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.

YANBU.

The vitriol and murderous threats Joanne are meant to serve as a warning to any other brave female public figure who dates to stand up for women. It is cowardly and bullying and completely disgusting. I immediately lose respect for anyone who, having NOT read anything she wrote, parrots that "Tphobia" nonsense.

And no, I will not be silenced.

Thank you, Joanne for your tremendous sacrifice and integrity in the face of such viciousness and cravenness.

Whilst I might not agree with everything she says, I think it's damn unreasonable that she's being forcibly removed from entertainment. I would love a Harry Potter series, and really don't think that the personal opinions of the author are at all relevant.

She's not an ardent fascist, criminal or perpetuator of any really harmful ideology, nor are her personal views conveyed in the HP universe. It seems to be yet another attempt for a company spokesperson to seem 'woke' and inclusive, when it's really making rather a meal out of nothing.

JK isn't even incredibly vocal on the matters, she has a large platform and could be saying much more inflammatory or damnable things, but she's not. Still love and enjoy Harry Potter, as do my kids, and the author's personal views won't change that.

I’m no fan of Harry Potter, but I’ve always admired J K Rowling for what she’s achieved and I’ve admired the way she speaks her mind.

It’s turned into a witch hunt, with other famous women being demonised for speaking out. I remember that last year there was an attempt to force the BBC to fire Martina Navratilova from her role as Wimbledon commentator because she spoke out about the implications of transwomen being permitted to play on the women’s tennis tour. I don’t know what came of that, and of course Wimbledon was cancelled last year because of Covid.

What worries me is that we’re not allowed to speak up about this.

The word "Transphobia" is throw at anybody who so much as questions anything.
I saw someone torn apart on twitter for asking what it meant to "feel like a woman". They were genuinely questioning, not being rude or anything.

I am what some would call as “woke” as it gets. I am a lefty millennial.

However I am also a scientist by training.

I agree that JKR is being unfairly demonised.

The whole trans debate is a massive philosophical rabbit hole (ontology, anyone?)

We have physical realities and social realities. Yes, you can question physical realities and bring up quantum theory if you want to, but pragmatically speaking, a banana is a banana.
There may well be people out there who are writing phds questioning the banana-ness of bananas and arguing that because one banana in every million is orange and sometimes they are short or fat ot wiggly or straight, then we can’t define a banana as a long curved yellow fruit, and that there is therefore no reason why a satsuma could not also, theoretically, be called a banana. Their arguments would probably have philosophical merit, but in the end we must be pragmatic and defining fruits and veg by their colour shape and taste is the way we have collectively organised our reality. There are always going to be exceptions, and our categorisations are admittedly imperfect, but we need them to get by and function.

Now I realise the comparison is crass and no doubt some people will be offended by it, but really the principle is the same for people (and most living creatures in fact. The exceptions tend to prove the rule). Males have penises/sperm and females have vaginas/eggs. Man is a word for a human male, and woman is a word for a hunan female.

There are always exceptions: I know that intersex people exist.
And I know that people with gender dysphoria / trans people exist.
Their experiences are difficult, real and valid.

Looking specifically at trans people, do I think they should have the right to use whatever name and pronouns they wish? Yes. Do I think they should be able to dress and live as they wish? Yes. Do I think society should make a conscious effort to be as inclusive as possible, respect their individual experience and celebrate the vastness of human diversity? Yes, absolutely!!

Do I think that their existence means that we must redefine what it means to be a man or a woman? No.

Do I think that anyone who is against redefining what it means to be a woman, is a bigot? No!!

YANBU

She is also not even transphobic. She has made some perceptive, relevant points about the reality of transgenderism and the potential impact it has for women's rights, nothing insulting or degrading towards the trans community. I hate to see powerful and articulate women being destroyed in the public eye. They really will weaponise anything she says.

Also agree that her message throughout the Harry Potter books is incredibly powerful and a great read for kids. Hermione is a fantastic character, my DD adored her as a role model, and the overall theme of resistance and courage is so important for teenagers/YA IMO.

Yanbu

The woman is a goddess & has articulated herself perfectly

That's well said Dodi and of course JK Rowling said v similar -
"Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security."

