To be thinking about JKR's mental health right now?

[BabyLlamaZen]

I'm not going to patronize her enough to say I'm worried, but honestly! This is too muchm

Her initial tweet showed her how these issues were already concerning her (and she expanded on these fears in her essay). Then the response was disgusting and I'm sure can't have felt great (no matter how much she expected it). No one likes to read threats of abuse, especially when you have actually gone through what she has.

Then Dan Radcliffe throws her under a bus, a few more supposed follow suit. She spends time writing this extremely thought out (and incredibly reasonable, whatever your view) essay. She has to think about and bring up a very painful past. Then she STILL gets abuse for this, including rape comments. More Harry Potter stars including supposed feminist Watson denounce her. AND DON'T EVEN MENTION THE ESSAY!

Then The Sun shares the story from her abusive ex and throws his comments all over the front page?! Disgusting!

I know she's a strong woman and I hope as hell she's got people supporting her right now. Even for someone who didn't have a history of depression, this would be horrific.

Whatever happened to 'Be Kind?'

I dont think this is going anywhere for a good while :(

[Oxyiz]

Well, Evanna Lynch disagreed but stood up for her. She's now been hounded off Twitter of course because you are either Evil or Perfect.

[BubblyBarbara]

Not really going to waste any tears on her with her £700m sat in a castle.. she can pay therapists and keep out of the world for however long she needs without her life being impacted. I feel more sorry for people on MN who are trapped in worse situations with no safety net

[Oxyiz]

What a weird approach.

You might as well say you have no sympathy for anyone in the UK since there are much poorer countries out there where people face famine, starvation and natural disasters.

There's always someone who has it worse.

[mungrymutt]

Not really going to waste any tears on her with her £700m sat in a castle.. she can pay therapists and keep out of the world for however long she needs without her life being impacted.

Yeah because those other celebs with their wealth & privilege who think a discussion about safe spaces is redundant are really the ones most likely to end up in a shelter, or prison or be a victim of FGM?

[HappyMealWithLegs]

I think she will be fine. She seems very strong and hopefully sees that she has lots of support.

Amazes me that anyone can think it's possible for a human to change sex, and that to voice this is a bad thing.

[TightPants]

@nellodee That is what’s so shocking.
I can’t get my head around it.
She’s been threatened with sexual assault and rape and no one has supported her.

[MitziK]

@Tomoveornotomove2

What conversation has she got started exactly?

Being a biggot doesn’t win her any prizes, I’m glad The cast came out to shake her beliefs.

Imagine thinking that saying that stuff won’t catch you clout.

Also don’t imagine that you would also say this in public, just hide behind your screens.

Of course I wouldn't - I'd be putting myself at very real risk of male bodied violence.

[CaveMum]

There are celebrities speaking out to support JKR. A delightful TRA on a Twitter has created a list of those who have expressed “wrong thoughts”.

I also saw Kirsty Alsopp tweet her disgust at the comments directed at JKR, though she did also say she didn’t agree with her comments. However , THAT is how you do debate, you are respectful and set out your thoughts, not instantly resorting to threats and abusive language.

[CaveMum]

Oops, forgot The List of the Damned!

[gruffalo28]

I also support her and think she is very brave.I hope she is reading mumsnet and seeing all these comments. I don't understand the reaction of all the young HP stars except that maybe they haven't understood the debate or were afraid to do anything else.

I don't think I'll watch the next installment of Fantastic Beasts with Eddie Reymane in it. I hope she vetoes the project if she can.

[MitziK]

Perhaps if the people who have criticised her feel so strongly about the writer whose books (that I detest, by the way) have made them a fuckton of money, perhaps they should hand it all back?

That would give a very clear message that it wasn't just about having the financial privilege (and let's face it, white privilege, as they're pretty much all middle class & white) to not have any comprehension of the life of an abused single parent.

[SouthWestmom]

I hope she's ok and doesn't get reprogrammed to be acceptable.

I don't really understand why someone can't just be a feminine bloke or a masculine girl or just have lots of diverse interests so not qualified to comment on the issue.

I just don't really want to offend anyone suffering either thorough an identity crisis or through an expression of their belief in biology.

[YinMnBlue]

jk, just remember there's millions of women out there, sat on the sofa or cooking the tea who totally agree with you

And similar messages and all the emails if support...

If everyone said these things publicly it would be if more support and more help.

It is time that everyone who, whilst standing with Trans people against abuse in the streets and discrimination in the workplace etc, believes that there is also a place for sexual-based identity and sex based rights, simply says so each and every time the occasion arises.

Why are you all letting a few women get their heads shot off when they put them above the parapet?

