I've just finished Troubled Blood and there is NO transphobia

I've read the book (finished it by torchlight last night in bed!)

The serial killer is described as wearing the wig and coat as a disguise in order to confuse/distract victims/witnesses when he abducts them. It's not even in relation to a paraphilia.

JK cannot do right in the mobs' eyes. If she had made no mention of cross dressing whatsoever, she would still have been accused of transphobia for leaving out a "trans character".

Just finished it too.

The reason it is causing anger is it centres women, as previous posters have said. It talks about all the things women have been fighting, and fighting against, for centuries.

It makes a few men in the book look bad. So it must be burned.

Not only are they lying - not a single one of them can quote anything JKR has written or said which is "transphobic".

Massive strawMEN!

So that’s it, it’s one word then that’s set off all the hate and death threats? Literally the word ‘woman’s’ is the triggering transphobic wrong speak? Because presumably the sentence ‘wearing a wig at the time and all padded out in a duffel coat’ wouldn’t have have figured on the speshul peeples radar. Sheesh, and to think, they walk among us.
(Eagerly awaits copy in post)

I finished the book.

Zero transphobia. Those who claim it are lying.

There is a male serial killer who has more than one paraphilia.

That's it. The entire 'story' about transphobia has been fabricated.

Do you know what, I feel so sorry for this woman. I read the original tweets that prompted this whole drama that she's transphobic. I struggled to see how they were speaking against the community. It was very specific to a situation she - and indeed I - have been in. It's not against trans people, but rather men who have wronged her, and the fear that it brings. It's understandable that abuse survivors wouldn't want to share a fitting room with a man - and changing to mixed genders means that would happen. Personally, I feel the same, because of what has happened to ME, NOT what any single trans person has done, but I won't allow myself to be in any state of undress around a man I do not know. So my choice is not to shout about it, but just not to use the dressing room if they're mixed gender. My problem, I sort it. Easy.

But the poor woman has been jumped on massively. I sometimes think certain people - or groups of people - are happier when they're being targeted. It seems so unreal that actually, people don't wish them harm, so they pick up on the tiniest thing and announce that this person or that person is 'transphobic'. It's bollocks quite frankly.

We're living in a world that has changed almost beyond recognition over the past few decades when it comes to labels, sexuality and the like. And on the whole I feel we have adapted well. But so long as groups look for persecution, they will find it.

The definition of transphobic is anything that doesn't completely capitulate to identity theory at all times so even the Equality Act 2010 is transphobic.

It should not matter that this ludicrous and completely debased word is used about anything or anyone as it's become a joke.

I'm happy to be transphobic, it's a sign of intellectual curiosity.

A womans coat is quite obviously a coat without any useful pockets

In my experience, it's one with tissues, sweet wrappers and biscuit crumbs, a pound coin for the trolly, for some reason a small child's pair of socks (sometimes used) in the pockets - it was generally bought by someone else in the family, and then I started wearing it when they abandoned it for a new one.

In the 70s my mum had a fabulous suede coat with a big fluffy collar. I suspect they probably mean something more like my nan's though - a grey-blue mid-calf-length thing with a broach on the lapel (occasionally daffodil/lucky heather/rose/some other flower aquired for some reason)

Yes, alias, I find it really disheartening. The lies just pile up and ossify and become part of an 'accepted truth'. So now JKR is unquestioningly taken as 'transphobic', even though the whole characterisation was composed of lies and manipulative interpretations of actions and words. I suppose it's a sort of long-term gish gallop. How does one even start to unpick it, months later? People like their glib soundbites, easy black-and-white thinking (she's evil) and have no inclination to read, research, consider and apply critical thinking to anything.

Also, I've reported my post that quotes from the book above and asked for a spoiler warning to be added.

What's annoying about lies like this is they become part of the narrative. We can all check now to see they are baseless propaganda, but in six months this will be cited as 'proof' and nobody will bother to check.
You see it already with articles referring to JKs 'transphobic' essay, or her 'transphobic' tweets.
In a year there will be references to JKs 'transphobic' novel, along with maybe a link to Penis News or something, and it will be accepted as truth.

some activists are systematically training the world to avoid anything even remotely or distantly possibly to do with trans

I think this is a really important point. For example: five years ago I'd have had no problem employing someone trans - what could possibly be a problem?
Now, a trans employee would want special bathroom arrangements, pronouns on all internal communication, would push for Stonewall Champion status, et. But more than that, I'd be constantly walking on eggshells trying to make sure that I couldn't be accused of doing anything supposedly 'transphobic'.
Why would anyone potentially put themselves through that? I'd find an excuse to employ someone else instead (which of course is transphobic, but there you go, I'd play the odds).

