The role of translation in the travels of ‘mansplaining’

Abstract This study discusses ‘mansplaining’ as a traveling neologism, tracing its trajectory across online activist platforms in Türkiye. The study shows that the initial Turkish equivalents that were proposed for ‘mansplaining’ on feminist blogs sparked controversy owing to their emphasis on male genitalia and physiology. Those equivalents reveal that narratives of heterosexuality, gender binaries, and biological essentialism may permeate feminist translation, which, despite its progressive intentions, needs to embrace more inclusive and transformative perspectives on gender and sexuality. The research indicates that the initial equivalents proposed were ultimately dismissed in favor of the formulation of other neologisms to confront cisnormativity. The study concludes that the term ‘mansplaining’ has foregrounded the significance of the incorporation of gender and sexual diversity in the translation practices of online activism in Türkiye.