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 :(

It's interesting to see that Philip Pullman, who doesn't appear to be sure from one day to the next whether he supports JKR or not, is getting an absolute pasting over his misreading of Simone de Beauvoir. I do feel for him, actually, as he is an intelligent and well-read guy and it can't be easy to be told you have so startlingly misunderstood a piece of writing. I hope he will come round.

What's very striking is that the tone of the criticism, although stern and at times angry, is just about managing to remain polite. Nobody has yet told him to shut the f up, threatened to go round and smack him with a baseball bat, called him horrible names, invited him to suck their dick or screamed that they are going to burn his books. Hmmmmm... I wonder just why this could possibly be? Any offers?

(Hint: we know why.)

I thought she'd be on MN too, many high profile people are. The anonymity helps of course!

She has my full support.

@MiniatureHero except HW abuses his employees so why would they owe loyalty to him? Many of them have lost their careers in Hollywood as a result.

I doubt Daniel Radcliffe et Al's careers will suffer as a result of their response to her comments. If anything, it has put them back in the limelight.

Of course it has xsquared r.e. DR et al. Surely that's part of the attraction for them.

Fundamentally, I don’t think it’s trans-inclusive to say that trans men must still be categorised as women.

Ah right, so all the rape threats are being made by trans men? Since it's trans men she's 'rejected'?

It's not male bodied TRAs cutting down a woman who dares to respectfully, reasonably disagree with them, if they say that the sky is yellow and the grass is purple and I am a penguin because I say I am, because I feel like a penguin therefore I am one and everyone has to agree with me and say I am one and be happy for me to go in the penguin enclosure at the zoo? And if the other penguins think I'm not a penguin and are scared of me and don't want me to be a penguin, they are hateful bigots who deserve to die?

Just checking

I agree that no one is obliged to stay silent or to agree mindlessly.

However - to watch your former employer gets viciously and endless attacked online including multiple rape and violence threats; to read an essay wherr her pours her heart out about her PTSD - and then to just pour fuel on to the fire and not say even a word in her defence or against the aggressors is pretty pisspoor behaviour.

Clearly none of them think she has any power or influence for them anymore, which shows you what backstabbing little people they are when there's nothing more for them to gain from someone.

Fundamentally, I don’t think it’s trans-inclusive to say that trans men must still be categorised as women.

She didn't actually say that though. She said people with periods used to be known as women (and in the real world are still known as women).

The tiny subset of transmen across the globe shouldn't mean that the 99% of women lose their label, or that we are addressed as things that menstruate.

Sorry that first paragraph should have been bolded as a quote.

Ah right, so all the rape threats are being made by trans men? Since it's trans men she's 'rejected'?

As was clear from my post, I think the hateful abuse JKR has experienced is despicable and unacceptable.

Saying that I don’t think the Harry Potter actors are obliged to agree with her does not mean I in any way endorse rape threats, threats of violence, or any other form of abuse.

It would be helpful if you would respond to what I have actually said, instead of lumping me in with people I explicitly disagree with. I wouldn’t dream of assuming that you endorse or are in league with with the kinds of people who say trans men should be ‘cured’ by being raped, and I think it’s only reasonable that you extend the same courtesy to me in return.

However - to watch your former employer gets viciously and endless attacked online including multiple rape and violence threats; to read an essay wherr her pours her heart out about her PTSD - and then to just pour fuel on to the fire and not say even a word in her defence or against the aggressors is pretty pisspoor behaviour.

Clearly none of them think she has any power or influence for them anymore, which shows you what backstabbing little people they are when there's nothing more for them to gain from someone.*

This.

Quite @Circe2020

She didn't actually say that though. She said people with periods used to be known as women (and in the real world are still known as women).

If one says that ‘women’ and ‘people who menstruate’ mean exactly the same thing, one is necessarily excluding the identities of trans men (as well a women who don’t menstruate). That was one of the points being made by the article JKR quoted.

Argh bold fail!

I admire JKR so much. She is such a huge inspiration to young girls and women to what they can achieve, even when men (and men apologisers like Jameela) are screaming you down and telling you to know your place. I've have spent the last few days doing nothing but standing ground on here, Twitter, even with my other half to say that we are NOT transphobic saying that female biology is real, and it matters so much to say it is.

I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must be for her to read Radcliffe, Watson and now Grint tearing apart her life experiences as a woman, denying her own biology when the only reason they have such loud voices is because of her. She struggled so hard to get her platform, they were handed privilege on a plate and throw it in her face. How cruel of them. Especially Radcliffe, who basically told her to shut up as men's feelings were more important. None of them have made a statement about The Scum and their front page, how very telling. Especially from Emma Watson, Ambassador for Women.

