Cher calls out trans-exclusionary group of so-called "feminists" https://t.co/QNvwe2zDfT
— huffpostqueer (@huffpostqueer) September 6, 2016
Cher criticizes trans-exclusionary radical feminists, or TERFs. Good for her. As for the person who wrote the HuffPost headline putting “feminists” in quotes and preceding it with “so-called,” I do not see what is accomplished by suggesting that a feminist with offensive views is on that account not really a feminist. That is like saying music you dislike is not really music, which many said about rap.
Instead of wasting our time on fruitless gatekeeping, we should focus on persuasion, on making our case and connecting with people. This is not easy. But the alternative is name-calling. Getting to change requires going through uncomfortable encounters, challenging one another, listening and learning. When we make the struggle about which group is going to be excluded, we evade the essential work.
Update: The tweet that was automatically generated for this message on GLAA’s Twitter account, @glaadc, included a link to this blog entry generated using Google URL Shortener. Our friend Julius informed us that clicking on the short link produces this error message:
http://goo.gl/fb/5v1paH – this goo.gl shortlink has been disabled. It was found to be violating our Terms of Service. Click here and here for more information about our terms and policies respectively.
Really, Google? What term offended you. “Trans-exclusionary”? “Feminist”? This is absurd.