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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Well, hello Emma Watson

884 replies

crumpet · 24/09/2025 22:11

www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-15130209/Harry-Potter-Emma-Watson-treasures-J-K-Rowling-trans-rights.html

OP posts:
Thread gallery
31
Soontobe60 · 25/09/2025 06:50

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 04:44

"when she was slammed for "liking" a tweet that referred to trans women as "men in dresses.”

-Supporting a dog whistle for ‘deluded’/mentally ill

Months later, Rowling came under fire again for coming to the defense of Maya Forstater. At the time, the researcher had been waging an employment discrimination battle, as her contract with a think tank wasn't renewed after she made a series of anti-trans statements. These statements included that people should not be "compelled to play along with literal delusions like 'transwomen are women,'" and she referred to a gender-fluid person as a "man who likes to dress in women's clothes.”

-Supporting those who explicitly call trans people ‘deluded’/mentally ill

"Rowling revealed she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault and said this led her to sympathize with women who had "concerns around single-sex spaces." She argued against throwing "open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman.”

-Dog whistle for trans people as deluded predatory sex abusers

"Rowling published a new novel titled "Troubled Blood" under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book, which revolved around a male serial killer who dresses like a woman, was accused of being anti-trans.
It was disappointing that Rowling was propagating a "long-standing and hurtful presentation of trans women as a threat," a spokesperson for Mermaids, a charity that supports trans children, said to CNN. Rowling, meanwhile, said the book "was loosely based" on real killers."

-Dog whistle for trans people as mentally ill abusers of women

"When Scotland's new Hate Crime and Public Order Act went into effect in April, Rowling tried to bait them into arresting her with posts online. The law criminalizes "stirring up hatred" against people based on their race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity. By passing the law, Scotland "placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls," Rowling said in the thread on X. If anything she wrote qualified as an offense under the new law, "I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said."

-Dog whistle for trans people as deluded/mentally ill predatory abusers of women

"Rowling posted a photo from the fight, accusing Khelif of being a man who was "enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head."

-Dog whistle for mentally ill trans person who enjoys abusing of women

https://theweek.com/feature/1020838/jk-rowlings-transphobia-controversy-a-complete-timeline

They’re not ‘dog whistles’. They’re facts. Anyone who believes they were born in the wrong body, who believes in gendered souls, who believes that dressing in opposite sex clothing literally makes them the opposite sex (I could go on) is clearly mentally unwell.

DontCallMeLenYouLittleBollix · 25/09/2025 06:52

WallaceinAnderland · 24/09/2025 22:28

The thing is, people have been forced to either say nothing or publicly support the T for fear of losing their work and being completely ostracised by colleagues and friends.

The whole movement was driven by fear. It only takes a few more brave individuals to speak out and it will trigger a tsunami. Emma was a completely devoted handmaiden. Of all people, she is probably the last I would have expected to say something positive about JKR. But she will be crucified for it. I'm not going to join the pile on.

Worth pointing out that Emma has a lot more money than many of those people, thus was never in a position where she had to play along to pay the bills. And even then, some of them merely stayed silent rather than actively wading in. I accept that there are people stuck between a rock and a hard place, but not sure how that's applicable here.

Helleofabore · 25/09/2025 06:52

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 04:44

"when she was slammed for "liking" a tweet that referred to trans women as "men in dresses.”

-Supporting a dog whistle for ‘deluded’/mentally ill

Months later, Rowling came under fire again for coming to the defense of Maya Forstater. At the time, the researcher had been waging an employment discrimination battle, as her contract with a think tank wasn't renewed after she made a series of anti-trans statements. These statements included that people should not be "compelled to play along with literal delusions like 'transwomen are women,'" and she referred to a gender-fluid person as a "man who likes to dress in women's clothes.”

-Supporting those who explicitly call trans people ‘deluded’/mentally ill

"Rowling revealed she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault and said this led her to sympathize with women who had "concerns around single-sex spaces." She argued against throwing "open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman.”

-Dog whistle for trans people as deluded predatory sex abusers

"Rowling published a new novel titled "Troubled Blood" under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book, which revolved around a male serial killer who dresses like a woman, was accused of being anti-trans.
It was disappointing that Rowling was propagating a "long-standing and hurtful presentation of trans women as a threat," a spokesperson for Mermaids, a charity that supports trans children, said to CNN. Rowling, meanwhile, said the book "was loosely based" on real killers."