But still people will insist on saying she 'hates trans people' (without ever being able to quote where she said any such thing)

That essay was the best thing she has ever written imo. Thoughtful, considered and truthful.
She's also very courageous to stand up for women.

Dodithedog

That was absolutely a clear and sensitive setting out of exactly how I see things. Mind if I use it word for word when I’m trying to explain my position?

Thanks for adding your thoughts to the thread. Powerful.

@Dodithedog

I am what some would call as “woke” as it gets. I am a lefty millennial.

However I am also a scientist by training.

I agree that JKR is being unfairly demonised.

The whole trans debate is a massive philosophical rabbit hole (ontology, anyone?)

We have physical realities and social realities. Yes, you can question physical realities and bring up quantum theory if you want to, but pragmatically speaking, a banana is a banana.
There may well be people out there who are writing phds questioning the banana-ness of bananas and arguing that because one banana in every million is orange and sometimes they are short or fat ot wiggly or straight, then we can’t define a banana as a long curved yellow fruit, and that there is therefore no reason why a satsuma could not also, theoretically, be called a banana. Their arguments would probably have philosophical merit, but in the end we must be pragmatic and defining fruits and veg by their colour shape and taste is the way we have collectively organised our reality. There are always going to be exceptions, and our categorisations are admittedly imperfect, but we need them to get by and function.

Now I realise the comparison is crass and no doubt some people will be offended by it, but really the principle is the same for people (and most living creatures in fact. The exceptions tend to prove the rule). Males have penises/sperm and females have vaginas/eggs. Man is a word for a human male, and woman is a word for a hunan female.

There are always exceptions: I know that intersex people exist.
And I know that people with gender dysphoria / trans people exist.
Their experiences are difficult, real and valid.

Looking specifically at trans people, do I think they should have the right to use whatever name and pronouns they wish? Yes. Do I think they should be able to dress and live as they wish? Yes. Do I think society should make a conscious effort to be as inclusive as possible, respect their individual experience and celebrate the vastness of human diversity? Yes, absolutely!!

Do I think that their existence means that we must redefine what it means to be a man or a woman? No.

Do I think that anyone who is against redefining what it means to be a woman, is a bigot? No!!

Brilliant post.

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 they were awful? Really, is that what you think she said?

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

Hang on a sec, I took this to mean that the trans lobby told them, not JKR. I don’t think the poster meant it was a statement of any kind from JKR herself. At least stop piling on to the poster when there’s clearly another valid interpretation of the comment?

Good nit pick

I love JK rowling and totally stand with her.

I follow a lesbian couple on instagram who hate her and I must be naive but it shocks me that two lesbians can hate her for standing up for women.

*FFS. You ought to be ashamed to SLANDER someone in this way. How EVIL of you.

I hope that at some point in your life you have to read public malicious lies about yourself and remember your role in this nastiness.

You're a disgrace.*

LOL calm down!!! How strange to get so worked up over when a complete stranger has expressed their opinion online. Also, Slander is for spoken defamation, not a written opinion.

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

But what does that even mean? How can you identify as the opposite sex as a child? When I was young some girls had short hair and liked football. Some boys did gymnastics. They were still female or male. What can a boy do or be as a child that a girl can't, and thus means she has to identify as a boy? How can they possibly underatand the complex social implications of being either male or female? How does liking stereotypically male or female activities have any bearing on anything at all, apart, perhaps, from a societal need to stop seeing ponies as for girls and rugby for boys.

The prospect of the medical side of this, as a doctor, really concerns me.

A study in us found a Handful of children like that

My mother taught for 40 years and met one child like that

That is not what Is being talked about

@SunsetSenora " really highlights what this is all about - another bunch of people telling women that they understand their experiences better than women do themselves"
YES!!

@Nitpickpicnic

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

Hang on a sec, I took this to mean that the trans lobby told them, not JKR. I don’t think the poster meant it was a statement of any kind from JKR herself. At least stop piling on to the poster when there’s clearly another valid interpretation of the comment?

Tenuous.

And easily resolved - all the fans have to do is read what JKR actually said.

P.S. absolutely LOVE JK Rowling

YABU, she has wrote some disgusting things and has advertised merchandise such as badges that say 'F* your pronouns' and 'Notorious Transphobe'