J.K. Rowling defends her views after making more anti-trans comments
Harry Potter author JK Rowling is facing criticism once again for transphobic rhetoric she’s using online.
The author’s latest controversy comes after she shared an article titled Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate with a caption mocking the phrase “People who menstruate.”
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Her tweet was captioned saying “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
People were swift in calling Rowling out for her anti-trans language online sparking a follow up from her doubling down on her ideas. She also called out people referring to her as a TERF, or trans exclusionary radical feminist.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth,” she wrote.
“The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women — ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences — is a nonsense.”
If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
‘Feminazi’, ‘TERF’, ‘bitch’, ‘witch’.
Times change. Woman-hate is eternal. https://t.co/R6YlRFEvgG— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Numerous artists including Halsey, Laura Jane Grace, Kim Petras and more have spoken out against her comments.
Imagine writing a generation defining series about a youth uprisal that defeats a tyrannical monster motivated by the preservation of “pure blood” and looking at THIS time in the world and going “hmm…yep. I’m gonna invalidate trans people.”
— h (@halsey) June 7, 2020
maam … read the room and post about BLM ! how is this the right time to go off on this ?
— KIM PETRAS ? (@kimpetras) June 6, 2020
a lot of LGBT kids grew up with Harry Potter as their escape from the real world, JK Rowling pandered to us. what she said is gross and invalidating to so many of the fans, and i want to just wanna say thank u @MsSarahPaulson for being our lgbt mom who stands for up everyone. https://t.co/Gu2PrAlWIg
— elijah daniel (@elijahdaniel) June 7, 2020
You are SUCH a Dursley
— Laura Jane Grace (@LauraJaneGrace) June 6, 2020
let’s make JK Rowling poor again.
— Brandon Pagano (@brandonpagano) June 6, 2020
This is far from the first time JK Rowling has had accusations of transphobia levied against her.
She’s previously liked a tweet stating transgender women are “men in dresses” which a representative clumsily tried to cover up.
In December, JK Rowling faced massive backlash for tweeting in support of Maya Forstater who lost her job for misgendering trans people.
Then, in May she was once again found following a number of anti-trans accounts and liking their tweets.
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