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CW: blerfery, terfery
"bi lesbian is a term invented by terfs to attack trans women!"
No.
It's not.
1/19
"bi lesbian is a term invented by terfs to attack trans women!"
No.
It's not.
1/19
What HAS been done is terves insisted that no woman was allowed to call herself "lesbian" if she were non-transmisogynist and accepted trans women as women.
Because, the terfs claimed, "lesbian means women who like ONLY women" (1).
2/19
Because, the terfs claimed, "lesbian means women who like ONLY women" (1).
2/19
... and the terves classified trans women as "not women".
Therefore, according to terf logic, any lesbian who likes both trans and cis women must be bisexual. And not a lesbian at all.
3/19
Therefore, according to terf logic, any lesbian who likes both trans and cis women must be bisexual. And not a lesbian at all.
3/19
They would never, ever claim that a trans-inclusive woman attracted to trans women and cis women was a "bi lesbian" ...
... because they don't believe such women ARE lesbians!
4/19
... because they don't believe such women ARE lesbians!
4/19
To the terves, being attracted to both trans women and "real [i.e., cis]" women, yet calling yourself a "lesbian" is a sign of a self-loathing bisexual who can't admit she's a bisexual.
Being a non-transmisogynistic lesbian was an act of biphobia, therefore. (2)
5/19
Being a non-transmisogynistic lesbian was an act of biphobia, therefore. (2)
5/19
Terves hate the term "bi lesbian" and mock it routinely, not in the sense of "haw haw this isn't a lesbian it's a bi lesbian" but rather "haw haw this is biphobic and lesbophobic!" (3)
6/19
6/19
They wouldn't use the term "bi lesbian" as an insult because they wouldn't call such a person a lesbian.
They say that such a term is invalidating to both lesbians and bisexuals. (4)
7/19
They say that such a term is invalidating to both lesbians and bisexuals. (4)
7/19
Now you may have noticed that I've dropped some numbers here. They're not citations, they're footnotes. And they indicate every time that blerf logic and terf logic is indistinguishable.
8/19
8/19
(1) "lesbian means women who ONLY like women!"
This is said by both blerves and terves.
However, this definition is relatively new, introduced in the 1970s by second-wave, exclusionist, political lesbians who drove wlw bisexuals and trans women from lesbiandom.
9/19
This is said by both blerves and terves.
However, this definition is relatively new, introduced in the 1970s by second-wave, exclusionist, political lesbians who drove wlw bisexuals and trans women from lesbiandom.
9/19
(2) "an act of biphobia, therefore"
Blerves, like terves, regularly accuse self-identified lesbians (and bisexuals!) as "bisexuals who refuse to admit it", as if bi lesbians are ignorant, naive waifs who need a stranger to define their sexuality for them.
10/19
Blerves, like terves, regularly accuse self-identified lesbians (and bisexuals!) as "bisexuals who refuse to admit it", as if bi lesbians are ignorant, naive waifs who need a stranger to define their sexuality for them.
10/19
(3) "haw haw this is biphobic and lesbophobic!"
This is not even analogous to the terf position regarding trans women, this is LITERALLY the terf position on "bi lesbian".
Which is also LITERALLY the blerf position on "bi lesbians".
11/19
This is not even analogous to the terf position regarding trans women, this is LITERALLY the terf position on "bi lesbian".
Which is also LITERALLY the blerf position on "bi lesbians".
11/19
(4) "invalidating to both bisexuals and lesbians"
Terves are really really big on the idea that thanks to the existence of trans women, "real [i.e. cis]" women have no meaning any more. Trans women are literally stealing womanhood from them.
12/19
Terves are really really big on the idea that thanks to the existence of trans women, "real [i.e. cis]" women have no meaning any more. Trans women are literally stealing womanhood from them.
12/19
Their entire premise is that a trans woman's self-identification is, rather than just something someone else in the big wide world believes, a violent material threat to their lives.
This is the level of rhetoric they use to attack trans women.
13/19
This is the level of rhetoric they use to attack trans women.
13/19
Likewise, blerves rely on the SAME tactic as terves.
Rather than viewing a bi lesbian as "someone out there on the internet with a silly [sic] way of identifying themselves," they instead claim this invalidates ALL lesbians/bisexuals EVERYWHERE.
14/19
Rather than viewing a bi lesbian as "someone out there on the internet with a silly [sic] way of identifying themselves," they instead claim this invalidates ALL lesbians/bisexuals EVERYWHERE.
14/19
Thus someone's personal self-identification is cast as a violent existential threat to a huge group.
But it doesn't work that way.
No other person's good-faith self-identification is a threat to your identity and well-being.
15/19
But it doesn't work that way.
No other person's good-faith self-identification is a threat to your identity and well-being.
15/19
CW: sexual assault
Another blatant parallel is how blerves insist that the bi/pan self-identification promotes harassment and assault by straight men against lesbians.
16/19
Another blatant parallel is how blerves insist that the bi/pan self-identification promotes harassment and assault by straight men against lesbians.
16/19
CW: sexual assault
This is DIRECTLY analogous to the terf claim that trans women's existence leads to straight cis men assaulting women, such as in bathrooms or other single-gender spaces.
17/19
This is DIRECTLY analogous to the terf claim that trans women's existence leads to straight cis men assaulting women, such as in bathrooms or other single-gender spaces.
17/19
CW: sexual assault
In both cases are the exclusionists happy to not only blame queer people for male violence but to weaponize that male entitlement as a rhetorical cudgel against the very victims of such violence.
18/19
In both cases are the exclusionists happy to not only blame queer people for male violence but to weaponize that male entitlement as a rhetorical cudgel against the very victims of such violence.
18/19
So, yeah, "bi lesbian is a transmisogynistic slur created by terves" is at best ignorant garbage and at worst is callous bigotry.
tl;dr: blerves are terves
19/19
tl;dr: blerves are terves
19/19