Fundamentally, I don’t think it’s trans-inclusive to say that trans men must still be categorised as women.

They still are and always will be biologically women. To pretend there is a male uterus is harmful to women.

That is fundamentally contradictory to their own experiences and how they wish to be perceived and identified.

What experience would that be? They can be perceived as trans males, or trans women but that does not equate to 'woman' or 'man' in the biological sense.

However - to watch your former employer gets viciously and endless attacked online including multiple rape and violence threats; to read an essay wherr her pours her heart out about her PTSD - and then to just pour fuel on to the fire and not say even a word in her defence or against the aggressors is pretty pisspoor behaviour.

Clearly none of them think she has any power or influence for them anymore, which shows you what backstabbing little people they are when there's nothing more for them to gain from someone.

She was never their employer. And it is not backstabbing to respectfully express your disagreement with somebody on an issue you believe in strongly. DR has a long involvement with the charity The Trevor Project - don’t you think that alone compelled him to speak out about his position on this?

*However - to watch your former employer gets viciously and endless attacked online including multiple rape and violence threats; to read an essay wherr her pours her heart out about her PTSD - and then to just pour fuel on to the fire and not say even a word in her defence or against the aggressors is pretty pisspoor behaviour.

Clearly none of them think she has any power or influence for them anymore, which shows you what backstabbing little people they are when there's nothing more for them to gain from someone.*

This. Revolting, self serving little fucks.

I saw her speak live a few years ago. I am not the right age to have been sucked into HP but I was so struck by how clever and funny and warm-hearted she was. I came away thinking she was a magnificent, wonderful woman. I still think that. She has shown extraordinary courage and if I could give her a hug to express my gratitude, I would. It's courage like hers which changes the world for the better.

I can't imagine how heartbreaking it must be for her to read Radcliffe, Watson and now Grint tearing apart her life experiences as a woman, denying her own biology when the only reason they have such loud voices is because of her.

Disagreeing with a person is not tearing them apart. This is a wildly unfair hyperbole.

I honestly think she’s been, if not planning then at least, preparing for taking this stand for some time. She’s been watching and observing, she’s a smart woman - she’s seen the backlash that other women have suffered and for whatever reason decided know was the right time. It may have been the proposed changes in Scotland that pushed her over the edge, or she may we’ll have always intended to do something now.

I agree completely with this. JKR is an incredibly intelligent, astute woman. She isn't a dumdum with a mouth that just won't stop who needs to be saved from herself - she knew when she wrote and sent that essay out into the world the backlash she would unleash and she big fat went and did it regardless because she believed strongly in her own words.

Rightly or wrongly she knew what she was doing and chose that time to go for it. And I stand behind her and say I believe in what she is saying.

This. Revolting, self serving little fucks.

I doubt you, or anyone, would consider it acceptable for JKR to be called a revolting, self-serving little fuck for expressing her opinion so perhaps you should refrain from doing so to others? There are ways to discuss this issue without being abusive.

They are not doing the tearing down themselves but none of them have spoken against the abuse and rape threats she has received.

So it's fine for them to speak against her comments but remain silent when she receives multiple threats? Be consistent.

It would be helpful if you would respond to what I have actually said, instead of lumping me in with people I explicitly disagree with.

Yep fair dos miniature, it was a bit unfair to quote you when there are far less reasonable posters available. However, I still don't for a second believe that its trans men, or people who have the interests of trans men at the forefront of their minds, who are attacking JKR with such hatred. I believe it's a small number of male bodied TRAs who are using trans issues to attack and subjugate women who dare to disagree with them, and conflating the rights and wishes of trans men with what's happening to JKR is lending legitimacy to hateful bigots who will happily wish rape and death on a trans man who dared to step out of line.

Disagreeing with a person is not tearing them apart. This is a wildly unfair hyperbole.

They didn't disagree. They tore apart what she said and made her out to be a transphobe, which she is not. Daniel Radcliffe apologised for her words. That is not disagreement. Their words against her caused the following vitrol. They began a witch-hunt, not a conversation.

It’s time for women to make our voices heard. So many agree with JK Rowlings sentiments and have worries about the implication of self id - and how this will affect women’s rights but if we keep silent we are being complicit as the media is pathetic and only listens to who shouts the loudest.
If you want to show solidarity with jk get on twitter and use #istandwithJKRowlings
And get involved - join the other women are standing up for our rights.

They tore apart what she said and made her out to be a transphobe, which she is not.

This is simply not true. They said nothing of the kind. Most of them barely mentioned her specifically - just expressed their own views, which are not the same as hers.

You simply can’t categorise people having different views as ‘tearing each other apart’ or you’ll never leave any room for debate, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, or development of ideas.