Let's Talk TERFs: Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists

What are TERFs? 

Well, let’s start with what a TERF is NOT. A TERF is not someone who believes in full equality for all people. A “non-radical” feminist will believe that all people, no matter their sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity should have equal rights. Feminists believe that all people should be allowed in all spaces.  A TERF does not believe this. 

TERF stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist.  

A TERF believes strongly in biology regarding sex and gender. TERFs believe that transgender individuals are not transgender. These people see transgender people as the gender or sex that they were born with, not as the gender/sex that they truly are.  

TERFs focus on the biology of people and where they should belong based on their biology. Because of this belief, they are against transgender individuals. They do know that transgender people exist, however, but this does not mean that they like the thought of transgender people.  

TERFs assume that these people are not really transgender but rather that they glamorize the idea of being the other sex. 

White feminism is closely related to TERFs. “White feminism is a kind of epistemological violence: a way of seeing and understanding the world that expresses and begets imperialist ideologies and subsequently helps to reinforce, rather than dismantle, systems of oppression,” (Da Costa, 2021). Feminists try to dismantle systems of oppression while TERFs are working within these systems of oppression to keep people oppressed.  

White feminism largely focuses on white women and their oppression, not the oppression of ALL women. White feminism was built on a level of power and privilege. TERFs fit into this white feminist discourse. This is because TERFs are a prime example of how feminism can be colonized by women with a certain degree of power and privilege. TERFs use their biology as women to have power over those who are transgender, specifically transgender women.  

What makes TERFs so dangerous? 

On TikTok, TERFs can be quite popular. I, Bailey, had gone “undercover” and created a TERF TikTok account. Here, it did not take long for TERF ideologies to flood my feed.  

It is argued that social media can be a safe space for minorities, especially young people who are part of the 2sLGBTQIA+ community. TikTok allows minority groups to be able to interact with one another, which is great! But then there is the risk that these minority groups are faced with groups that are advocating AGAINST them; and in this case, the group would be TERFs.  

The flag pictured above is the unofficial TERF flag, whose colours are similar to that of the Gender Queer flag.

TERFS on TikTok

“Trans-exclusionary radical feminism is not feminism; it is an ideological code that turns on universalizing assumptions and subsequently limits feminist inquiry to the imperial schematics of Western society,” (Da Costa, 2021). 

Below I have included three TikTok's that demonstrate TERF-ism:

This first TikTok demonstrates how transgender women are not looked upon favourably when it comes to women’s sports. Transgender women are seen as being “too strong” or “too fast” to be able to compete with cisgender women. The claim that “it is not fair” for transgender and cisgender women to compete together is a common ideology amongst TERFs. 

The second TikTok provides statistics about sexual offenders in prison systems. It is not stated in the video, but the caption did specify the percentages to the UK only. However, this data cannot be trusted as there are no sources to back up the claims. TERFs will often do this as a way to instill fear into others without having proper data.  

This third TikTok discusses gender identity and gender affirming care. The argument that “woman is just an identity and not an adult human female” is not entirely true. Both can exist in the same space. TERFs will often ignore when “adult human females” will get gender affirming care for themselves, these could be breast augmentations, brazillian butt lifts, or even liposuction. TERFs see that plastic surgery is only a reality for the patriarchy, hence why transgender women will “get surgeries and take hormones to mimic female bodies.” 

By these three videos alone, it is clear how dangerous TERFs can be for the mental health of teenagers and young adults who are transgender. TERFs and TERF ideologies are damaging. Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done about TERFs on TikTok. The best course of action people can take it so report the accounts, which is what I will be doing along with deleting my undercover TERF account.  

Sources:

"Carpet Muncher” (@yourmommasgff). (2025). TikTok. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSfpYqtSM/. 

Da Costa, Jade. (2021). “The 'New' White Feminism: Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism and the Problem of Biological Determinism in Western Feminist Theory”. TransNarratives: Scholarly and Creative Works on Transgender Experience (pp. 317-334). Women’s Press. 

Erika. (@erikalujoy). (2025). TikTok. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSfpYp5mx/. 

“rf_hottakes 2” (@radfem_hottakes). (2025). TikTok. https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSfpYvSLQ/.