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So, I see that the “vixenamoric” discourse is starting up again. I’ve talked quite a bit about the dangers of this ideology and how it directly feeds into T3RF rhetoric, but I’ve finally decided to break this down in a thread. 
BIG content warning for transphobia. here we go...
BIG content warning for transphobia. here we go...
So, what does “vixenamoric” mean? Well, it was coined by two people together on Twitter in 2020. They’re still minors so I won’t be including their handles. It was meant to replace and/or modify the term lesbian so that they could, in essence, “find the real lesbians.”
The definition is pretty static across those who identify with it:
“Lesbians who are binary women and only use she/her pronouns, solely attracted to binary woman who only use she/her pronouns.”
So, the biggest takeaway there is that vixenamorics STILL identify with lesbianism.
“Lesbians who are binary women and only use she/her pronouns, solely attracted to binary woman who only use she/her pronouns.”
So, the biggest takeaway there is that vixenamorics STILL identify with lesbianism.
Now, T3RF ideology, which stands for Trans-Exclusive Radical Feminism, is a hate group that holds eclectic and varied exclusionary beliefs, but their primary focus is on excluding trans women who they’ve deemed “men,” claiming they are trying to “invade women’s spaces.”
The term “vixenamoric” was made for an explicit reason according to the creators and those who gather in its online communities:
“Non-binary lesbians, including lesbians who use pronouns other than she/her, are invading lesbian women’s spaces and doing harm.”
Sound familiar?
“Non-binary lesbians, including lesbians who use pronouns other than she/her, are invading lesbian women’s spaces and doing harm.”
Sound familiar?
You see, camps of exclusionist thought typically mirror T3RF dogwhistles. Gatekeeping spaces, telling others how they can identify, accusing certain identities (specifically ace and aro people) as not being LGBTQIA+, and feeling that “queer identity” is a direct attack.
However, “vixenamorics” take this mirroring one step further. While all exclusion does some degree of the same harm, rooted in transphobia, “vixenamorics” are pretty much working off the same manual, if you will. All they did was change the title on the front. Let’s explore this.
There are many similarities between the talking points. Here’s the first:
Vixenamoric: “Non-binary lesbians are invading women’s spaces.”
T3RFs: “Trans women are invading women’s spaces.”
Not all non-binary people identify as trans, but these are clearly both transphobic.
Vixenamoric: “Non-binary lesbians are invading women’s spaces.”
T3RFs: “Trans women are invading women’s spaces.”
Not all non-binary people identify as trans, but these are clearly both transphobic.
The second point gets more into the way T3RFs view gender non-conformity. They perceive trans men as “lost women” who transitioned due to misogynistic pressures of being a woman. I’ve personally witnessed “vixenamorics” parrot shockingly similar rhetoric about gnc and lesbianism.
It usually goes like this:
“Lesbians identify as non-binary people and use he/him, they/them, and neopronouns due to misogyny, and this harms young women. Just because society makes lesbian womanhood complicated doesn’t mean you have to detach yourself from it completely.”
“Lesbians identify as non-binary people and use he/him, they/them, and neopronouns due to misogyny, and this harms young women. Just because society makes lesbian womanhood complicated doesn’t mean you have to detach yourself from it completely.”
Now, we see here a fundamental misunderstanding of non-binary lesbianism. Our detachment from womanhood is not something we chose, the same way that trans men don’t “choose to stop being women for the purpose of escaping misogyny.” It is simply our experience of gender identity.
Trans men, in the eyes of T3RFs, are “lost butches/gender non-conforming women.” The people who identify as “vixeamoric” constantly say they’re gnc their in bios and carrds. They state over and over that gnc isn’t the same as being non-binary, which is a simplistic statement too.
While it’s true that gender non-conformity isn’t the same as being non-binary, identities that fall outside the binary don’t conform to the binary itself either. “Vixenamoric” rhetoric works off very reductive views of gender theory for gain, the same way that T3RF ideology does.
The third similarity I’m going to breakdown is the concept of identity invalidation. This is another very common thread throughout exclusionism, but I’m going to show you how “vixeamorics” also take this to an extreme level within their talking points rooted in trans exclusion.
Here is the breakdown:
Vixenamoric: “Including people who aren’t women (i.e. non binary lesbians) invalidates lesbianism, which is same-gender attraction.”
T3RFs: “Including people who aren’t women (i.e. trans women) invalidates lesbianism, which is same-sex attraction.”
Vixenamoric: “Including people who aren’t women (i.e. non binary lesbians) invalidates lesbianism, which is same-gender attraction.”
T3RFs: “Including people who aren’t women (i.e. trans women) invalidates lesbianism, which is same-sex attraction.”
However, lesbian attraction has always included a very diverse array of gender identities. Throughout history, lesbians have been trans women, genderqueer, used pronouns other than she/her pronouns, and more. It’s ingrained in our culture and history. This fact is just ignored.
A final similarity I’ll touch on between T3RF ideology and “vixenamoric” rhetoric is the notion of protection. We see this come up as a common theme in exclusionism, typically backed by an emphasis of lesbophobia, which IS a real issue, but in these cases, it’s being misused.
Here’s a breakdown:
Vixenamoric: “Allowing non-binary people into our spaces harms real lesbians.”
T3RFs: “Allowing trans people into our spaces harms real lesbians.”
This one is pretty straightforward. Excluding trans people on the basis of “safety” is textbook transphobia.
Vixenamoric: “Allowing non-binary people into our spaces harms real lesbians.”
T3RFs: “Allowing trans people into our spaces harms real lesbians.”
This one is pretty straightforward. Excluding trans people on the basis of “safety” is textbook transphobia.
There seems to be a certain level of awareness from “vixenamorics” about how it all sounds, because throughout all of the discourse, they absolutely INSIST that they believe trans women are real women. This may be the only talking point they *don’t* have in common with T3RFs.
However, it doesn’t matter, because anyone who’s spent time in the trans community knows two things:
1) “Vixenamoric” rhetoric inherently drives away trans women.
2.) A lot of trans women *are* non-binary lesbians, and many non-binary lesbians also identify as trans (like I do.)
1) “Vixenamoric” rhetoric inherently drives away trans women.
2.) A lot of trans women *are* non-binary lesbians, and many non-binary lesbians also identify as trans (like I do.)
Any talking point that makes hard lines in the sand about who’s allowed in and who isn’t, and any ideology that establishes strict ideas of gender identity, expression, and inclusion, is an attack on trans people. The trans community already fights enough to be seen and accepted.
“Vixenamorics” can claim that they don’t exclude binary trans women, therefore they are nothing like T3RFs, but they still exclude countless non-binary/trans lesbians, dictate how trans people must identify to be “real lesbians,” and parrot the same core of transphobic ideology.
The notion that lesbians must be protected from “invaders” in the form of people who don’t identify with gender the way they have determined to be okay isn’t just transphobic, it feeds into a greater hate ideology that’s led to an incredible about of pain for the trans community.
So, as this discourse fires up on the timeline again, let’s call “vixeamoric” for what it really is: blatant transphobia. To these people, I’m not even a “real lesbian.” Why? Because they’ve said so. Nobody gets to determine anyone else’s identity, especially not transphobes.
The best we can do to fight this rhetoric is to be trans/non-binary inclusive in our own spaces. Listen to non-binary lesbians, trans lesbians, and trans people in general. Our voices matter. We have a rightful place in the lesbian community and always have.
Stay safe, friends.
Stay safe, friends.
(p.s. if you learned something new from this resource, i have a tip jar that helps me to keep making threads on queer history and culture just like this one. i’ll link it below.) https://ko-fi.com/radiantbutch
