To think JK Rowling is a fabulous human being

[TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair]

I just came across her book, 'Very Good Lives' which is all about overcoming adversity. I think it's so important that successful women talk about the times they've failed and how success is about pushing past that. I'm reading it just at a time I need to hear that message. I can definitely recommend buying a copy if you are in need of a boost or have some pennies to spend on something nourishing.

I was also looking into her charity, Lumos, and I had no idea just how much she was trying to help disadvantaged children. I love that she's putting her money and position to good use.

The term 'national treasure' generally makes me want to poke my own eyeballs out with a rusty kitchen utensil but AIBU to say she is an utter treasure and we are lucky to have her. She makes the world a better place.

That's all!

[DickKerrLadies]

I love that even after all these years I still enjoy the anticipation of waiting to read her words

And come on, we all know what a woman is. I'd almost enjoy the irony of seeing males on twitter trying to define what a woman is if it wasn't so ridiculous.

Can anyone explain to me what is so 'anti-trans' about saying that sex exists and matters?

[alittlelower]

I can't help notice that on all the threads like this, the people who who call people anti-trans or transphobic, never or rarely justify or explain these labels, but those who argue someone-/ something is not transphobic often do explain their point of view.

[Coffeecak3]

@zscaler. That’s why they’re called fiction.
And Amber Heard attacked Johnny Depp but don’t let the truth stand in the way of your bias.

[sunshinesupermum]

zscaler What antisemitism? I must have missed that.

[TheWordWomanIsTaken]

@XDownwiththissortofthingX

Utterly odious woman, a raging hypocrite, and a vile transphobe.

Examples of her transphobia please.
We'll wait...

[Graffitiqueen]

I think she's amazing! I am totally in agreement with everything she has said on twitter. she is not anti trans she is pro women and pro reality.

[SwordBilledHummingbird]

She's fantastic, I have nothing but admiration for her.

[littlbrowndog]

Compelled by an article in the Sunday Times newspaper back in 2004 about children being kept in caged beds in an institution, writer J.K. Rowling had the original idea for a charity which would seek to end the institutionalisation of children.And so Lumos, named after the light-giving spell in Harry Potter, was founded to shine a light on some of the world’s most disadvantaged children.

After eight years as chair of the Board of Trustees, J.K. Rowling became Founder and Life President of Lumos in 2014.

J.K. Rowling is the author of the record-breaking, multi-award-winning Harry Potter novels. Loved by fans around the world, the series has sold more than 500 million copies, been translated into over 80 different languages and made into eight blockbuster films.

J.K. Rowling has written three companion volumes in aid of charity: Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (in aid of Comic Relief and Lumos), and The Tales of Beedle the Bard (in aid of Lumos).In 2007, J.K. Rowling auctioned a copy of one of the seven special editions of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which raised £1.95 million for Lumos.In December 2008 the book was widely published in aid of the charity and became the fastest-selling book of that year.

Her 2008 Harvard commencement speech was published in 2015 as an illustrated book, Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits of Failure and the Importance of Imagination, and sold in aid of Lumos and university-wide financial aid at Harvard.

In 2016, J.K. Rowling collaborated with writer Jack Thorne and director John Tiffany on the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, which is now running at The Palace Theatre in London’s West End and The Lyric Theatre on Broadway. The Cursed Child has held gala performances in both the U.K. and the U.S. in aid of Lumos.

Also in 2016, J.K. Rowling made her screenwriting debut with the film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. A prequel to the Harry Potter series, this new adventure of Magizoologist Newt Scamander marked the start of a five-film series to be written by the author. The second film, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald was released in November 2018.A special screening of the first film was held at Carnegie Hall in the U.S. in aid of Lumos

Through her charitable trust, Volant, J.K. Rowling supports a number of other causes to do with social deprivation, particularly concerned with women, children and young people at risk.She continues to fund research and treatment of Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological conditions through the Anne Rowling Clinic at EdinburghUniversity.

As well as receiving an OBE and Companion of Honour for services to children’s literature and philanthropy, J.K. Rowling has received many other awards and honours, including France’s Légion d’Honneur and Denmark’s Hans Christian Andersen Award.

[Lemonyfuckit]

I'm a huge fan. Love her writing, and love that she's standing up for women's rights. It's utter woke nonsense that standing up for women and girls = anti-trans. It does not.

[TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair]

This blatent attempt to passive aggressively show your support for JK Rowling and the anti-trans movement is sad and disappointing.

I am very sorry to sadden and disappoint a stranger on the internet.

I will go away and think about what I've done.

[doubleshotespresso]

I applaud her talent and willingness to speak (common sense) her opinion on subjects that matter deeply to many who are not able to voice things due to the insane lack of balanced discussion. I hope she continues and support her words fully

[YetAnotherSpartacus]

This transparent attempt to get people to unknowingly or knowingly praise someone who has just now openly stated her anti-trans stance is really gross

How did this get to be about trans so quickly? And what transparent attempt? This post was about a book she wrote and her philanthropic work.

I think she is great :)

[Tulipstulips]

She's not anti-trans. She's pro-women.

Being pro-women shouldn't equal anti-trans. Only people who don't care about women's rights think it does.

[feelingverylazytoday]

zscaler Well, I haven't read Harry Potter. I do know it's FICTION though, therefore open to interpretation. It would appear most people don't interpret it in the same way as you though. Has Ms Rowling made any anti semetic /racist statements or actions in real life?
As for Johnny Depp, I believe there was evidence that Amber Heard was actually the aggressor. I believe JKR hired him on that basis.

[merrymouse]

This transparent attempt to get people to unknowingly or knowingly praise someone who has just now openly stated her anti-trans stance is really gross.

