TERF Wars: Debunking Binary Period Terminology

Words Matter

Teachers, health practitioners, parents: this one's for you.

The first time I heard the term “TERF” was in June of 2020 when I came upon a Tweet posted by the Harry Potter series author, J.K. Rowling, who was on the defensive.

After doing some digging, I learned that TERF is an acronym for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist”. The term, first documented in 2008, applies to a minority of feminists who believe in the exclusion of trans women from women’s spaces, and who, in extreme cases, are proponents of transphobia and in opposition to transgender rights.

Trans-exclusionary views deny the validity of transgender people and transgender identities. They argue that trans-women ‘choose’ to give up their ‘natural-born male privilege’ and as such are not subject to the same benefits and detriments that come with being a ‘woman’. 

This belief ignores the fact that trans women experience themselves as women (because they are women) and as such, they do not experience male privilege in the way that TERFs argue they do. Not to mention the prejudice, exclusion, and dangers that come with being an openly trans individual.

Excluding transgender women from women’s spaces implies that transgender women are not women, which is not only offensive and harmful to the trans community, but it is just plain false. 

The American Medical Association stated in 2018 that it opposes “efforts to deny an individual’s right to determine their stated sex marker or gender identity.”

In the statement, AMA Board Member William E. Kober, M.D. explained that “sex and gender are more complex than previously assumed. It is essential to acknowledge that an individual’s gender identity may not align with the sex assigned to them at birth. A narrow limit on the definition of sex would have public health consequences for the transgender population and individuals born with differences in sexual differentiation, also known as intersex traits.”

In a series of Tweets and statements, Rowling has shown support for ideas that exclude transgender people from identifying themselves as men or women.

In December 2019, Rowling tweeted support for Maya Forstater who was laid off from her job at a think tank for expressing her belief that biological sex is irrevocable.

Forstater’s Tweet stated, “There are two sexes. Men are male. Women are female. It is impossible to change sex. These were until very recently understood as basic facts of life.”

In response to Forstater losing her job over the comments, Rowling wrote, “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill.”

To those who were aware of Rowling’s history, her cis-female-centric Tweet back in June 2020 came as no surprise. It was this Tweet that set off a larger conversation surrounding Rowling’s TERFdom and the gendered dialogue used when referencing menstruation. It features the author labeling menstruation as something experienced only by women.

Rowling’s insinuation that the only “people who menstruate” are “women”, ignited a discussion surrounding the ways in which those two terms relate to one another.  

The conflict that ensued, and which inevitably labeled Rowling as “transphobic” and a “TERF”, was a reminder that many people, most of whom carry no malice for the trans community and non-women menstruators, are ignorant to the nuances surrounding menstruation.

As complex and heated as the Twitter-based argument became, it sparked an important discussion on what it means to be a “person who menstruates” in this day and age. 

Degendering menstruation is a crucial aspect of establishing a conception of gender which is more respectful, understanding, and accepting. 

The words we use matter. This is especially true when it comes to the words we use when speaking with and educating young people. 

Since the onset of language, society has gendered concepts which have nothing to do with gender. Using non-gendered language when discussing such topics is the first step in reconceptualizing a nonbinary society. 

Not all women menstruate and not all those who menstruate are women. 

Yet, much of the dialogue surrounding menstruation - even that which is working in good faith to normalize menstruation in our society - is gendered.

This dialogue perpetuates the misunderstanding of menstruation as an experience natural only to cis-female bodies. 

The TERF drive to normalize menstruation depicts it as a feminine experience in order to counter the argument that women are weaker than men. Within the bounds of patriarchy, menstruation is seen as a hindrance to success and power. TERFs label menstruation as inherently female because it has been used as a reason to exclude women from our male-dominated society. Thus, normalizing menstruation as a female act is meant to empower women, from an exclusionary point of view. 

Like other exclusionary feminist ideals, the mission to normalize menstruation is driven by the aim of equality for and inclusion of women in systemic and social institutions. However, this ideal does not take into account the truth: that menstruation is experienced by more than just cis women. In reality, normalizing menstruation is empowering for and supportive of all types of people who menstruate.

Menstruation is a biological function; it’s not a “woman thing”. It is a highly variable experience that impacts different people in different ways. Gendering body parts or bodily functions is not a requirement for demystifying and destigmatizing menstruation. 

As such, degendering menstruation should be a central aspect of normalizing menstruation. Unlinking it from strictly cis-female bodies bridges the gap between girls and women as menstruators and boys and men as non-menstruators. 

When speaking with children, whether at home or in the classroom, it is important not to exclude any group or individual from the conversation. Degendering dialogue around menstruation creates a safe space for all children and young people to ask questions. This allows room for trans, nonbinary, and intersex children to explore and understand their own identities without shame or confusion, and encourages all children to recognize menstruation, and subsequently other sex and puberty-related phenomena, as nongendered, natural, and inclusive.

The start of menstruation is commonly recognized as the start of “womanhood”, in various social and cultural settings. This is usually perpetuated with the best of intentions! Starting your period can be confusing, frustrating, scary, and physically painful. Making children feel like they are joining a club of sorts - showing them that they aren’t alone - is meant to help them feel included and accepted during a challenging time. 

However, this can also make non-cis children feel the opposite. They might feel unwelcome; that they cannot be part of the club because of how they identify, or that they are being pushed to join a group that they do not identify with.

Either way, labeling menstruation as the onset of womanhood is not necessary to make children who get their periods feel included and supported. The “People Who Menstruate Club” may not be as exclusive as the “Womanhood Club”, but it is certainly just as special and jam-packed with people who understand and are willing to help and support new members. 

In order to avoid labeling cis menstruators as the “normative” menstruator, and other menstruators as “different”, or worse, nonexistent, it is important to degender menstruation. 

The term ‘menstruator’ “expresses solidarity with women who do not menstruate, transgender men who do, and intersexual and genderqueer individuals,” (Bobel, 2010). 

Changing the Menstruation Conversation

Instead of women’s health use menstrual health

Instead of feminine hygiene use menstrual support

Instead of addressing girls and women when referencing menstruation, use people with periods, people who menstruate, or menstruators

Including every body in the menstruation conversation is a MUST. 

As a 24-year-old Gen Z, I am grateful for the recent unlearning and reshaping of my personal conception of menstruation, and gender as a whole, because when I was a kid, the conversation around puberty was divided into “boys” and “girls.” I remember meeting people at university (keep in mind this was just back in 2015-2018 for me) who had little to no understanding of menstrual health because they had been kept in a separate room to learn about “boy stuff” when going through sex education in school. 

When asking a question about sexual health feels dangerous or impossible for a student because they do not fall under the binary category of a person who menstruates, or a person who requires birth control, or a person who has sex with men - to name a few - a myriad of problems will follow, long after graduation. 

This needs to change. 

Luckily, it already is! Along with other organizations, EAGER Network is at the forefront of providing information and resources for raising and educating children who feel comfortable in their own skin, and who feel safe asking questions. 

Be a part of this change by creating safe spaces for students, educating yourself and others on proper terminology, and degendering your curriculum!

Working for a safer, brighter, and more colorful future, one classroom at a time.