Oh good god...
So, as this was something that came up in another thread and kicked off a huge dialogue between Wanderlust and you I'm going to say my peace on this. First, defining "TERF" for those who do not know Terf = Trans Exclusionist Radical Feminist. Ok? Good. As a feminist myself, and radical because I think I am pretty radical, and as a secular pro-life, democratic, feminist. I acknowledge the arguments made by biologically female people who feel threatened by transgender people who call themselves "women" yet do not have and will not understand what it is to be female biologically and physically. It would be the same if I tried to understand how Wanderlust may feel as a gay person. I might have an idea, but my ideas are limited based on what I have read or witnessed. If my source material about this is flawed (ie my only understanding of the feminine is based on pornography, media, and anecdotal experiences) I am only getting a part of the whole picture.
Furthermore, this has been compounded and complicated by people who have been imposters using "gender dysphoria" as a way to avoid being sent to a male prison or to gain access to vulnerable women. These agent provocateurs create strife and discord among women by demanding to be accepted and welcomed (or in some cases, starting a relationship) with women and, when rejected, become aggressive and violent. I'm going to refer to the elephant in the room here and speak on JK Rowling's open letter and her arguments as to why she believes transgenderism is dangerous. She lists it in five points, and I have provided the link to the letter to read for yourself if interested.
The transgender "movement" is dangerous because of the following:
1. It puts caregivers in a dangerous position and emotionally sabotages them into thinking they must allow for their child to undergo a procedure that will permanently alter them forever.
2. It jeopardizes vulnerable women and girls by "redefining" sex and gender
3. It will negatively affect education and society
4. The dysphoria could be a result of a dangerous echo chamber found online that self-perpetuates natural dysphoria felt at puberty
5. It is the byproduct of a misogynistic society to directly quote her words:
"We’re living through the most misogynistic period I’ve experienced. Back in the 80s, I imagined that my future daughters, should I have any, would have it far better than I ever did, but between the backlash against feminism and a porn-saturated online culture, I believe things have got significantly worse for girls. Never have I seen women denigrated and dehumanised to the extent they are now. From the leader of the free world’s long history of sexual assault accusations and his proud boast of ‘grabbing them by the pussy’, to the incel (‘involuntarily celibate’) movement that rages against women who won’t give them sex, to the trans activists who declare that TERFs need punching and re-educating, men across the political spectrum seem to agree: women are asking for trouble. Everywhere, women are being told to shut up and sit down, or else."
Source:
https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/
Rowling was canceled and has faced death threats and has been blackballed by the media. Yet, she has stood by her position on the matter because, in truth, I think she is right.
"I’ve read all the arguments about femaleness not residing in the sexed body, and the assertions that biological women don’t have common experiences, and I find them, too, deeply misogynistic and regressive. It’s also clear that one of the objectives of denying the importance of sex is to erode what some seem to see as the cruel segregationist idea of women having their own biological realities or – just as threatening – unifying realities that make them a cohesive political class. The hundreds of emails I’ve received in the last few days prove this erosion concerns many others just as much. It isn’t enough for women to be trans allies. Women must accept and admit that there is no material difference between trans women and themselves.
But, as many women have told me, ‘woman’ is not a costume. ‘Woman’ is not an idea in a man’s head. ‘Woman’ is not a pink brain, a liking for Jimmy Choos, or any other sexist ideas now somehow touted as progressive. Moreover, the ‘inclusive’ language that calls female people ‘menstruators’ and ‘people with vulvas’ strikes many women as dehumanizing and demeaning. I understand why trans activists consider this language to be appropriate and kind, but for those of us who’ve had degrading slurs spat at us by violent men, it’s not neutral. It’s hostile and alienating."
Source:
https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/
Ultimately, we need to follow the narrative to see the motive as to why such a group demands an all-or-nothing approach. Inclusive means to include to welcome in, and that also means that there will be differences, and it means to recognize those differences for what they are, not try to change the definition or homogenize the group. I find it rather humorous that the trans activists are afraid of being doxxed when they are more than happy to do the deed to a "TERF". Again, the double standard is remarkable.
"We become by performing the action." Aristotle.
"Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions that differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein