Guernsey Press

Deputy Parkinson forced to defend Twitter use of TERF ‘slur’

A ‘TERF WAR’ has sparked a debate on identity, following a Twitter interaction between Deputy Charles Parkinson and Danielle Sebire of the St Peter Port Douzaine.

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Deputy Charles Parkinson has been criticised for using for using the term ‘TERF’ – meaning Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist – in an online exchange with St Peter Port douzenier Danielle Sebire. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 26778648)

Deputy Parkinson has faced an online backlash for using the term ‘TERF’ – meaning Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist.

‘There is no issue with using the term TERF,’ Ellie Jones from Liberate said.

‘The term is now seen as a negative, where some people do not like being branded a TERF.

‘It is usually used in relation to people who claim to be feminists but then display transphobic behaviour.’

Many Twitter users have responded, claiming it is hate speech and a slur, calling Deputy Parkinson a misogynist, or reporting his account for using the term, saying it is inappropriate for a deputy to use.

‘Some people don’t like being called a TERF in the same way that some people don’t like being called a racist or a bully,’ Miss Jones said.

‘But if someone is displaying racist behaviour then I believe that you’d be entitled to call them racist, and, in the same vein, if someone is a feminist that wants to exclude trans women then they would be a TERF, and someone is entitled to say as much.’

The matter started when Deputy Parkinson responded to Ms Sebire’s Tweet, which reflected that left-leaning voters might have voted against left-of-centre parties during the UK General Election due to policies which are inclusive of trans-people.

Ms Sebire ‘did not think that these issues alone were the only reason why [the Conservatives] gained a majority but possibly one smaller piece of the bigger picture’.

Ms Sebire said she had seen women ‘leaving political parties or becoming politically homeless over policy on self-identification. Not just self-ID, but protection of single-sex spaces,’ and so wanted to start conversations about it.

Deputy Parkinson’s response read: ‘a handful of TERFs cannot have made any difference to the result’ of the UK General Election.

‘My contention was that there weren’t enough people who were gender critical (or TERFs), who would now brand themselves as politically homeless, to have any influence on the UK election,’ said Deputy Parkinson.

‘It seemed to be the handful part and not the term itself that people were particularly critical of.’

The term was created by feminists who self-identified as TERFs, to distinguish from radical feminists who were trans positive or neutral.

‘This resulted in receiving replies from all over the world, which I have experienced before and I believe it is called a pile-on.

‘I got a flood of emails,’ Deputy Parkinson said.

‘People who want to silence people not to use the term TERF are just trying to silence people who call them out for being transphobic,’ said Miss Jones.

‘If Charles has used the term in the correct context then what we should be looking at is what the cause of the transphobia that caused him to say this, rather than vilify him for calling out transphobia.’

With an interest in politics and as a supporter of women’s and LGBT rights, Ms Sebire said: ‘I follow a lot of Twitter accounts that discuss these issues.

‘In the last few years there seems to have been a real split in opinion in regards to self-identification and protection of single-sex spaces, such as women’s prisons and refuges. I have observed some women tweeting in strong opposition to the policies of the left, as they have concerns they may have negative impacts on women.

‘I do not currently have a fixed position myself. My own personal thoughts and opinions are continually evolving as I learn more about the potential impacts of these policies,’ said Ms Sebire.

‘I do, however, think as people explore the potential impacts that self-identification and any removal of sex-based exemptions could have on them, it is only reasonable they should be able to talk through any genuine concerns without prejudice.’

Deputy Parkinson said: ‘The question is, if people who in the UK regard themselves as politically homeless, then they really need to ask themselves why they can’t support any political party.

‘Most policies of the mainstream political parties are generally pretty sensible. Those who can’t support trans and women’s rights alike base their arguments on speculation. Can anybody cite an example [of identifying as trans to access single-sex spaces]? These are largely non-existent bogey people.’