The goal behind this page is to clarify any acronyms or terminology used in regards to radical feminism and sex/gender discussions. These definitions were written in an honest attempt to be as factual as possible.
AFAB : An acronym that stands for Assigned Female At Birth. Originally created for intersex communities, the acronym has been appropriated by the transgender community, who now consider it to mean that a "female gender" is "assigned at birth" instead of the female sex being observed as a baby develops in the womb and is born.
AGAB : An acronym that stands for Assigned Gender At Birth. Primarily used within the transgender community, as it requires the belief that "genders" instead of biological sexes are "assigned" at birth.
AMAB : An acronym that stands for Assigned Male At Birth. Originally created for intersex communities, the acronym has been appropriated by the transgender community, who now consider it to mean that a "male gender" is "assigned at birth" instead of the male sex being observed as a baby develops in the womb and is born.
Bisexual : Describes a person attracted to the both sexes. Can be referred to as "bi."
Enby : Slang for nonbinary.
Feminist : An advocate for feminism.
Feminism : The advocacy for the liberation of female people (women and girls).
Female : ♀ Of or denoting the sex that produces ova, which can be fertilized by sperm (male gamete) in order to produce offspring.
FTM : An acronym for Female To Male, referring to a woman who claims she is a man. Referred to as a TIF in gender critical communities or transman in transgender communities.
Gay : Describes a person who is homosexual.
Gender : A social construct that generally refers to masculine and feminine qualities that stem from sex-based stereotypes. Sometimes used to refer to biological sex, causing confusion between the two terms.
Gender critical : A viewpoint that does not believe in gender ideology and does not support perpetuating gender roles in society.
Gender identity : The notion that a person has an internal and individual experience of gender.
Gender ideology : The belief that people have innate gender identities.
Gender roles : The roles that men and women are expected to occupy in a society derived from sex-based stereotypes.
Heterosexual : Describes a person attracted to the opposite sex. Commonly referred to as "straight."
Homosexual : Describes a person attracted to the same sex. Commonly referred to as "gay" for either sex or lesbian for women.
HSTS : An acronym that stands for Homosexual Transsexual, referring to gay men who identify as transgender.
Intersex : Encompasses a group of medical conditions in which there is a variation from what is expected in a person's chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex. Alternatively called "differences of sexual development" (DSD). Various medical resources claim the prevalence of intersex conditions—depending on what is considered intersex according to the study—ranges from around 0.018% to 1.7%. Transgender people are not the same as intersex people. (Learn more about the term "intersex" here.)
Lesbian : A woman who is homosexual.
LGB : An acronym for Lesbian Gay Bisexual, an activist movement advocating for homosexual and bisexual rights.
LGBT : An acronym that combines LGB with Transgender, an activist movement advocating for LGB rights plus transgender ideology. Later acronyms include LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, LGBTQIA+, LGBTQIA2S+, etc.
Male : ♂ Of or denoting the sex that produces sperm, which can fertilize ova (female gamete) in order to produce offspring.
Man : Adult male human.
MTF : An acronym for Male To Female, referring to a man who claims he is a woman. Referred to as a TIM in gender critical communities or transwoman in transgender communities.
NB : An acronym for Non-Binary.
Nonbinary : A person who "identifies as" neither a man nor a woman. Primarily used within the transgender community, as it further perpetuates the notion that men and women are defined by societal gender roles and if an individual does not want to conform to gender roles, then they are "nonbinary." A person who identifies as nonbinary is not the same as a person who is intersex.
Patriarchy : The system in which men hold the economic and political power, whether in the family or within society, and have control over women (over their bodies, their work, their sexuality, etc.), resulting in the subordination of women to men.
Radical feminism : A specific subset of feminism which values dismantling the traditional patriarchal power structure and gender roles that keep women oppressed. "Radical" refers to the the Latin radix meaning "root." Radical feminist theory analyzes the power structures that oppress the female sex.
Radical feminist : A woman who advocates for radical feminism.
Sex : Referring to biological sex. Either of the two divisions, designated female and male, by which most organisms are classified on the basis of their reproductive organs and functions. Sometimes referred to as "gender" in "polite" conversation, further muddying the distinction between the two terms.
Sex-based stereotypes : Stereotypes based on the sexes. Examples include notions like "only men like football, only women like knitting" or "boys wear blue, girls wear pink."
SWERF : An acronym that stands for Sex Worker-Exclusionary Radical Feminist. Commonly used to dismiss radical feminist viewpoints on how pornography and prostitution harm women.
TERF : An acronym that stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist. Commonly used to insult radical feminists or women who are gender critical. Some women have chosen to reclaim the term.
TIF : An acronym that stands for Transgender Identifying Female, referring to a biological woman who identifies as transgender. Used within gender critical communities.
TIM : An acronym that stands for Transgender Identifying Male, referring to a biological man who identifies as transgender. Used within gender critical communities.
TIP : An acronym that stands for Transgender Identifying Person, referring to a person who identifies as transgender. Used within gender critical communities.
TRA : An acronym that stands for Transgender Rights Advocate, referring to a person who advocates for the transgender community. Used within gender critical communities.
Transgender : Describes a person who feels they were "born in the wrong body," referring to their biological sex, and believes in gender ideology.
Transgender community : A group of transgender people who believe in transgender ideology.
Transgender ideology : The belief that people can be transgender.
Transsexual : A person who identifies as transgender and has taken cross-sex hormones and/or received plastic surgery to physically mimick the opposite sex.
Transman : A transgender person who was born female, and "identifies as" a man.
Transwoman : A transgender person who was born male, and "identifies as" a woman.
Woman : Adult female human.