The term 'TERF' is an acronym which stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist. This means exactly what it sounds like-a radical feminist who does not recognize transness and therefore does not include trans women in their beliefs on feminism or misogyny. The foundation for this exclusion of transgender folks is that the way society operates, especially with regards to gender differences, is so rooted in patriarchism that TERFs believe trans men only 'choose' to be trans as a means to escape misogyny, and that trans women are really just predatory men using transness as a way to insert themselves into women's spaces (Burns). This perspective is evidently harmful to the trans community because not only does it directly invalidate trans identities, but it also does not recognize non-binary trans people, perpetuates the stereotype that is "queer people are predators," reinforces the false notion that being queer is a choice, along with so many other things. Many TERFs consider 'TERF' to be an offensive term-even though it is an immediate definition for their beliefs-and instead choose to call themselves "gender-critical feminists", but as feminism itself is already critical of gender, this choice of label does not logically follow (Burns).
Though TERFism has been around since as early as the 1970s, the internet has provided a convenient digital platform on which people whose beliefs align with TERFism can congregate with the luxuries of shelter from scrutiny as well as anonymity (if they so desire). There have been academic works on TERF ideologies over time, but much of what dominates the current discourse is not researched, studied, or founded on factual evidence but is rather a culmination of internet-especially Reddit and Twitter-users' opinions and unverified claims. A common format for TERF discourse is the blog response in which the blogger writes commentary on opposing sources while embedding links to other blogs, fora, or content to support their argument (Burns).
Another common medium used by members of the TERF community to share their philosophies in addition to the blog is the forum. A major difference between blogs/fora and most other social media platforms is that they are not meant for reaching one's immediate circle like platforms such as Facebook or Instagram are; rather, they are most commonly shared among and accessed by internet users who have sought out the particular content that a blog or forum may contain. This means that internet users can run and/or frequent blogs and fora either completely anonymously or without anyone in their life knowing about it.
Twitter and Reddit are but a few more social media platforms on which niche subcultures such as TERFism tend to flourish, predominantly because of their ability to divide users on opposite sides of arguments. Due to Reddit's composition of topic-based sub-pages, finding others in a community which is generally stigmatized is made much easier on the site. It is generally unlikely that users who do not adhere to debated ideologies would take up active space on the subReddit page for that ideology. This causes an echo-chamber effect in that once a user decides to enter such a page, the only content they are exposed to going forward is that which reinforces that ideology, which makes them less likely to seek out contrasting perspectives on the subject, which begins a self-perpetuating cycle that the user cannot easily escape. A similar effect is had on Twitter, Tiktok, tumblr, and 4chan, for instance, due to their algorithms and 4chan's forum style (Zdraveski).
There is much overlap between the TERF movement and White feminism as the proposed vulnerability of cis women inherently implicates whiteness
in the protector-protectee dynamic that such women have with (White) cisgender men (Fitzgerald).
One can draw comparisons between racial segregation and the supposed need for separate facilities, and the current debate
regarding trans people's bathrooms. White cis women are framed as unique victims, making anyone that is not White, cis, or 'female'
therefore dangerous in the eyes of these radical feminists (Pearce, Erikainen & Vincent). The internet has long provided a platform
for White feminists to discuss and share opinions on feminism, whether that be in the form of posting essays, using hashtags on Twitter,
or sharing other social and traditional media (Daniels).
TERFism is also a common belief in Fundamental Christianity as transness as a whole is not recognized by most religious
extremists. For example, in Canada specifically there is an extensive history of Christian legislators wrongfully eliminating
the freedom of Indigenous people to express various gender or sexual identities with religious differences as a dominant
motivating factor. There is equally an online community of those who subscribe to the aspects of feminism which agree with their
particular religious beliefs.
Online TERFism is especially harmful for multiple reasons. One is that trans individuals can stumble upon transphobia more frequently online than they might ever in real life because of its presence on common social media platforms such as Twitter. Another reason is that the way in which it is presented is quite palatable to the unknowing viewer-the danger for lapse in critical thought to turn into being roped into a hateful community is inapparent, but still not impossible. The possibility of this content finding its way into the feeds of children or other vulnerable groups is threatening in that this could result in breeding an entire generation or new wave of intolerance and hate toward already-marginalized communities, effectively moving us backwards in the fight for human rights and acceptance.