Sixth of May is 'Thank a Terf' day.

Whether we know only one, or know of many, let's thank a terf.

I was having a chat the other day with my terf friend Di, from the Māori women’s group Mana Wāhine Kōrero (Sovereign Women Speak), and Magdalen Berns came into the conversation.

Briefly, Magdalen Berns was an accomplished young British woman, both in the boxing ring and classroom, who stood up for women’s rights against gender ideology. She boiled the nonsense down into dry, savvy, and succinct vlogs, which had an enormous following. Magdalen also co-founded For Women Scotland, the group who have recently had the victory of the century for women from the UK Supreme Court. In 2019, just as I began terfing, she died from brain cancer, at the age of 36.

In my chat with Di, she said that Mana Wāhine Kōrero, for the third year in a row, were going to celebrate this wonderful woman who was in the vanguard of terfery, by dedicating her birthday, 6^th May, to Thank a Terf day. Sounds good to me.

Terfs have stood strong for women for a long time, even back in the days of second-wave feminism where they and transmaidens locked horns over men who say they’re women. Transmaidens - not a term used back then - wanted to include these men in feminism, but other women said “no way”. This is when the term ‘trans exclusionary radical feminist’ – terf - was first coined, which got resurrected around 2008 (I explain more here about this, from what I have gleaned). Transmaidens in any era who claim to be feminists may think they’re fighting for women’s rights, but their vision is blurred by the vision of the men who say they’re women. How can it not be?

There have always been women who prefer, either consciously or subconsciously, to play by the rules which the men in their particular group lay down (also either consciously or subconsciously). The women aren’t always doormats in their deference to these rules, and many even make the situation work very well for themselves. What they unanimously don’t want, however, is to be in the cold place of disapproval from the men in their group, or from those with the same set of social rules. I have encountered these women all my life, and today’s transmaidens are the same woman as fifty years ago, and beyond, but now they include the rules from men who say they’re women to abide by, as well.

I acknowledge that the world’s a messy place, and most of us just navigate life in the way which works for us according to our sex and circumstances. Terfs make the world a better place for women than transmaidens do, though, and it’s right that we dedicate a day to thank those terfs who have stood solid for women and girls, both today and before. And, gratifyingly, there are many, many terfs we can choose from now to thank.

For myself, I’ve composed a wee verse to each and every one of them. Come the 6^th May, I’ll also put something on my X account - @KatrinaBiggs2. And while you’re on X, check out Mana Wāhine Kōrero - @MKorero – they’ll be doing something fancier than me😊

If you’re a terf, here’s my Thank a Terf verse for you -