I have endured a furore at work...and in Twitter, and say what I believe in a calm way in Facebook. It isn’t great, but frankly the ‘support’ of people who agree but keep shctum, especially those whose jobs / roles would not be in any way at risk, is a bit irritating.

[MiniatureHero]

It’s hardly fair to say Dan Radcliffe threw her under a bus. What he actually did was respectfully disagree with her opinion - something he is completely entitled to do.

That said, however much I disagree with JKR on this issue, she has received a lot of totally horrific and unacceptable abuse, and that Sun headline was despicable. It should never have been allowed. So I hope that she does have good support around her, and I hope she is staying safe and well.

[MiniatureHero]

I don't think I'll watch the next installment of Fantastic Beasts with Eddie Reymane in it.

I’m a little surprised so many feminists watched the last one, given that Johnny Depp was abusive to his wife. I didn’t watch the last one and won’t watch any more because of him, even though I loved the first in the series. It’s a bit odd for Johnny Depp to be given a pass but for Eddie Redmayne to be the line in the sand.

(I know JD’s wife was abusive to him too, and I also consider that unacceptable; both should be condemned for their behaviour)

[CaveMum]

Minature he did throw her under the bus. He ignored the whole point of her original statement which was actually about women, you know “the menstruators”, and made no mention at all of transmen - it was all about the “transwomen are women”.

He then had the gall to say he hoped that the franchise would not be tainted for people. Yes the franchise that made him a household name, without which he would most likely be an average Joe, the franchise created by the woman he didn’t even have the Class to say “I respectfully disagree with what she said” of.

[MiniatureHero]

I also found it frustrating that he didn’t mention trans men, since they are the people whose identities / existence JKR was invalidating. But he doesn’t have to agree with her just because she wrote the source material for the film he was in. That’s kind of like saying actresses have to support Harvey Weinstein because he gave them their big break. It’s actually healthy, in my view, for people to stand up for what they believe in even if it means alienating powerful people who have previously helped them.

And whether you agree with their thinking or not, a lot of people have found the series tainted for them by JKR’s comments. For example, I read an article recently about trans people with Harry Potter tattoos feeling conflicted about them and wanting to cover them up or have them removed. I actually found it quite touching for DR to acknowledge the good and positive things about the books, and to remind people that it’s ok for them to have found a community in Harry Potter even if the author of that community now appears to reject them.

[Oxyiz]

The author hasn't "rejected" anyone or anything though.

All she's said is that you can't change sex, and predatory men shouldn't be allowed on their say-so into womens spaces.

Surely most reasonable trans people know that biology can't really be changed, and don't want predatory men around them either?

How in God's name could any sane person read her incredibly well reasoned and calm letter, full of love and support for transpeople too, and deduce, "wow, she hates and rejects trans people."

[montyliesandmontycries]

I think her initial tweet was pretty goady and unnecessary, so I’m sure her skin is thick enough to deal with many backlash.

[xsquared]

That’s kind of like saying actresses have to support Harvey Weinstein because he gave them their big break.

How are JKR's comments on "menstruators" on a par with multiple sexual assaults against actresses?

[MiniatureHero]

Fundamentally, I don’t think it’s trans-inclusive to say that trans men must still be categorised as women. That is fundamentally contradictory to their own experiences and how they wish to be perceived and identified. Her message did not express this in a hateful way, but I absolutely understand why so many people feel it is a rejection.

DR didn’t accuse her of being hateful or bigoted or anything like that. He simply expressed disagreement with her views, and aligned himself with an alternative perspective. He’s entitled to do so (as were Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, Rupert Grint, Eddie Redmayne, and Katie Leung). I’m sure they feel profoundly grateful to JKR for the opportunities they have been given as a result of her books, just like I still feel profoundly grateful to JKR for the years of enjoyment, comfort and community I got from them. But that doesn’t mean they are obliged to agree with her or to stay silent on this issue.

[montyliesandmontycries]

Goady in that she ignored the fact that the title of the study didn’t say women because it would exclude non-Menstruating women, trans men and non-in art people. The actual article then goes on to say women women women etc.
What was the point of a sarcy, goady tweet about that? She’s smart enough to know what the intention was I’m sure.

[montyliesandmontycries]

The Sun though and her despicable ex need a good bloody talking. Scum bags.

[MiniatureHero]

How are JKR's comments on "menstruators" on a par with multiple sexual assaults against actresses?

I didn’t say they were. I said that implying that the Harry Potter actors shouldn’t express disagreement with a very powerful figure who gave them their big breaks because of some sense that they are indebted to her is akin to saying that actresses who were given big breaks by Harvey Weinstein shouldn’t express disagreement with him because they are indebted to him.

[montyliesandmontycries]

Non- binary people I meant.