If they were liberal, they tend to be more willing to vote against EVERYTHING else if it means limiting trans rights. Including abortion rights, women's other rights, gay rights, etc. If they were left wing they're useful idiots. And the leaders of TERF movement tend to be right wing.
And we’re running in circles. I already noted I disagree with some of those things.
FSTDT is not entirely representative of a group’s views. Sure, you can find TERFs who think the way you say. But from what I’ve seen, most of them seem to approve of “abortion rights, women's other rights, gay rights”. Hell, as I said, many of them are gay.
As for the leaders, it’s hard to tell at a glance; we’d probably have to say who the leaders are and look at each of them.
Sure, there are those like Posie Parker and Germaine Greer who would probably fall nicely enough under “right-wing”. But others are often not like them, other than in their opposition to trans rights. Just to give a local example, I already noted that the chief TERF in my country is clearly a marxist feminist and a raging anti-clericalist.
Plus you may want to look at groups and pages thzt hold TERFs accountable for words and actions. If indeed it were leftwing (as debatable a point that is), compared to other left wing ideologies, this one was warped far, far fucking easier than any others. Ask yourself why.
The fact that the rest of the left (other than some far leftists) disagree with them doesn’t mean they’re right-wing (or left-wing). To see what they are, you’d have to — as you say — look at their deeds and words.
Also, remember that the left has been a very diverse spectrum, and one that often hasn’t been in favor of LGBTQ rights. An obvious example would be the many communist parties that were in power throughout the world — much of the time, they were quite homophobic and transphobic, and some remain such to this day. Or do you claim that actual communists, very much steeped in communist theory that they tried to put into practice, were actually right-wing? Sounds like “no true Scotsman”… or like the conservatives who keep claiming that “the Nazis were left-wing, actually”.
The screeching "WOMEN'S RIGHTS!!" Is nothing more these days than a fucking dog whistle.
Yes and no.
From our perspective, it does look like a dog-whistle, since they don’t seem to care much for women’s rights as we understand them compared to their transphobia.
But in the mind of your typical TERF, the transphobia *is* a core tenet of their perception of what women’s rights mean.
I think you underestimate how crazed and paranoid TERFs actually are, let alone how genuine. They truly, honestly believe the shit we quote them for. They truly, honestly believe that trans women represent an unprecedented assault on (cis) women’s rights, and that trans rights mean the elimination of women’s rights. They truly, honestly believe that trans men are just confused women attempting to flee sexism. They are convinced that men are out to get women, and that trans women are the insidious forefront of that offensive. Fighting transfolk is the very highest priority for a TERF, as they believe that if they can’t stop the trans offensive they see as conducted against them, then everything is lost.
The difference from trumpist types (and especially Republican and religious right leaders) is that the wingnuts often claim to believe and care for things they don’t, as long as it hurts their favourite targets. They’re cynical. TERFs are not cynical, even though they ally with the right — the things most of them do are quite internally consistent and logical (with some outliers, of course). It’s hard to believe this given how twisted, extreme and — to our eyes — counter-productive their views and actions are. But it’s not because they’re dishonest; it’s because their very definition of what “women’s rights” are, and their priorities, are fundamentally different from yours or mine. Basically, you’re dealing with an alien mindset.
Note: I’m not saying this to in any way justify them. In fact, as I said in my previous post, I think this ‘true belief’ makes TERFs more dangerous. Because their fanaticism is genuine, dearly held and highly focused. They will never be distracted or grow weary.
