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Original poster

£1 million prize offered for anyone who can provide a clear example of a transphobic J.K. Rowling quote

233 replies

miri1985 · 14/08/2023 02:07

As the title says, a million pounds is being offered by Distance Magazine https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/we-will-award-steve-wardlaw-1-million?r=uglk&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web

"To win the Steve Wardlaw Prize™, an entrant must demonstrate that the cited statement by J.K. Rowling does not involve a rights conflict. That is, the cited statement must materially detract from the human rights of ‘transgender people’ without simultaneously arguing for the rights of another group, such as women, children, or people with faith traditions."

They've named the prize after Steve Wardlaw who I've never heard of but his pinned tweet is an apology to Alison Bailey

We Will Award Steve Wardlaw £1 Million For The Elusive 'Anti-Trans' J.K. Rowling Quote

He has assured us that it exists

https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/we-will-award-steve-wardlaw-1-million?r=uglk

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
BezMills · 16/08/2023 06:01

Hawkins009 · 15/08/2023 23:57

Who will win?

Everyone who is currently getting peace because the MRA famalam are all busy writing 10000 word essays and youtubes hoping to win one MEEELLION dollabucks

SinnerBoy · 16/08/2023 00:00

My money is on JKR.

Hawkins009 · 15/08/2023 23:57

Who will win?

PaleBlueMoonlight · 15/08/2023 23:31

Chersfrozenface · 15/08/2023 13:59

In the Equality Act 2010, "woman" is defined as "a female of any age".

It doesn't actually specify what species. We take it for granted that it applies only to humans.

What we need is an authoritative source which confirms that all UK laws apply only to humans unless specifically noted otherwise. There is this from the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales (ICLR) "Laws may be defined as the rules that govern the behaviour of human beings within a civilized society".

Which gives a solid definition of "woman" as "a human female of any age" with regard to the Equality Act 2010.

Show quote history

😄

SinnerBoy · 15/08/2023 16:06

Shodan · Yesterday 13:38

It's like those people who said they could hear demonic messages in records that were played backwards.

Yes, a court case proved that it was an unfounded slur against Tseirp Saduj all along.

HermioneWeasley · 15/08/2023 14:02

@Nellodee you are right, in fact pregnancy and maternity discrimination are only covered because they are something only women experience- the original provisions were an extension of the Sex Discrimination Act. So when we pretend that men get pregnant it has real, material implications for women’s legal rights and protections.

Chersfrozenface · 15/08/2023 13:59

PaleBlueMoonlight · 14/08/2023 22:57

"Woman" is absolutely a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. It means being a female human (the definition is expanded for ease of drafting to include girls). Other mammalian females are not covered by the Act.

Show quote history

In the Equality Act 2010, "woman" is defined as "a female of any age".

It doesn't actually specify what species. We take it for granted that it applies only to humans.

What we need is an authoritative source which confirms that all UK laws apply only to humans unless specifically noted otherwise. There is this from the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales (ICLR) "Laws may be defined as the rules that govern the behaviour of human beings within a civilized society".

Which gives a solid definition of "woman" as "a human female of any age" with regard to the Equality Act 2010.

TFP · 15/08/2023 13:59

I've seen lots and lots of TRA attempts to provide examples of transphobic JKR utterances.

Without exception, these attempts always run into many, many words, almost none of which are copy-pastes or transcripts of things that JKR has actually written or said. Key examples of things that JKR has actually written or said are never singled out in text boxes, highlighted in big letters, or similar. This may or may have something to do with all of what JKR has said on this topic being so circumspect and mild.

Nellodee · 15/08/2023 13:14

I’d say pregnancy provisions are sex based as well, personally. Am I correct in thinking that they don’t just apply to women who are actually pregnant, but also cover things like potential employers asking if you are getting married/ planning a family in the near future?

Whatsnewpussyhat · 15/08/2023 11:27

Brilliant. 😂

PaleBlueMoonlight · 14/08/2023 22:57

lechiffre55 · 14/08/2023 16:24

Apologies in advance for nit picking sorry, but only because the language subversion of the TRAs makes it so necessary to be acccurate.

In The Equality Act of 2010 the following are protected characteristics :
"These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation."

"Women" is not a protected characteristic. but sex ( female ) is. "Gender reassignment" is unfortunately so vague without any definition, that it means whatever people want it to mean. Clarifying this would help enormously.

Show quote history

"Woman" is absolutely a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. It means being a female human (the definition is expanded for ease of drafting to include girls). Other mammalian females are not covered by the Act.

Original poster
miri1985 · 14/08/2023 22:33

Anyone come up with a creative idea to get the million? My only ideas so far have been to change my name by deed poll to JK Rowling and tweet something outrageous or to get a job at the OED and add extra meanings to some words by stealth.

OP posts:
HowDoYouSolveAProblemLikeMariaa · 14/08/2023 22:02

I obviously don't think jkr is transphobic but with the dangly carrot offered I can come up with:
Ron is bullied for his girly dress robes and the other boys snigger at his pathetic use of a severing charm to get rid of the frills instead of instantly affirming him and asking his pronouns

Neville imagines Snape in a dress and dresses him in his grandmothers clothes in boggart form. The third years all find this hilarious and Snape bangs about in a towering mood, bullying Neville worse than ever. No one calls Neville a terf, tries to cancel him and provide Snape with a safe space and his own flag

An old wizard called Archie argues with ministry officials at the quidditch world cup about him not passing as a Muggle as he is wearing a night dress. When he replies he likes a healthy breeze around his privates he is not immediately apologised for and called m'am.

