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Trans woman harassed by self-described TERF who demands the right to be whoever she wants to be

Lilly Contino and her dog harrassed by TERF at Cheesecake Factory
Photo: Screenshot

A trans woman was streaming from a San Francisco Cheesecake Factory when she was threatened by a self-described TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).

The aggressor does not appear in the video but can be heard off-camera while trans content creator Lilly Contino dines with her dog beside her.

“You know I’m a TERF right?” the woman says to Contino, proceeding to incorrectly explain what TERF stands for by saying its “a trans eccentric radical feminist.”

The TERF asks Contino if she would like her to move somewhere else.

“No actually,” Contino responds. “You should tell me about being a TERF.”

“You’re a boy right?” the woman replies. “Don’t f**k with me. Because honestly, I hit. I hit hard.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Contino said.

“Well then don’t judge me for being a TERF. I get to be who I want to be you get to be who you want to be, right? If that’s what you want, to be who you wanna be, then I get to be who I wanna be.”

“Which is…?” Cortino asked

“I’m not a witch!” the TERF shouted back.

The woman then told Contino to “Take your stupid dog, eat your f**kin food and get the f**k out of my life… because otherwise I have to label you a white racist for a 70-year-old minority woman. You want your rights? I want mine too.”

At that, Contino asks an employee for a manager.

Contino remains calm throughout the entire exchange, nodding along in shock most of the time. She posted the video on Instagram and received an outpouring of love and support from followers.

“I hate applauding how composed you were,” one person wrote, “cuz this should make us all want to rage. But you were calm, polite, and de-escalated that whole situation well. She obviously has some trauma and stigma, and I hope she gets the help she needs. You deserve to be treated as any other humxn should be treated, with love, acceptance, and not berated while having a lovely meal with your adorable dog.”

Another person wrote, “Okay, let me get this straight: She comes up to you, harassing and threatening you completely out of nowhere, then tells YOU to get out of her life, then calls you a racist? Seems perfectly logical to me.💡All jokes aside, so sorry you had to make that experience! I can’t even imagine how horrible and uncomfortable that situation must have felt. The lovelies love you.”

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