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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask about JK Rowling - can someone tell me what happened?

999 replies

christmaspigeon · 23/12/2020 17:11

Just that really. I like her. I like how she gives so much for charity and how she put Trump in his place, but I know people's views on her have changed. Something to do with trans comments?? Can someone explain (in really simple language!) what happened? Thank you!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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nothereoften · 23/12/2020 18:11

twitter.com/rcolvile/status/1270794437967392771?s=21

Gardeniaofdelights is wrong about the pen name being homophobic. And the rest of it too.

OP, if you want clarity, it's this. Terms like 'woman' are used to refer to both gender and sex. Gender is a load of nonsense, so if you're a biological male who wants to be feminine, you go right ahead. People should be safe to perform gender in whatever way they want. I believe in respecting people's chosen names and pronouns etc.

However, 'woman' also refers to sex, and this is where the problem is. Where spaces are segregated by sex, it matters. You cannot substitute gender here. It makes prisons unsafe for women. It makes sports competitions unfair for women. It makes a difference. Women need to be allowed access to a female dr for example, not a man performing gender as a woman.

What has happened is a move to completely disregard all of these concerns and issues, in order to legitimise people's chosen gender presentation.

There are no clear answers/solutions, and both sides need to be heard and accommodated. JKR has forced a conversation out in the open where previously none was allowed, and the full scale abuse she has faced is perhaps a clue that not all is well.

I don't believe JKR is hateful or transphobic, and a lot of what she is concerned about is currently being proven right in court (OP, read up on Keira Bell). I wish for all trans people to feel safe and valued, to have access to the healthcare they need and equal opportunities. But how this can be achieved requires a nuanced debate.

Others may argue such a debate is unacceptable and implies trans people's rights are somehow open to debate. I don't believe this is the case at all, but I don't know how we'll ever move forward if we can't talk about concerns from both sides.

BrumBoo · 23/12/2020 18:11

but threats of actual physical violence being OK?

Not just threats. Fallon Fox anyone?

SophocIestheFox · 23/12/2020 18:15

she chose the name of a conversion therapy pioneer as her pen name

Do you honestly think that she was thinking “I know! I’m going to pick the name of this really obscure, horrible doctor because I hate trans people” when she picked that name years ago, long before this topic blew up the way it has today? And you really find that more plausible than the explanation she gave of the actual origin?

That is quite bonkers.

I don’t menstruate, and it’s a really sad story about why. But I understand that while not all women menstruate, only women do and I’m not in the least offended by what she said.

The abuse she has suffered is shocking. Really, really shocking. She has to have security for goodness sake- imagine what that does to someone who’s been sexually assaulted and in an abusive relationship?

Quaagars · 23/12/2020 18:17

You don’t want to filter bias so you thought you’d ask on Mumsnet instead?!

This Grin

midgebabe · 23/12/2020 18:18

Oh hi quaggers. Long time no see! Hope you ok

NuniaBeeswax · 23/12/2020 18:20

Well done for giving OP what they wanted everybody 👍

Thewithesarehere · 23/12/2020 18:21

@Quaagars

You don’t want to filter bias so you thought you’d ask on Mumsnet instead?!

This Grin

Yawn. There is always a bias when you don’t get the answer you want and perhaps need.
Tanith · 23/12/2020 18:21

"She compares hormone therapy to gay conversion therapy (especially odd given that she chose the name of a conversion therapy pioneer as her pen name)."

No, she didn't. Someone did a lot of word manipulation to twist the name of a conversion therapy pioneer so that it matched her pen name.

The pioneer himself was not known by the name Robert Galbraith.

BrumBoo · 23/12/2020 18:23

@NuniaBeeswax

Well done for giving OP what they wanted everybody 👍
Yes, an opportunity to say what a brilliant and amazing woman J K Rowling is Smile.
Oliv5 · 23/12/2020 18:24

Disappointing she stood up for Johnny Depp but the hate for everything else is so extreme.

SophocIestheFox · 23/12/2020 18:25

Yes, an opportunity to say what a brilliant and amazing woman J K Rowling is

Hear hear! Anytime I see that opportunity, I’m on it like Harry on a golden snitch Grin

Quaagars · 23/12/2020 18:25

Yawn. There is always a bias when you don’t get the answer you want and perhaps need

Just tickled me, t'is all - I mean, MN is well known for not having any opinion on trans issues at all, I don't think this topic has ever been done on MN before lol
ahemm

midgebabe · 23/12/2020 18:27

MN is not a thing that has its own thoughts

Where you find a strong consensus of opinion on MN that's suggestive of something

Quaagars · 23/12/2020 18:28

MN is not a thing that has its own thoughts

No, really? Shut the front door lol

Quaagars · 23/12/2020 18:29

Where you find a strong consensus of opinion on MN that's suggestive of something

Which was my point, I think the sarcasm bit (indicated by the ahem) of my post must have gone whooosh over your head a little bit lol

Wearywithteens · 23/12/2020 18:35

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

Curioushorse · 23/12/2020 18:36

God it’s awful the abuse being piled on her- largely by people who haven’t actually read what she’s said.

I suspect she’ll be on the right side of history. But, OP, I wouldn’t mention her at the moment. It’s too contentious.

Janegrey333 · 23/12/2020 18:37

@midgebabe

MN is not a thing that has its own thoughts

Where you find a strong consensus of opinion on MN that's suggestive of something

Usually a rubbish conspiracy.

JK Rowling is a great woman and has done nothing wrong. She is quite right about the protection required for women and children in the midst of this crazy mayhem. Quite right.

Janegrey333 · 23/12/2020 18:37

The Twitter vipers really are a bunch of bullies.

Passmeabottlemrjones · 23/12/2020 18:38

If you think that discussing women's rights is 'anti-trans' then it follows that you must believe that 'trans' is anti-women's rights.

SignOnTheWindow · 23/12/2020 18:40

This thread is going to go well...

There'll be much screenshotting of posts to share later on Twitter, no doubt.

EveryPlanetHasAYorkshire · 23/12/2020 18:41

Is @Gardeniaofdelights going to come back?

CaraDuneRedux · 23/12/2020 18:45

It's always about the screenshots Wink.

Still the link to JKR's actual essay is somewhere in the first half dozen posts or so, so if the screenshots send the curious but open minded this way, it may prove to be a bit of an own goal.

BrumBoo · 23/12/2020 18:45

@SignOnTheWindow

This thread is going to go well...

There'll be much screenshotting of posts to share later on Twitter, no doubt.

Twitter is a cesspit of fanatical gender believers who refuse to acknowledge that there's any room for sensible debate for very real issues that come with gender ideology. If people choose to screenshot views in order to have a cheap scream of 'Terf', well that's their energy to waste.
Skyliner001 · 23/12/2020 18:46

@plumpootle

Is your google broken?
This 😂
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