I made a post on r/fourthwavewomen about maybe using acronyms against libfems in the exact same manner they do to us. I think this is a pretty handy tip, as we know they automatically resort to TERF or SWERF when an argument isn't going their way , it is a tactic that lets them use the power of ridicule to distract from the fact that they can't articulate a thoughtful idea, and demonstrating how easy it is to appropriate this tactic may take away any power from them.
So what do you think ? Do you agree with this mindset or not ?
In my mind libfem and pickme are sufficient… but ultimately, my MO is to avoid engaging with them all together. It’s pointless
I'm against name calling but just for fun:
TIRL - Trauma inflicting liberal feminist. 😅
PFS - Patriarchy foot soldiers.
SRHF - Sexually regressive harmful feminist.
INF - Individualist not feminist.
SPVW - Sex pandering validation women.
English is not my first language lol.
I'm surprised that the post got removed, r/fourthwavewomen is usually pretty unapologetically radical feminist... I agree with you and I found this part of your post in the thread well written :
"When a liberal feminist accuses you of being a SWERF because you dared to speak about prostitution in an unfavorable way, it's because of two things a) she knows she can't critically engage with your ideas, and b) she, like most people, understands the appeal of sarcasm and ridicule in leveraging the situation to her advantage. No matter how much you may present decent arguments, the appeal of humor, sarcasm and ridicucle is that strong and you need to do something to counter-attack her attitude at that level."
But I'm not completely sold on "PRALF" as a radfem counterpart to SWERF because prostitution isn't always rape... the argument against prostitution isn't just that some of it is rape, it's more complex than that and PRALF diminishes the complexity of radfem arguments against sex work. Another radfem argument against sex work for example is that a lot of adult sex workers willingly go into the sex trade because they are naive and brainwashed into believing that sex work isn't so bad only to end up traumatized by it once they do it. That's not really "rape" in the same way that being held at gunpoint by a pimp and forced to prostitute yourself is, I think "exploitation" is a more fitting term than "rape" in that case. Something like SEALF (sexual exploitation apologist liberal feminist) might be a bit more palatable than PRALF because of this, it's more broad.
I don't think SWERF or TERF is that bad - I mean that's literally what I am, I don't think trans women are women and I don't think sex work is work 🤷🏽♀️
Anyway - libfems willingly try to "reappropriate" terms like 'bitch' and call themselves that, so I think they've got the whole 'ridiculing themselves' thing covered already. Like, nobody takes liberal feminists seriously other than liberalfeminists - men see them as easy game, politically inclined people see them as ditzy, and radfems will never respect them either.
Part of me likes the idea because they treat us so badly and sometimes people like that need to be treated the way they treat others.
But I feel like the name calling libfems do to us makes THEM look bad. So I don’t want to stoop to their level.
I think terms like pick me, handmaiden etc are good enough
PPASO
Pro Pimp Activist Sell Out
It has been removed. Anyway 4th wave goons isn’t a good sub to post on. If you believe birthing person is offensive then you’re “transphobic”
They resort to name-calling because they are unable to articulate what their beliefs are (because they are nonsensical and change based on what the media tells them to believe). Their cognitive dissonance is so great that they feel extreme anger toward anyone who threatens to shatter their comfortable illusion.
No, we should not stoop to their level.
I don't think we should let them into our inner circle. But I think there is an art to being polite and neutral to people we see frequently. I don't want to be a social justice warrior in any way, shape or form. Most people are freaking out of their minds and nothing I say will change that. I can be zen about it, kick back and have a good laugh in private.
I remember seeing the acronym STEF (Sex Trade Expansionist Feminist/Female) somewhere before. I don’t feel like we need acronyms for them, though, because we have actual arguments against them, and don’t need to reduce our arguments to rhetoric.
I love this idea. But what could we call them that could stick?
SAAF (Sexually Aggressive Anti Female)
SDIAD (Sexual Deviant in a Dress)