The existence of Ginny Weasley, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson. All brazenly being good at sport without claiming a male energy.

Squibgender, Mugglegender, Mudblood gender and Pureblood gender lack their own flag.

Half-bloods are valid.

DisappearingGirl · 14/08/2023 21:46

Just reposting this fun takedown of a similar Vice article, from The Critic :)

https://thecritic.co.uk/issues/february-2022/the-villainy-of-j-k-rowling/

Circumferences · 14/08/2023 21:32

Ha!
I hope this is being shared far and wide on "X" formerly known as TRA-Twitter.

ColonelSpondleClagnut · 14/08/2023 21:29

Hmm unfortunately this won't change a thing because the whole Bally mess is based on a belief system, not rationality.

As an example, check out the large list of current and past prizes offered to anyone demonstrating proof of the paranormal - there's huge sums of money there unclaimed and yet people still believe in ghosts 🤷🏻‍♀️ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listoffprizesforrevidenceofftheparanormal

People don't need proof to believe in something unfortunately.

Somanyquestionstoaskaboutthis · 14/08/2023 21:27

One of my DD (21) always said JKR is transphobic but could never tell me why. She has stopped saying it now and I think is coming round after me speaking of various threads on here. I will tell her about this and suggest if she still thinks it she should claim her million.

TheJRTwontLetMeBe · 14/08/2023 21:22

lechiffre55 · 14/08/2023 16:15

I don't think it's just men who hate JKR, I think it's both sexes who are onboard the TRA express. I think you are right when you say why they hate her, must really annoy them how successful JKR is.

Show quote history

This is true, when the whole JKR thing kicked off I sent a message of support and received a lovely reply from her office. My DD who was 23 at the time arrived home, and I shared my excitement that I'd had a reply, assuming that any sane person would agree with me, let alone my daughter who had grown up with Harry Potter . My daughter was not happy - "JKR is VILE!" she exclaimed, and flounced from the room. Broke my heart. We don't discuss it but I think she's quietly come around to the sane side.

lechiffre55 · 14/08/2023 16:24

Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/08/2023 15:40

See also: "there's no such thing as women's sex-based rights."

It's such a stupid, thoughtless mantra. If there's no such thing as women's sex based rights there's no such thing as "trans rights" either.

The law protects both women and trans people from discrimination on the basis of their protected characteristic.

Apologies in advance for nit picking sorry, but only because the language subversion of the TRAs makes it so necessary to be acccurate.

In The Equality Act of 2010 the following are protected characteristics :
"These are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation."

"Women" is not a protected characteristic. but sex ( female ) is. "Gender reassignment" is unfortunately so vague without any definition, that it means whatever people want it to mean. Clarifying this would help enormously.

lechiffre55 · 14/08/2023 16:15

Typz · 14/08/2023 15:28

Great article.

It continues to astonish and depress me how much some men hate women. They hate Jo Rowling more than any other woman, not for anything she has said or done, but because she is richer than them, because she is more powerful than them, and because she does not say what they tell her to or care what they think.

Misogynist men absolutely cannot stand rich women, or powerful women, or women who have opinions.

We are seeing an explosion of misogyny in the generation of men who had unlimited access to the internet as teens. It’s almost like a steady diet of violent porn has shaped how men view women 😔

I don't think it's just men who hate JKR, I think it's both sexes who are onboard the TRA express. I think you are right when you say why they hate her, must really annoy them how successful JKR is.

xXJoy · 14/08/2023 16:13

Love it, genius.

mrshoho · 14/08/2023 16:09

<Waits impatiently for IW to swoop in with their winning quote and bag the prize>

Britinme · 14/08/2023 15:46

I couldn't find the Vox article about Dworkin and Ginsberg, but I did find this quote in another article, which resonated with me: Dworkin to Ginsberg - “What you’re saying to me is that you’re an exceptional man, and you’re not,” she said, “you’re just a man, like all of the others, who has no respect for the rights of other people.”

Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/08/2023 15:41

nepeta · 14/08/2023 15:33

I finally understood why the TRAs argue so firmly that Rowling has made transphobic comments. It's because their ideology is a secular-religious one where disagreeing with the basic tenets is heresy and heresy is called transphobia.

The most basic tenet of that secular-religion is that transwomen are women, transmen are men, and nonbinary are what they say they are. So sex is erased, everyone identifies as sexist stereotypes or by assigning them to the other labels, in the case of enbies.

Only fully accepting that, and the total chaos it causes in worldwide redefinition of everything to do with women, women's rights, sex-based oppression (presumably disappearing now sex can't be mentioned) and so on would save a person from being a transphobe.

This, exactly.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 14/08/2023 15:40

See also: "there's no such thing as women's sex-based rights."

It's such a stupid, thoughtless mantra. If there's no such thing as women's sex based rights there's no such thing as "trans rights" either.

The law protects both women and trans people from discrimination on the basis of their protected characteristic.