Harry Potter author J.K Rowling seemed to be ahead of the curve when she placed many adult themes and rich characters in her children’s books. However, now it turns out she has no tolerance for trans people in real life.
Albus Dumbledore might be in love with Grindelwald and Lune Lovegood might be non-binary, but J.K Rowling herself has proven to be transphobic.
In a 3,695-word essay about gender identity the author talked about gender and biological sex from her own experiences. There was a particular focus on her own history of suffering from domestic abuse.
ALSO READ
White Man Arrested After Clip of Him Attacking a British-Pakistani Driver Goes Viral
The Harry Potter writer really just used the essay to explain her stance on transgenderism.
“I’ve only mentioned my past because, like every other human being on this planet, I have a complex backstory, which shapes my fears, my interests and my opinions.”
Already angering advocates of trans rights with her previous tweets, this essay just made netizens more livid. in fact, none other than Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), two child stars made famous by the Harry Potter movies, have slammed her.
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
Here’s what Harry Potter himself said to JK’s comments:
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.” Radcliffe wrote in a post for The Trevor Project website.
Hermione, being the wisest witch of her age, really took the author to school on how gender is a social construct, while biological sex does not always align with your gender identity.
Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) June 10, 2020
ALSO READ
Only Gay People Go to Gym and Have Beards: Malaysian Newspaper
This isn’t the first time the writer tweeted transphobic remarks.
https://twitter.com/ruggerducky/status/1269418695459143680
take this tweet for example. she’s purposely attacking both trans men and women – implying that it’s obvious that anyone who menstruates must identify as a woman and that if you don’t menstruate you can’t be a woman. im not denying the biology, but she’s ignoring gender identity pic.twitter.com/eiyJBK4wAY
— sam (@caSamity) June 6, 2020
https://twitter.com/IonlyVetoQueen/status/1269427813985054720
Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019
Using her experience having been a domestic abuse survivor does not explain her undermining of the dangers faced by transwomen. While calling for the protection of women from violence, she forgets that transwomen too are targets.
Transwomen are more likely to be subjected to gender-based violence than a ‘biological female’. It’s like how racism weakened the women’s suffrage.
