From the acronym, Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist, originally applied to anyone sympathetic to the materialist strand of feminism that seeks to counter women's inequality in the material division of reproductive labour and the objectification of women through sex-role stereotypes (aka "gender"). In defining women by the sub-set of males that women's boundaries exclude, the term centres male interests over women's and has been noted as a dehumanizing slur in UK case law.
In common usage, broadened to apply to any critic of gender-based policies, whether feminist or not.
A: doesn't J K Rowling have a right to free speech?
B: naw, terfs don't have rights.
An acronym for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist.
An sub-group of Radical Feminism that believes trans women aren’t women, and thus should be excluded from the feminist movement. They believe that transgender women are all predatory men trying to invade women’s spaces, and that transgender men are all confused lesbians who have been hurt by the patriarchy. Most of them refer to trans women as “trans identified men.” They say they hate women being defined by their genitals, yet genitals are the basis of all their anti-trans arguments. Ironically, they use the same logic misogynists do to defend their arguments. TERFs exclude infertile cis women and cis women who have had a hysterectomy.
TERFs are usually serious misandrists. Other feminist groups dislike them because they make feminism look crazy and full of hate. TERF and radical feminist are not interchangeable, and inclusive Radical Feminists hate being called a TERF.
Other common TERF ideas include:
- Being a SWERF (Sex-work exclusionary Radical Feminist)
- Men cannot be feminists
- Anti-Religion (Usually Islam and Christianity)
- Using the Labrys Lesbian flag
- Many, many other stupid things.
J.K Rowling is a massive TERF.
Terf stands for trans exclusionary radical feminist/feminism, that describes self proclaimed feminists that go against trans and non bianry people.
Terf: I am an adult human female, these trans women want to take my rights!
Other person: trans women dont want to take your rights, they want to exist, terf.
T.E.R.F.
True Earnest Real Females
Trans folk tend to really hate these people not because they are inflicting violence against them, but simply because they are honest with themselves and how they see things.
Twitter User: I'M GONNA LOSE IT IF THIS TERF OPENS HER MOUTH ONE MORE TIME.
Normal human: What did she do?
Twitter User: SHE IS DISAGREEEEING WITH ME REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
An abbreviation of "trans exclusionary radical feminist"
Someone, usually a white cisgender woman, who believes trans women shouldn't be a part of feminism or included in feminist movements because they don't have female reproduction systems or primary sex characteristics.
Terfs often belive that transgender women are all predatory older men, and that transgender men are all confused teenage girls. In the act of excluding trans women from feminism, they also tend to exclude infertile cis women and cis women who have had a hysterectomy or mastectomy.
Terfs also tend to fit themselves into swerf (sex work exclusionary radical feminist), gender critical, and misandrist identifications
Rebecca: Ew, he's such a genderist troon
Amy: her pronouns are she/her you terf whacko.
Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist.
Feminists who live in the 19th century and do not recognize trans rights
- Trans women are not women. They are men wearing dresses
- You’re such a TERF. Go buy yourself a life at Walmart
Trans-Exclusionary-radical-feminist
A group of women that, belong to a vagina cult and believe that if you were a woman and are now a man, you are disgusting and have taken the easy way out of avoiding the oppression of the patriarchy. Or if you are a man that is now a woman you are similarly disgusting and are trying to infiltrate the cult. They are the main reason feminism has such a bad name.
Person 1: “hey Timmy you look sad what’s up”
Timmy: “ I went to a feminism rally was verbally assaulted by this random woman who said I couldn’t be here because I have ‘betrayed my fellow sisters’”
Person 1: “wow they must be a real piece of shit judging you for doing something they should be supportive of”
Timmy: “it was just a terf though so I can’t let it affect me”