To think that JK Rowling is being very unfairly treated.

[Impatiens]

For some people the name JK Rowling seems to have become a byword for 'bigot' or 'transphobe' - you only have to mention her name on twitter to cause a storm of accusations and abuse about her and I think it's really unjust.

This week it was announced that a new Harry Potter TV series is in development. Cue howls of outrage from certain people, repeating the same insults and even accusing her of being a bad influence on children. I feel so bad for her. She's always been someone who seemed to want to do good with her wealth and whose books (whether you like them or not) sent a positive message about the need to fight against evil.

A very brief recap of things Rowling has said about the trans debate that have caused anger -

1. Human biological sex can't be changed (females can't become males/vice versa) and no one should lose their job for saying that.

1. The word 'Woman' is being erased, particularly from important health messages that only affect females, and replaced with dehumanising terms like 'menstruators', 'cervix-havers' etc

1. Children/young people who have Gender Dysphoria/Identify as Transgender, shouldn't be given medication as part of any treatment because they're too young to understand the potential side effects.

YABU = JK Rowling's comments were offensive and she deserves the abuse she gets
YANBU = JK Rowling's comments were respectful opinions and she's entitled to voice them without getting abuse.

I think she knew this would come but decided to speak out anyway. It was inevitable.

She is right though and as a woman without her influence I thank her to leading the charge on this.

They are frustrated because they can't get her fired or beat her.

and because she's a women

Some children clearly identify as the opposite biological sex and live that way throughout their childhood and I think it may be appropriate to have puberty blockers in some cases, which are assessed critically and fully.

But these drugs are just as damaging whether you've identified as trans early on in childhood or later. The side-effects can have life-long impact on their health - they're just too young to comprehend that.

Yanbu, but as far as I can tell she's getting her revenge by having a lovely, lovely life. It drives them demented that they can't touch her.

Not that it makes it ok. It still must have been really distressing to experience, but god her strength impresses me.

As you tell from my username a JK devotee - love her. We stand with you Jo. If you haven't already you can email her your support [email protected]

Whenever this comes up it makes my blood boil. Good for JK Rowling for speaking out - even if I didnt like her writing, I would be buying her stuff to show my support. It is really interesting, isnt it, that the word man doesnt have to be replaced in the way that woman does (ie. person with testicles, person with a prostate)? And really highlights what this is all about - another bunch of people telling women that they understand their experiences better than women do themselves. I am very supportive of people who truly need help because they were born in a body that doesnt match their gender, but the lobby has gotten so out of control, and downright disrespectful to women. However they feel inside, being a transgender woman is not the same as being a woman who has not had to transition, but there doesnt seem to be any acknowledgement of that. Trans men dont seem to do this.

It still must have been really distressing to experience, but god her strength impresses me.

She is amazing, really amazing, but I can't stand the way the abuse of her is being normalised so that 'JK Rowling' = 'Transphobic'

JKR is tremendous. Misogynists hate articulate, opinionated and successful women like her, so all they can do is resort to violent threats and name-calling, in this case hiding behind the trans rights movement. ’Twas ever thus.

@Notmydaughteryoubitch

As you tell from my username a JK devotee - love her. We stand with you Jo. If you haven't already you can email her your support [email protected]

Thanks, didn't know that!

The problem is Twitter

Walk away

If all women did that ...

@BudgieHammockBananaSmuggler - absolutely, and there is a real sense now that you are not allowed to question this statement. Since unhappy people are desperate to find out why they are unhappy, understandably, and humans are really bad at working out what is making them unhappy, it stands to reason that lots of people will drop on this mistakenly. I work in mental health and know a lot of people who worked in this field who were truly committed to supporting people who really have this issue, but who have left because of the pressure to accept every statement immediately, and not question. Very dangerous, and not helpful to people who are struggling in this way.

She's always been someone who seemed to want to do good with her wealth and whose books (whether you like them or not) sent a positive message about the need to fight against evil.

I think the problem is that she writes about acceptance and that being an outsider or a bit odd is totally ok. Her fans took that so much to heart, so it devastated them to suddenly be told she thought they were so awful.

I ❤️ JK Rowling for doing that.

She did not say they were aweful at any time

All she says is that sex and gender are different

Like round is not square

She accepted everyone

Including women who don't have a gender , including women who have been harmed by gender

Her fans took that so much to heart, so it devastated them to suddenly be told she thought they were so awful.

When did she say that?

I agree with all of the points you've mentioned her making. The essay she wrote was incredibly eloquent.

Of course, others are free to disagree with her opinions. That does not make her transphobic.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee - did you read what she wrote? Where did she say her fans were awful please?

so it devastated them to suddenly be told she thought they were so awful.

At no point has she said this, though. She has always stated quite clearly that she supports trans rights, but is concerned about women’s rights being eroded in the name of trans rights. If people lack the ability to understand that the argument isn’t as simple as “women = good, trans = bad”, well... that’s kind of on them, really. It’s very obviously a difficult issue and she has always made that clear in an articulate, sensitive and balanced way. What’s “awful” is that some people want her cancelled or whatever, simply for acknowledging that the issue is complex and difficult, and that gender self-ID has obvious ramifications for women.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee

She's always been someone who seemed to want to do good with her wealth and whose books (whether you like them or not) sent a positive message about the need to fight against evil.

I think the problem is that she writes about acceptance and that being an outsider or a bit odd is totally ok. Her fans took that so much to heart, so it devastated them to suddenly be told she thought they were so awful.

That she didn’t do. She simply said she doesn’t want women’s spaces to be taken away and doesn’t want the word ‘woman’ to be eroded.

It's absolutely disgusting the way she has been treated. She is a very brave person with a lot of integrity. A certain faction of society will always be triggered by a woman who speaks her mind.

@bingowingsmcgee

It's absolutely disgusting the way she has been treated. She is a very brave person with a lot of integrity. A certain faction of society will always be triggered by a woman who speaks her mind.

Exactly

YANBU. I bloody love her - and she’s absolutely right in what she’s said. Every single word.

It’s just woman-hatred, pure and simple, the reaction against her. If she’d been male and said what she’d said nobody would have batted an eyelid. But women aren’t allowed unpopular opinions.

@TheLovleyChebbyMcGee

She's always been someone who seemed to want to do good with her wealth and whose books (whether you like them or not) sent a positive message about the need to fight against evil.

I think the problem is that she writes about acceptance and that being an outsider or a bit odd is totally ok. Her fans took that so much to heart, so it devastated them to suddenly be told she thought they were so awful.

Yes, and when she mentioned killing all the kittens too they understandably got really upset.

Except, of course, she didn’t say either of those things, did she? She went out of her way to say that she empathised with trans women, that they deserved protection, that she’d met trans men and they were sensitive and lovely, that people should be able to wear what they want, that transition might be the answer for some, etc etc.

She’s a wonderful human being and spoke nothing but the truth.