DU depresses me sometimes. Seems TERFs get to run free in GD...

[backscatter712]

Latest example:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027150702

SMH...

[PatrickforO]

1. What are TERFs?

I did a back and forth with this guy and he's worried for the sake of his daughters that some creep will use the false excuse that he's trans to go into a woman's bathroom so he can peep. I guess it's a legitimate concern if you look at it like that, but honestly, I don't see that becoming much of a problem.

But what is a TERF?

[backscatter712]

3. TERF = Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist...

or as I prefer to call them, bigots.

They're essentially feminists that hate trans people. They're the Westboro Baptist Church of feminism. In the past, they've doxxed trans people, called their employers and doctors to get them fired or deprived of medications. In one case, a TERF organization teamed up with the Pacific Justice Institute (a right-wing anti-gay and anti-trans group) to harass a trans teen until she became suicidal.

Of course, the bigots in the thread I linked could be right-wing trolls, or just mundane assholes.

[PatrickforO]

6. Oh. Geez. I didn't know.

Why in the heck do people have to be such jerks? I mean, if someone is trans, they have enough on their plate without having to worry about that hate crap. I had no idea such a group even existed. But you know, zealots of any stripe are very, very destructive. To call employers and doctors is really hate filled and the act of horrible human beings.

[Warpy]

27. You mean TELAWs

Trans Exclusionary Ladies Against Women.

Most of the women who don't want to share restrooms with their trans sisters are the fluttery types who think feminists are ugly man haters and like patriarchy because there is so little room for them to fail.

Offhand, I'd say most of the objection to trans women using the ladies' is coming from men.

[Old Union Guy]

32. Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist?

The thread linked in the OP doesn't appear to be "radical feminist" of any persuasion, including self-so-called.

[yardwork]

33. I saw no TERFs in that thread.

Most of the bigots are right-leaning straight males, according to their DU identification. The others are right-leaning straight female posters who are far from feminists.

No radical feminists in the thread at all. Not sure why TERFs were even brought up.

[Starry Messenger]

9. It really isn't much of a problem.

It's been studied, and men are not using trans-inclusive laws to do what the OP says. http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/03/20/15-experts-debunk-right-wing-transgender-bathro/198533

There are reports there from many states saying that this literally is not a thing.

Unfortunately, the rw fires up people's fears, which keeps transgender women in real danger.

I don't think TERFs should be allowed to call themselves feminists at all. They are more like gender supremacists.

[PatrickforO]

12. Yeah. I hear that.

I had no idea about this whole thing; just a basic acceptance of LGBT people. But like I said in an earlier post, zealots of any stripe are dangerous people. And this guy who posted the OP she was talking about might be dangerous too.

It bothers me that people can't just leave each other alone.

[nomorenomore08]

13. Yeah, I think they pretty much just hate anyone who has (or once had) a penis.

Not all radfems are like that, of course, but the most extreme ones certainly are.

[LostOne4Ever]

15. What is to keep a female creep from doing that?

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Or A male creep from doing that to someone's young sons?

If they actually gave two shits about privacy they would not be advocating laws that actively discriminate against trans and non binary people, but rather for passing laws requiring full sturdy stalls with locks.

The person you are talking about wants to require people to show their medical papers before being allowed into the restroom...[/font]

[JustAnotherGen]

17. I saw your response in that thread

And your argument was clear and on point.

And he never DID come back and tell us precisely what his definition is of a biological man.

[LostOne4Ever]

20. I hardly did anything in that thread

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]I think you are mistaking me for Behind the Aegis.

He, along with Backscatter, Starry messenger, Warren stupidity, Cal Carpenter, Uppityperson, and others did way way more than I did. I mainly played cheerleader.

Those are the ones who deserve kudos!

They rock

[/font]

[JustAnotherGen]

21. Oh but you did!

And kudos to all of those you mentioned too!

[peacebird]

2. .. sorry for being dense, but what is a terf?

[backscatter712]

4. See post 3. n/t

[Warren Stupidity]

5. that is a shameful op. The poster is an overt and now proud and smug bigot.