-Dog whistle for trans people as mentally ill abusers of women

"When Scotland's new Hate Crime and Public Order Act went into effect in April, Rowling tried to bait them into arresting her with posts online. The law criminalizes "stirring up hatred" against people based on their race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity. By passing the law, Scotland "placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls," Rowling said in the thread on X. If anything she wrote qualified as an offense under the new law, "I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said."

-Dog whistle for trans people as deluded/mentally ill predatory abusers of women

"Rowling posted a photo from the fight, accusing Khelif of being a man who was "enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head."

-Dog whistle for mentally ill trans person who enjoys abusing of women

https://theweek.com/feature/1020838/jk-rowlings-transphobia-controversy-a-complete-timeline

Gosh. We are seeing that article again.

Here is the archive link

http://archive.today/GYWYG

Last time the accusations was that she was implicitly Calling trans people 'mentally ill' & are all predatory sex fetishists.

Now the accusation is :

“Whilst it's true that those are JKR's views & those views are mainstream, the issue is how those views are framed which for many constitute dehumanising demonising dog whistles that by their very nature provide convenient plausible deniability”

Well, that is convenient isn’t it…. A poster demonising JK Rowling for what they themselves and a random who wrote a malign article read into women’s words. You really cannot beat that for hypocrisy.

—-

This time we have two added quotes. The first one is this quote:

"when she was slammed for "liking" a tweet that referred to trans women as "men in dresses.”

And this interpretation “Supporting a dog whistle for ‘deluded’/mentally ill

It was a tweet that referred to men in dresses. It is really something to believe that anytime a woman talks about a man in a dress she is saying those men are deluded or mentally ill. David Bowie? Harry Styles?

Or maybe, some people choose to make interpretations to do their own demonising and vilifying.

Either way, the article then admits this:

Rowling later said she "absent-mindedly" liked the tweet when she meant to screenshot it because she had taken "an interest in gender identity and transgender matters."

Blimey. So now she admits to making a mistake but apparently she still has to demonised for that mistake. You cannot make this up. It looks like some people, such as the writer of this article, will use any excuse to abuse a woman.

Then we have

Months later, Rowling came under fire again for coming to the defense of Maya Forstater. At the time, the researcher had been waging an employment discrimination battle, as her contract with a think tank wasn't renewed after she made a series of anti-trans statements. These statements included that people should not be "compelled to play along with literal delusions like 'transwomen are women,'" and she referred to a gender-fluid person as a "man who likes to dress in women's clothes.”

Interpreted as ”Supporting those who explicitly call trans people ‘deluded’/mentally ill”.

Again, there is that immediate assumption that men in dresses are deluded or mentally ill. Is this projection maybe of what the poster believes?

Maya Forstater won her tribunal case. If you notice though, the poster has dishonestly changed the context here.

Maya called the belief that “transwomen are women” for access to single sex provisions delusionary. No explicit mention of mental illness. She didn’t accuse any individual of being deluded or mentally ill. No person can change sex and single sex provisions are for people of the same sex. There is no other way to categorise human sex other than using body formation and the reproduction function of that body formation.

The concept that some male people demand access to female single sex spaces when they are objectively not female does not reflect material reality. If Maya wants to describe that as a delusionary concept, surely it is up to those disagreeing to provide evidence that she is wrong.

The article is clear that the support JK Rowling offered Maya was this tweet :

In a tweet, Rowling stood with Forstater: "Dress however you please," she said on X. "Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?"

Would you look at that, though. “Dress however you please”. It does throw significant doubt on the previous accusation and support JK Rowling’s explanation that she was trying to screenshot so she would be able to refer back in future. I am not sure she has ever deviated from the statement “Dress however you please” has she?

It is clear here that JK Rowling tweeted support for a woman’s tribunal case freedom of speech and freedom of thought. She supported the ideal that no woman should lose her job because she didn’t believe a male person should access female single sex provisions and she shouldn’t have to act as if she shares the belief that some male people can change sex.

Just as the tribunal found too.

_

Then there were these previous ones too :

Imagine reading JK Rowling’s essay and then writing this

"Rowling revealed she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault and said this led her to sympathize with women who had "concerns around single-sex spaces." She argued against throwing "open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman.”

And making this interpretation:

'Dog whistle for trans people as deluded pedatory sex abusers'

Notice how dishonest this interpretation is. This is someone who is implying a blanket statement accusing her of saying 'ALL' trans people. This quote the writer and the poster have chosen refers only to men. What she is explicitly saying is that some male people with transgender identities may cause female people harm, this includes distress, by being in that space.

She may believe that any male person who would enter a female single sex space is there to cause the female people in the space harm intentionally, but she could also believe something else.

