TERF Intimate Publics
This article asks: how does trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERFism) function to create an intimate public that generates a sense of belonging along gendered and racialized lines? Drawing from Judith Butler, I use “fascism” as a conceptual frame while analyzing online images and sentiments of...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | Politikon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://politikon.iapss.org/index.php/politikon/article/view/463 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832582525050945536 |
|---|---|
| author | Jo Church |
| author_facet | Jo Church |
| author_sort | Jo Church |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This article asks: how does trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERFism) function to create an intimate public that generates a sense of belonging along gendered and racialized lines? Drawing from Judith Butler, I use “fascism” as a conceptual frame while analyzing online images and sentiments of a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) who belongs to an Australian anti-gender Facebook group. I argue that TERF intimate publics are constituted by feelings of loss and resentment which become alleviated through claiming legitimacy along a “natural” gendered and racialized hierarchy of human worth, through demanding a return of one’s “sex-based rights,” and through a commitment to victimhood. Generating pride in a perceived endangered identity, this article finds that TERF intimate publics uphold the regulatory norms of cis-heteronormativity and whiteness. This analysis reveals that they offer a space for racist nationalism rooted in cis-hetero-misogyny, a crucial finding as TERFism gains traction in the current political moment.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d6c3bdb8d4c4d5d8de83c5c503e0978 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2414-6633 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Politikon |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d6c3bdb8d4c4d5d8de83c5c503e09782025-01-29T15:41:07ZengInternational Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS)Politikon2414-66332025-01-0159110.22151/politikon.12025.5TERF Intimate PublicsJo Church0The University of Melbourne This article asks: how does trans-exclusionary radical feminism (TERFism) function to create an intimate public that generates a sense of belonging along gendered and racialized lines? Drawing from Judith Butler, I use “fascism” as a conceptual frame while analyzing online images and sentiments of a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) who belongs to an Australian anti-gender Facebook group. I argue that TERF intimate publics are constituted by feelings of loss and resentment which become alleviated through claiming legitimacy along a “natural” gendered and racialized hierarchy of human worth, through demanding a return of one’s “sex-based rights,” and through a commitment to victimhood. Generating pride in a perceived endangered identity, this article finds that TERF intimate publics uphold the regulatory norms of cis-heteronormativity and whiteness. This analysis reveals that they offer a space for racist nationalism rooted in cis-hetero-misogyny, a crucial finding as TERFism gains traction in the current political moment. https://politikon.iapss.org/index.php/politikon/article/view/463Trans-exclusionary Radical FeminismTERFIntimate PublicsAnti-gender FeelingsImagesCis-heteronormativity |
| spellingShingle | Jo Church TERF Intimate Publics Politikon Trans-exclusionary Radical Feminism TERF Intimate Publics Anti-gender Feelings Images Cis-heteronormativity |
| title | TERF Intimate Publics |
| title_full | TERF Intimate Publics |
| title_fullStr | TERF Intimate Publics |
| title_full_unstemmed | TERF Intimate Publics |
| title_short | TERF Intimate Publics |
| title_sort | terf intimate publics |
| topic | Trans-exclusionary Radical Feminism TERF Intimate Publics Anti-gender Feelings Images Cis-heteronormativity |
| url | https://politikon.iapss.org/index.php/politikon/article/view/463 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jochurch terfintimatepublics |