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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

As JK Rowling turns 60, John Boyne on why he stands behind the fearless author

53 replies

miri1985 · 27/07/2025 15:16

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books-arts/book-news/john-boyne-on-jk-rowling-as-a-writer-im-in-awe-of-her-achievements-as-a-reader-i-love-her-work-and-as-a-fellow-terf-i-stand-four-square-behind-her/a857888465.html

https://archive.ph/7FufV

John Boyne on JK Rowling: ‘As a writer, I’m in awe of her achievements. As a reader, I love her work. And as a fellow Terf, I stand four-square behind her’

In response to some negative remarks made by Stephen Fry in June, the writer JK Rowling stated: “It is a great mistake to assume that everyone who claims to have been a friend of mine was ever considered a friend by me.”

https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books-arts/book-news/john-boyne-on-jk-rowling-as-a-writer-im-in-awe-of-her-achievements-as-a-reader-i-love-her-work-and-as-a-fellow-terf-i-stand-four-square-behind-her/a857888465.html

OP posts:
ImImmortalNowBabyDoll · 01/06/2026 22:17

Inkspotblue · 01/06/2026 21:43

Who is this directed at @Cailleach1? And what’s the deliberately nasty invective being disguised as outrage?

Me I believe, because clearly I can't possibly be genuinely outraged about someone making up ridiculous and historically inaccurate stories about a genocide, and saying @Cailleach1 is OK with fantasy stories about real and horrific events is incorrect and indicates mental ill health on my part, even though she's just said she's OK with a fantasy story about a real and horrific event.

Cailleach1 · Yesterday 08:34

Firstly, I shouldn’t have said ‘Bloody hell, are you quite well?’ So, I withdraw that.

@ImImmortalNowBabyDoll ‘What other horrific experiences do you think can be fictionalised for fun?’

Where did I say it was fun? I certainly never said or intimated such a thing. I said it was fiction. The only post I can see introducing ‘fun’ in association with the topic is by you in your post. Which you seem to have introduced in order to sneakily (and it must be said falsely) insinuate was my stance.

You may be genuinely outraged. You may not be. I don’t know. However you appear to be quite happily using it as cover to just sling any old mud around, as per the latest baseless insinuation.

A great swath of fiction is set in many different historic settings, which had in reality no shortage of real human suffering and brutality. Books, movies and mini series, many (if not most) as inaccurate as can be.

Someone mentioned the Magdalen Laundries/ Baby homes. Just recently Cillian Murphy was in a movie ‘Small things like These’. Complete fiction about a coal man looking at what was happening at the Convent he delivered to. I’d suspect there were many historical inaccuracies, as well as the stretch of the storyline of the girl’s rescue by the protagonist maybe being less than convincing. Imagine that. By being in that film, did Murphy, as a grown man, who was never going to be one of the victims, disrespect what the women and babies went through? The women were seen through the lens of his infrequent interactions. Central, and yet incidental. Oddly, I didn’t end up having less sympathy with what those women went through in reality.

Now, I’m not going to be sucked back into this mud pile anymore. Certainly when you are just making up things, and flinging insinuations around.

Inkspotblue · Yesterday 18:31

I’m going to try one last time to bring this back to the actual point of the thread..rather than attacking each other over John Boyne.

What I’m talking about is the growing feeling that people are afraid to ask questions about sex and gender for fear of being labelled or socially punished.

There’s a big difference between genuine hatred and simply asking questions or holding a different view. But anything trans seems to be an issue where no nuance is allowed..you ask a question you’re immediately labelled anti-trans and vilified.

When societies become driven by fear, public shaming, or ideological conformity, honest debate disappears and people retreat into hostile camps instead of talking to each other.

I’d rather this thread be a respectful discussion about that please 🙏

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