LGBT+ community reacts angrily to the transphobic posters across gay village on twitter
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'Terf' posters across gay village cause outrage among LGBT+ community
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Many claim it amounts to hate speech
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Gay village stands by transgender community
The LGBT+ community has turned to Twitter to express its anger at posters in the gay village targeting the transgender community.
The posters, which have been plastered on bar widows along Canal Street, calls on the community to “stop calling women TERFS”, an acronym for Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists.
TERFs are a group of activists who do not believe transgender women should be regarded as real women. There is a heated debate between what many regard as ‘old school feminists – characterised as TERFS – who resist the notion that someone who identifies as female undergoing trans-sexual surgery can be seen as a woman.
The posters claim that the support of transwomen in the gay village is “woman hate”, that transgender women should be classed as male and not allowed in LGBT+ women spaces.
Venice, from the radical feminist Facebook group We Need to Talk, told the Northern Quota that the posters were offensive to many.
She said: “Trans ideology is harmful for lesbians. We don’t like these ‘no terfs on our terf’ posters around the gay village.”
Many people on Twitter have rallied to defend trans rights, arguing that the posters represent hate speech and make the trans community feel unsafe. They have appealed to to the city council to take the posters down.
Many bars and in the gay village have shown support for the transgender community and have stated that there is no space for TERFS and their views in the village.
Gay village nightclub Cruz 101 responded to finding graffiti on toilet walls by the following message on its Facebook page: “We will not stand for it. Trans men and women will always have a safe & protected space at Cruz 101 #WeThinkYoureFabulous”
Churchills, a popular gay bar on Chorlton Street, said: “We fully support our trans brothers and sisters and will not tolerate any form of bullying and harrassment towards them. Churchills are proud to stand alongside all the other venues in the Village to fight for trans equality.”