Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

So I was deleted from a Harry Potter group on Facebook today.

48 replies

KitKat1985 · 13/06/2020 09:47

So I'm a bit HP fan. Have been for years, and have been a member of a group on Facebook for Harry Potter fans for a long time (usually it's just pics of memorabilia, HP quizzes etc). Someone today posted about the JKR / trans debate saying they couldn't support her books anymore because she was transphobic. I replied saying I agreed with JKR, ad that whilst I had no issues with trans people per se I felt that sex was biologically determined and couldn't be changed, and that I had concerns about transwomen entering women's spaces (especially refuges, prisons etc) and about the fairness of transwoman competing in women's sport. At no point was I rude, abusive etc. Got a few replies etc (some supportive, some not, which was expected) and have just checked and it seems I have been removed from the group. I'm so pissed off! Why can't I politely express a different opinion? I have messaged admin to ask why exactly I have been removed but predictably not had a response. Why do biological women's voices have to keep being shut down just to please a small minority in the trans community?

OP posts:
Userwhatevernumber · 13/06/2020 09:51

Because only their opinion is right and you are only allowed freedom of speech as long as it is what they want to hear. Narcissistic if you ask me.

I don’t disagree with you OP. It’s ridiculous.

OhHolyJesus · 13/06/2020 09:51

I'd love it if you went to the newspapers with this. I'm in a foul mood today so sorry to not be more constructive right now.

I'm sorry this happened, it's beyond ridiculous. Please don't be silenced.

Choccorocco · 13/06/2020 09:52

Yes please get this story noticed! It’s insane x

Collidascope · 13/06/2020 10:00

You can't disagree or debate because their ideology doesn't stand up to any intellectual scrutiny. Hence #nodebate and anyone attempting to debate being framed as automatically a transphobic bigot. It's a bit like the Tory party, just lots of slogans because they assume people will be thick enough to fall for it.

Collidascope · 13/06/2020 10:02

(Ironic actually as the Tories are one of the few parties who seem to be listening on this.)

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 13/06/2020 10:21

I just find it frustrating that anyone who expresses concern about trans ideology is labelled 'transphobic'. It's just become a quick and easy way of shutting down debate and discussion. Sigh.

OP posts:
langclegflavoredbananamush · 13/06/2020 10:38

I've been a HP fan for years, too. A few years ago I visited a couple of the fan sites that were big at the time, "Mugglenet" and "The Leaky Cauldron." I seem to remember JK Rowling having some kind of interaction with one or the other. I took a look, and "Leaky Cauldron" had Emma Watson's tweet up, and the (official??) twitter account looks all wokey... must be generating a fair amount of cognitive dissonance amongst the fandom.

runningon · 13/06/2020 10:39

Men's voices/opinions/wants trump women's every time.
This is why the whole Trans debate is a mockery.

VanGoghsDog · 13/06/2020 10:40

I got chucked out of a FB recycling group for being transphobic having made similar comments (in relation to comments that came up in a thread, not just out of the blue!).

Sandybval · 13/06/2020 10:41

Pretty much why people who are in the wrong but don't want to admit it often get aggressive in arguments, because they don't have an intellectual retort. Instead of providing a well reason alternative viewpoint to counteract what you posted (which I agree with, and good for you for posting it), the aim is to bully and create a space where people are fearful of speaking up. People like you OP are amazing, and why we might actual get some sort of say in the matter as women. Thank you.

Doyoumind · 13/06/2020 10:42

Surely if they don't like her anymore they are obliged to leave group themselves and leave everyone else to it. If only...

Kit19 · 13/06/2020 10:48

Most of the really devoted HP fans I know seem to spend their entire time raking over the books to point out how problematic they are in terms of representation 🤷🏻‍♀️

Dances · 13/06/2020 10:55

If it's The Leaky Cauldron, they have stated that they are banning 'transphobes'

Jaxhog · 13/06/2020 11:12

More cyberbullying. Typical, unfortunately.

Gncq · 13/06/2020 11:19

Sorry this happened to you.

Sorry, but not surprised.

Original poster
KitKat1985 · 13/06/2020 11:23

Thank you ladies. I know it's not the end of the world (I mean it's only a Facebook group at the end of the day) but it was a group I've been part of for a long time so I am a bit upset about being kicked out of it, especially when I was only politely expressing a different opinion.

On the positive side at least I won't have my phone pinging constantly all afternoon alerting me to new comments from angry trans activists!

OP posts:
growinggreyer · 13/06/2020 11:27

I was in the fandom when it began and at that time people were genuinely grateful to JKR because she let them play in her sandbox. Some other authors refuse to allow any fanfiction or fanart in their universe and JKR could have taken that approach but she did not. Now they want to shit all over her with no gratitude at all.

Sorry this has happened to you, OP. It is hard when you find that online friends are nothing of the sort.

PurpleHoodie · 13/06/2020 11:28

Billionaire JKR owns Harry Potter.

Freespeecher · 13/06/2020 11:56

Sorry this happened OP. It's as ridiculous as it is sad.

andyoldlabour · 13/06/2020 12:05

OP, sorry to hear this, but it is sadly not surprising. Last year, I made some comments on a cycling forum, where they were discussing Rachel McKinnon. I put forward arguments based on the differences between male and female physiology, one of the moderators thought it was only fair for transwomen to compete against women as the transwomen had to lower their testosterone levels. The following day I found that I was no longer able to log on to the forum.
The only way they can argue against facts and science is to shut down debate, no platform people, throw them off forums.

Freespeecher · 13/06/2020 12:10

I vaguely remember a YouTuber talking about how she was chucked off a knitting forum for views deemed unacceptable.

Any advance on knitting? Going once, going twice...

OvaHere · 13/06/2020 12:15

@Freespeecher

I vaguely remember a YouTuber talking about how she was chucked off a knitting forum for views deemed unacceptable.

Any advance on knitting? Going once, going twice...

The knitting world turned completely toxic. We had a long thread on it a while back.
BringbackLang · 13/06/2020 12:15

The thing is about authors is that they may write fantasy but they don't believe it.

The people who deleted you haven't actually got an argument for your posts. It's better to delete you before others see it and think 'hang on, they've got a point there.' They don't leant to think of themselves as the bad guys.

This shitting down cannot continue, you can not stifle free speech. It says to me that the very shaky ground this ideological house was built on has not only started to crack but massive great fissures have appeared through it. The house is tumbling down.

BringbackLang · 13/06/2020 12:17

Shutting not shitting. Want not leant. Me and autocorrect are not getting on today Grin

OvaHere · 13/06/2020 12:17

In other news my kids are doing HP stuff as part of distance learning English this week.

Which confirms my suspicion that most of the real world just isn't paying attention to twitter nonsense.