trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERF)
What to know
Trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERFism) advocates against rights and protections for trans women and denies the validity of nonbinary identities. Those who ascribe to this belief system see gender as purely biological, rigid, and binary. The ideology of “gender-critical feminism” emerged in the 1970s when some feminists sought to exclude trans women from women’s spaces (although many would go on to support trans-inclusive feminisms). The label took root online in 2008 and became more widespread beginning in the mid 2010s. TERF and “gender-critical feminist” are often used interchangeably and refer to the same core ideology, though some proponents object to the term TERF. The Trans Journalists Association argues that both terms are euphemisms for transphobia.
TERFism frequently invokes systemic inequalities and violence against cisgender women as a uniquely vulnerable population. It holds that allowing trans women into spaces such as women’s bathrooms, shelters, and prisons opens up cis women to risk of violence at the hands of trans women. Research suggests the opposite is true; trans women are disproportionately likely to be victims, not perpetrators, of gender-based violence, with Black trans women being at especially high risk.
TERFism seeks to create a culture that only affirms sex assigned at birth and restricts or eliminates access to gender-affirming health care for trans people specifically, despite widespread agreement in the medical community that such care can be necessary. TERFism also argues that using gender-neutral language when discussing issues like reproductive health care (such as saying “pregnant people”) erases women, and that the inclusion of trans and nonbinary people comes at the expense of cis women. Legal advocates have countered that the ideology enables further policing and scrutinization of women and their bodies (for example, cis women have been harassed in bathrooms because people perceived them to be trans and banned from the Olympics for their testosterone levels).
The TERF movement and the far right have aligned in some cases to promote policies that deny rights and protections to trans people. As of September 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union was tracking over 600 anti-LGBTQ+ rights bills across the country. Of those, 141 would limit or prevent transgender people from accessing gender-affirming healthcare, with the remaining focused on bans including those prohibiting transgender people from using a public bathroom that corresponds to their gender, as well as curriculum censorship and opposition to drag performance.
Critics of TERFism have pointed to bias and other failures in legacy media’s reporting on trans communities. Media coverage of these issues is used to inform life-changing policy in courts, further highlighting what’s at stake. The Trans Journalists Association advises that labeling TERFism as transphobic or anti-trans is necessary for accurate coverage. Use of any of these terms will benefit from explanation of the actual views being discussed.
Additional resources
- TERF: what it means and where it came from (TransAdvocate)
- Stylebook and Coverage Guide (Trans Journalists Association)
- The Secret Internet of TERFs (The Atlantic)
Summary
Trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERFism) advocates against rights and protections for trans women and denies the validity of nonbinary identities. Those who ascribe to this belief system see gender as purely biological, rigid, and binary. The ideology of “gender-critical feminism” emerged in the 1970s, took root online in 2008, and became more widespread beginning in the mid 2010s. TERF and “gender-critical feminist” are often used interchangeably and refer to the same core ideology. The Trans Journalists Association argues that both terms are euphemisms for transphobia.