Her trance is not anti-trans, but your attempt to paint her pro women's rights stance as anti-trans is, as you put it, really gross.

[viques]

@SchadenfreudePersonified

I have put the can in there because some women choose not to menstruate

And some of us are past it.

Yay!

But biology being biology, and language being language we are still 'women' , not "people who used to menstruate ".

[monkeyonthetable]

I love her. She is phenomenally kind and hasn't forgotten how tough her start in adult life was. She is generous with her wealth and she's a phenomenally imaginative writer.

[littlbrowndog]

I really like the 100% pledge on the charity Lumos

With the right resources and support, we can end the institutionalisation of children globally by 2050. We cannot achieve this alone. The support of our donors, campaigners and friends is vital, so we want to make sure that we operate an efficient and effective organisation, directing our donors’ money where it is most needed. This is where our 100% pledge comes in.

In 2008, our inspirational founder and President, J.K. Rowling, gave Lumos the gift of the rights to her book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and the charity has already received over £18m in income as a result. This money is being directed to cover Lumos’ core running costs – including administration, fundraising and office costs. Thanks to the generous support of J.K. Rowling and others, 100% of the money you give to Lumos will go directly to Lumos projects and not to overhead or administrative costs.

The following core running costs will be covered by our 100% pledge

Fundraising and administration costs
Governance costs
Rent, service charges and utilities
Business rates and insurance
Utilities such as electricity, postage and carriage
Telephone and fax
Cleaning and office stationery services and expenses
IT services
Bank charges
Recruitment, HR costs, audit, payroll and accountancy fees

[ExhaustedGrinch]

Interesting that people jump straight to accusations of transphobia over petty things like this, as for it endangering the lives of trans people? don't make me laugh.

My sons grandmother is a transwoman and she is so sick of people acting like she (and other transwomen) are such fragile little snowflakes that they are unable to accept biological reality. Although she has transitioned she knows she will always be male biologically and accepts that.

Her biggest struggle through her transition is that she doesn't want to be associated with the likes of Yaniv, Monroe, Shon Faye and Lily Madigan, she sees herself as so far removed from those kinds of people and feels a distinct lack of representation of trans people who think like her in the media.

Oh and she also sees the reason why there is so much backlash from women. So to the people who are crying out that this is transphobic, please don't think you speak for all trans people. Keep in mind that when you cry out 'transphobia' over people being biologically factual that you are making a mockery of the term because many trans people do suffer from REAL transphobia, every. single. day. but this ain't it.

[hellandhairnets]

It means that women aren’t defined by a narrow biological function like menstruation. Lots of women don’t menstruate. ‘Woman’ means more than menstruation. It’s not controversial.

Literally the ONLY thing that defines you as a woman is happening to be an adult human female, and menstruation, for most women between puberty until menopause, is a part of that. Just like how happening to have the reproductive system you have tends to have greatly affected how you and others with the same reproductive system have been treated and continue to be treated throughout history and across the world. Misogynists and other patriarchy supporters tend to very easily know which half of the human population you are, for instance, and how they think you should behave as a result.

I'm interested to know what other things you think "define" you as a woman specifically beyond your biology? A supplicant personality? A "natural "gravitation towards the kitchen & housework? Clothes? Long hair? Shoes? Earrings? Supposedly "feminine" likes/dislikes? Because I don't know about you, but that bears no relation to my "womanhood" or life whatsoever. People pushing that it does because of the biology I happen to have does impact me greatly however.

[Sparklfairy]

let’s not forget that she wholeheartedly backed Johnny Depp’s casting as Grinewald and made announcements expressing her support for him even after it emerged that he had viciously attacked Amber Heard, leaving her face bruised and bloody.

Errr... You might want to do your research. Amber Heard is a violent abuser (and has abused previous partners). She's a liar and mocked Depp on a recording that no one would ever believe she'd attacked him. She has spat on the experiences of every domestic violence victim and damn near ruined a man's career. She cut off his finger ffs.

[donquixotedelamancha]

what she’s said is abhorrent.
shes a dinosaur incapable of compassion

Things she's said or done which are abhorent:

• She supported a woman who was sacked for saying that sex exists and services need to take women's needs into account.
• She said that biological sex exists herself.
• She objected to women being referred to as 'people who menstruate'.
• She accidentally pasted part of a crime report she was reading about to twitter, where the criminal was a transwoman.
• She liked at tweet about violence towards women and girls where the tweeter was apparently cancelled for not including transwomen in her feminism enough.

Please could someone who objects to her public statements explain why they are so upset to me? Have I missed something?

[zscaler]

That’s why they’re called fiction.
And Amber Heard attacked Johnny Depp but don’t let the truth stand in the way of your bias.

Racism isn’t ok just because it’s expressed via a fictional medium - what a weak excuse for justifying it.

J K Rowling defending Johnny Depp’s casting in 2017, 3 years before audio surfaced of Amber Heard admitting she hit him. Furthermore, AH hitting JD as well as JD hitting AH means both of them should be vigorously condemned. It does not mean Johnny Depp is validated or worthy of being defended.

If your feminism involves defending a man who beats his wife for any reason, you might want to think about where you’ve gone wrong.

[PrincessConsuelaVaginaHammock]

@peachgreen

This transparent attempt to get people to unknowingly or knowingly praise someone who has just now openly stated her anti-trans stance is really gross.

JKR's commitment to paying taxes and her charity work is very admirable and as someone personally affected by MS I am extremely grateful to her for her work in that area (and have even told her so in person). Nothing can take away from that. But like all people she is multi-faceted and using her huge platform of followers to promote ideas which endanger the lives and wellbeing of trans people is pretty disgusting. And her timing in doing so was staggeringly wrong.

The cheek of you calling anyone else staggeringly wrong after posting this shit.