Thank you so much for writing this. I think too many people don’t understand how toxic TERF ideology is, how much it’s designed to dehumanize transgender people and normalize persecution. This is easy for me to understand, maybe, because many of my friends are Black transgender women. And because I pay close attention to how ideology in both the US and the UK is driving hatred and persecution of trans people.

When I saw Chappelle’s declaration that he’s on "team TERF," I literally wept, and I’m not even trans.

But queer people are my family, be they white, black, Asian, or whatever.

I’m so tired of divide and conquer ideology. Why can’t people just leave us queer people alone? What have we ever done to hurt anyone?

This summer, queer people in New York City stood up to the New York City Police Department, handing them notice that their uniformed presence is no longer welcome at Pride events, not unless they take concrete actions to rein in their racism, to stop their racist, anti-Black brutality.

LGBTQ people in New York insist on respecting and acting on intersectionality. They insist on standing up for equity and equality. Sure, some privileged gay white men are jerks.

But is that really reason to glorify "Team TERF?"

Look, I’m fine with the reality that most people don’t understand the horror of TERF ideology. People have lives to lead and love to pursue. They aren’t obligated to keep up with ideology. But Chapelle? He’s a multimillionaire with all the time in the world to study and do his reading before he goes public.

Trans people, especially Black trans people, are right to deplore that he clearly did not. Once again, a cis/straight man is spreading misinformation and encouraging toxic mistreatment of some of the most vulnerable, harmless people in the world.

And those people, many of them Black, are devastated that so few people are speaking up for them or even care to learn why they should.