Oh, I'm sorry! Didn't realise I'd given a spoiler. Just took this off JKR's (well, Robert Galbraith's) website.

EdgeOfACoin

I was reacting to 18:47 ArabellaScott who gave that away.

I’m confused (again). Surely by sometimes identifying as Robert Galbraith JK is trans or gender fluid.

As Robert Galbraith she / he comes under the Stonewall definition and therefore must be supported as one of the most vulnerable people in society?

Thanks @AviceCaro

Escapeplanning, that was kind of a big spoiler because I've only read the first two books. Your warning didn't give me enough time to avoid the rest of your post!

The book is about female experience, so far as I can see (two-thirds in). About the sex based issues women face, as well as the ever present sexism and misogyny.

That's why ppl are having a tanty over the book. JKR again committed the great crime of centering female oppression.

Spoiler!!!

Oh well. Robin divorcing was 100 percent predictable.

lazylinguist didn't mean to imply big books were not your bag!

Yes, do buy away and I hope you enjoy reading it. I had a copy reserved at the library, but then was both too impatient to wait to read it, and very keen to help sales as a gesture of solidarity.

• [Message from MNHQ, added at poster's request: Warning - this post contains spoilers]

JK Rowling has written a bit about Troubled Blood on Robert Galbraith's website:

' The changing face of feminism and ideals and stereotypes of femininity are also examined through the cast of characters. The vanished doctor was an ardent feminist who once worked as a Bunny girl. The complexities of Dr Bamborough’s life are mirrored in Robin’s own, because she’s approaching thirty, going through a divorce and asking herself how she could ever reconcile a demanding and sometimes dangerous job with motherhood. Meanwhile the suspects in Dr Bamborough’s disappearance include a womanising patient who seems to have developed feelings for her, a passive-aggressive husband who wanted her to quit her job to become a full-time mother, and a sadistic serial killer active in the 60s and 70s, who was loosely based on real life killers Jerry Brudos and Russell Williams – both master manipulators who took trophies from their victims.'

If you're a not general fan of the genre, you might find four increasingly hefty books before this one quite hard going

It's not that I don't like the genre, it's more that I've never actually tried getting into it. I'm definitely no stranger to very long books though! Right, I'll have a go at the first one then. Might buy Troubled Blood now anyway though - the more people buy it the better as far as I'm concerned!

lazylinguist You can read it as a stand alone, but there are lots of references to events in the previous books, and it is very definitely a series that builds. If you're a not general fan of the genre, you might find four increasingly hefty books before this one quite hard going. I'm a massive fan of Galbraith and crime fiction in particular so it was no hardship to me to have read it through already, having bought it on Tuesday. I don't think she'll win many awards for writing style but she is a ferocious plotter and has created some wonderful characters.

The irony of all the accusations of transphobia is only clear when you find out 'who dunnit' and get a lesson in not judging by appearances and stereotypes. But obviously I won't spoil it here.

As well, all the way through Troubled Blood there are descriptions of just about every kind of discriminatory, misogynist and violent behaviour against women you can imagine, and JKR holds them all up to the light and shows how ugly they are. I think it's the most explicitly feminist of the series.

I've ended up watching 3 series of Cormoran Strike on BBC iplayer. I wasn't a big fan after reading a very average novel I can't really remember a few years ago, but I've been drawn to watching it simply because of the madness gripping people over some perfectly normal and reasonable words.

It's formulaic, but I quite like the look of it and all detective fiction is predictable. At least there's not the usual lingering, sleazy shots of dead women .

The story of Strike and Robin starts in series 1 and develops but the crimes are standalone stories.

I don't normally read crime novels, but was thinking of reading this in support of JKR and as an internal 'fuck you' to the woke twats baying for her blood.

Do I need to read the other books in the series first, or are they stand-alones?

Sorry am twitter illiterate but @bunifoosh has a ton of stuff on men pretending to be certain things to gain access to women ...cant find the original trans / cross dressing thread.