Author J. K. Rowling causes a stir among the netizens again with her new “transphobic” comment on Twitterย
Harry Potter’sย writer J.ย K.ย Rowlingย has again caused aย stirย amongย theย world’sย peopleย withย her recentย “transphobic”ย comment onย Twitter.ย Sheย expressed her opinionsย on anย article publishedย by theย Timesย UKย titledย “Absurdity”ย regardingย the police logging rapistsย asย women.ย
The article discussesย the currentย policyย that allowsย the Scotlandย police to registerย rapes as being committed by women; ifย the accused is found guiltyย as a womanย regardlessย of whetherย they haveย legally changedย theirย gender orย not, theyย willย be considered asย rapists.ย
FOR ALL WRONG THINGS,ย J. K. Rowling always has her name on the headline.ย She has been previously associatedย withย her viewsย and comments on transย genders. There is alwaysย controversy regarding her comments onย transย genders. Earlierย she was taggedย as a transphobic; Rowlingย has alsoย caused a stirย among the netizens after herย “transphobic”ย tweet.ย
Rowling tweeted in response to the Times UK article,
“War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You is a woman.”
This is a reference to George Orwell famous novel, ‘1984’, and it generally focuses on the probable themes of totalitarianism and brainwashing of the masses.ย
ย Johnย Burns,ย mocked Rowling’sย tweetย and,ย in response to herย tweet,ย wrote,
“Imagine inventing asย reprehensible a character of Professor Umbridgeย and then decidingย to beย her forever.”ย
A British fabric sculptor and designer, Daniel Lismore,ย tweeted thatย love is peace, freedom is acceptance, understanding is strength. He also stated that trans women are not a dangerย to society,ย but J.ย K. Rowling always loves to fuel hateย towards a whole group of innocent people.ย
Another known Twitter user hadย expressed her opinion on J. K. Rowling’sย tweets,ย and her increasing followersย count,
“Interesting how JKย Rowlingย follower numbers have been slowly increasing (now at 14 million when hadย been 13.9 millionย a coupleย of days ago). Perhaps she’sย hitting a nerve, and peopleย aren’t ‘shocked’ or ‘disappointed’ by her constantย standing upย for women and girls?”ย
Another person known as Jonathan Van Ness has stated, “The biggest threat of violence has always beenย cisgenderย men. Not trans women, unless Rowling’sย constant transphobic cherry-picked vitriol convincesย you otherwise.ย Butย as trans women are assaulted, deprived of work, killed, andย raped, Rowling is safeย in her mansion.”ย
As usual,ย Rowlingย has faced a series of hatred and a barrage of online abuses andย allegations ofย being aย transphobe for her comments on trans women. Theย trans activistsย don’tย like any sort of criticismย ofย themselvesย and their community, andย even the basicย questions over the dominance ofย trans identity politicsย are always met with vicious trolling andย “cancelling”.ย
On the other hand, many known women activists have taken theย side of Rowling.ย Tasminaย Ahmed Sheikh (Former MP and National Women’s and Equalities Convenor) and Rosie Duffieldย (Member of Parliament) have come out in Rowling’s support.ย
It isn’tย theย firstย timeย Rowlingย hasย beenย ‘cancelled’ย before. Rowlingย has received numerousย death threatsย fromย theย transย activistย forย herย constantย opinionsย onย the LGBTQย community over these years.ย
Herย commentsย onย beingย againstย openingย women’sย toiletsย toย transย womenย caused aย lotย of stirย amongย the transย activists.ย
In an article written by Rowling, she expressed herself as a domestic violence survivor, that she was perturbed with the “the new trans activism” was undermining women and girls’ rights to the single-sex spaces by “offering cover to predators.”ย
In June 2020, Rowling was accused of being a transphobic person. She had expressed her views on the disapproval of the term “people who menstruate”. This term is supposed to be used to include trans men (who have not undergone complete transition) whenย it comes to the matter about menstrual health,ย
According to her critics, her refusal to acceptย self-identification as a valid requirement for gender identity and seeing womanhood only through biologically determining to be a woman makes herย transphobic.
Femininityย cannot beย definedย by just biologically proving a person to beย a woman; the word ‘womanhood’ has a lot of otherย meanings, which the best-selling author forgetsย to state. Though her fans stillย argueย that discreditingย the biologicalย sex and itsย importance might endanger women, itย is not practical for legal and safety purposes.ย
