimes, being ignored by institutions around the world, being sexually assaulted, being denied control of their own bodies - It is also, just as easy to ignore given that transgender people are a minority with a largely misunderstood experience, who therefore hold little voting power when compared to the rest of the population.
Nobody, should have to face this kind of difficulty - and that means nobody at all. However it is we beat this, we are better united.
Excluding transgender women from societal protections is not correcting any issues. In particular when administered with the hatred that it often is, exclusionary beliefs are simply shifting societal problems onto a different group of people, creating a deeply uncomfortable climate while making issues worse, rather than correcting the problems at their roots.
In Conclusion: Exclusionary Policy Is Entirely Dysfunctional And Actively Causes Harm
As you’ll notice in the scenarios mentioned in this document, a trans exclusive policy is not only harmful for everyone involved, but it causes unnecessary hurt and upset for trans people while working directly against the core of the issue - we should be aiming to improve safety, not hinder it.
We’ve used the “bathroom debate” a lot here as an example, but it’s important to recognise that these same problems would arise if we apply the logic to many gendered spaces, be that prisons or hospitals alike - and potentially with even more dire consequences.
Exclusionary policy serves to legitimise hateful behaviour. It’s highly discriminatory nature provides a platform for people to insult and humiliate transgender people without repercussion, and as demonstrated above, present a reduction in safety to all women everywhere, transgender or not.
A society which is inclusive for transgender people, is a society which is safer for everyone.