The main argument that TERFs use to dismiss transgendered women is that “they are not real women.” Clearly, for them, biological determinism is completely fine to use as an argument unless it’s being used against themselves. In other words: “I can judge you for the genitalia that you were born with, but how dare you judge me for mine.”
More than the inherent hypocrisy, however, are the underlying thought processes present in this kind of thinking. The assertion that transgendered women are somehow “less than” obviously damages transgender rights, but also severely damages feminism as a whole. A sizeable, vocal chunk of the movement that brands itself “not as women’s rights, but as equal rights” can’t bring themselves to care about some of the most disenfranchised people in their movement.
There is also something to be said about feminism as an identity as well. Bonding over the oppression of the patriarchy is fundamental to the movement, and is important to talk about. However, the exclusionary, isolating nature of the language used in the movement seems to turn many people off. Women are “feminists;” others are “allies.” Even people who aren’t TERFs identify themselves as feminists, a structured identity that is inherently against the other just by virtue of the exclusionary language. These problems are only compounded when the transgender members of the movement attempting to achieve the same rights — attempting to dismantle the same patriarchy — are attacked from inside their own movement by people who don’t want their help and do not acknowledge the fact that the patriarchy clearly oppresses transgender people as well. Maybe we can dismantle the patriarchy together.
It must be acknowledged that there are feminists who are not TERFs and believe that transgenderism and transsexuality are compatible with feminism. This piece is not about those people. Those people are doing well. I’d like, however, to point out that anyone that thought that it was valid to dismiss TERFs by saying that there are feminists who aren’t TERFs doesn’t really get the point. I’d also like to refer those people to Twitter, where they can post responses with the tag #NotAllFeminists.
