| Title: |
TERF Intimate Publics: Anti-gender Images and Feelings. |
| Authors: |
CHURCH, Jo1 Jo.church@unimelb.edu.au |
| Source: |
Politikon. Jan2025, Vol. 59 Issue 1, p115-133. 19p. |
| Subject Terms: |
*RADICAL feminism, *FASCISM, *RACISM, *NATIONALISM, TRANS-exclusionary radical feminism |
| Abstract: |
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 cisheteronormativity 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: |
Political Science Complete |