[MuseRider]

7. It baffles me

that anyone calling themselves a feminist would not understand. It actually baffles me why anyone does not understand.

[Small Accumulates]

8. Yes this is very ugly

I do wish this kind of ugliness was unacceptable here.

[SusanCalvin]

10. Oh wow, I didn't even notice the giveaway at the top.

"Not referring to single-stall restrooms here but to setups like in highway rest stops where there are multiple stalls which have doors but do not provide complete privacy because of the gaps around the doors."

Fer gosh sake. I believe we are supposed to picture pervs peeking through the cracks.

Sheesh.

[icymist]

11. I have a theory that this person is a bigot that's peeved about the SCOTUS decision on SSM

and is attacking what they see as the weakest of the LGBT community. It is all hate, pure and simple. It's outrageous to think that they want to rule over others by a simple consensus, in the form of a poll no less, of who the DU considers to be allowed to use the bathroom! I'm just ignoring people like that on a bulletin board because any talking with them is giving their ego the (imagined) power they so crave.

[nomorenomore08]

14. I chose "pass" on that poll. Because it's disingenuous.

And I don't believe that person is a TERF, but rather a "moderate" (AKA conservative) Dem who plays at being semi-progressive when they feel like it.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. ITA

Your assessment is spot on.

[mercuryblues]

31. Thank you for that

I looked at the names on the poll and it did not appear to me that there were feminists on the "no" option. It upsets me that the OP went straight to blaming feminists instead of what they really are, bigoted asswipes. Some of those names I have rolled my eyes at, they say they are feminists but use the dog whistles that degrade females.

[LostOne4Ever]

16. What I find really sad about this whole thing

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]How are we ever going to the public to accept trans rights and acceptance when we can't even get DU on board. [/font]

[nomorenomore08]

23. Ambivalence is certainly better than outright hostility, but regardless, I hear what you're saying.

It's a long, hard struggle for any group seen as "other" to become an acknowledged part of mainstream society.

[JustAnotherGen]

18. I chose pass on the poll

Because the premise of a biological man wasn't fully defined.

There was all kinds of backhanded slap going on in that nonsense thread.

So I'm kicking this for the truth . . . and recommending it because I'm not going to tolerate a woman being forced into the men's room (I've peed in them before - urinal zones are NASTY . )where she is most likely to be physically assaulted or the victim of a hate crime than she is when she's peeing with the girls.

I'm a black woman and I have my own issues. I'll take care of those. But who is going to take care of those who are vulnerable and existing in a cookie cutter world of what is acceptable and what is not?


I am my sister's and brother's keeper. So it's on me.

[backscatter712]

22. Seems Nye Bevan's still got free reign in GD...

...and I get a post hidden for telling him what I really thought of him.

Welcome to DU, where the site's owners just want to collect checks, and don't give a shit.

[SwankyXomb]

29. That poster is a perfect example

of what I call "five figure fuckheads", people who can get away with all kinds of shit on DU because their high post counts. If that exact same OP had gone up from someone with 50 posts, they would have been just another Name Removed.

[backscatter712]

30. Another poster here explained that directly to Skinner,

Last edited Fri Sep 11, 2015, 07:33 PM - Edit history (1)

and he also got put in timeout, after publicly expressing his displeasure with this particular five-figure fuckhead and his bigotry.

[Fearless]

24. Oh aren't they just sooooo thoughful...

Having had ACTUAL experience in this area... Unisex bathrooms I mean... It was never an issue. Ever. No one raped anyone. Shocker I know! Sad that in this day in age the "she's asking for it" argument is still being used out of fear of what someone doesn't understand.

[backscatter712]

25. Apologies for dropping out for the past couple days...

Got put on timeout after I *ahem* expressed myself to one of DU's transphobes.

[GitRDun]

26. I didn't stay in that thread long enough to take a breath.

If you're headed to the bathroom and anywhere in your top ten of things your thinking about is, "Gee I wonder if there is a transgender person in here?"....you've got problems.

Live and let live....

[arcane1]

28. A creep can always dress like a woman and enter the restroom. Always could. They just don't.

I'm not sure why people like that poster fail to realize that