The interpretation of 'Dog whistle for trans people as deluded pedatory sex abusers' is taking an absolutist, catastrophised view and assuming the worst in words that don't explicitly say what has been claimed.

In any case, this doesn't support the implied accusation of 'all'. And I think only a fool would declare there are no male people with transgender identities that are ‘deluded pedatory sex abusers'.

For anyone in doubt, please visit transcrimeuk dot com to see evidence that would show that some male people of this group do fit this poster’s description.

Here is another quote:

“Rowling published a new novel titled "Troubled Blood" under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book, which revolved around a male serial killer who dresses like a woman, was accused of being anti-trans.”

“It was disappointing that Rowling was propagating a "long-standing and hurtful presentation of trans women as a threat," a spokesperson for Mermaids, a charity that supports trans children, said to CNN. Rowling, meanwhile, saidthe book "was loosely based" on real killers.”

The interpretation was:

'Dog whistle for trans people as mentally ill abusers of women'

Did the poster even read this book? I did . And many others did.

Perhaps the poster would like to know that there have been male people in the past, who did not have a transgender identity, who used dressing to look like a female person to gain access to victims or to get close to victims. It does happen. The Cambridge Murderer (there was a thread on this active on FWR a couple of weeks ago about that person) did this.

So, which is more likely in this supposedly 'implicit' statement that ' trans people are mentally ill abusers of women'? That she referenced real life examples for her book (the perpetrator was didn't have a transgender identity by the way!) or that she thinks 'all trans people are predatory sex fetishists'?

Oh... and... the character was male.

So again, this does not support the blanket statement implying all.

In fact, the implication from her character would be that 'some male people will present in a way that will gain the trust of their intended victim' which is true. And if someone wanted to make a negative implicit meaning, it would be that 'all men are predators' which is also not true.

Then there is this example:

"When Scotland's new Hate Crime and Public Order Act went into effect in April, Rowling tried to bait them into arresting her with posts online. The law criminalizes "stirring up hatred" against people based on their race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity. By passing the law, Scotland "placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls," Rowling said in the thread on X. If anything she wrote qualified as an offense under the new law, "I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said."_

The interpretation of this quote was:
'Dog whistle for trans people as deluded/mentally ill predatory abusers of women'

Nope. The tweet that I bolded in that quote refers to 'male' people with transgender identities. Any discussion on what any 'implicit' interpretation of that tweet could cover, would accept that it is reasonable to say that she limited the scope of that tweet to male people who demanded to access female single sex provisions. By provisions, I refer to anything designated as being just for female people.

After all, it is not about female people with transgender identities at all. Because those female people are included in the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls. She has generally made that clear so it would be a deliberate bad faith interpretation to assume she included female people in that quoted tweet.

She is specific that the Scottish law prioritises male people who would have (and did) try to use that law to have female people charged and convicted with hate crimes. That was her point and the full context of that tweet.

Surprise! What she suggested would happen, happened. She was immediately reported by some male people in the group. Forcing the public statement referred to in this article.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-68712471?app-referrer=deep-link

Thus immediately clarifying the new law so other women would not be treated the same way she was.

Really, you cannot make it up. By pointing out these supposed dog whistles, look at what this poster is actually drawing attention to.

Then finally the quote:

"Rowling posted t, accusing Khelif of being a man who was "enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head."_

The interpretation
'Dog whistle for mentally ill trans person who enjoys abusing of women'

Again, as others have already said, Khelif is not transgender at all. Nothing to do with trans people.

Khelif is a male boxer with a DSD that led to him being erroneously listed at 'female' in his passport.

Plus there is nothing in that tweet that says that Khelif is mentally ill either. So that is another falsity there too. No one has to be mentally ill to enjoy a woman's distress. They may be. But they also have a just as much likelihood of not being mentally ill.

TL/DR: The article and the quotes selected only show how very biased and unreasonable some people's interpretations of JK Rowling's tweets can be. The post did however bring attention to some of the malign actions of a group of male people though.

And hey…don’t forget! It is not what women say..it is how we say it.

More of the abuser’s code being used against women. Again.

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 06:53

Soontobe60 · 25/09/2025 06:50

They’re not ‘dog whistles’. They’re facts. Anyone who believes they were born in the wrong body, who believes in gendered souls, who believes that dressing in opposite sex clothing literally makes them the opposite sex (I could go on) is clearly mentally unwell.

There's nothing mentally unwell about embracing one's own organic inclination towards femininity or masculinity in fact its a thoroughly widespread normalised phenomena.

TheBafflingIsGenerallyComplete · 25/09/2025 06:54

TW are males with gender dysphoria, right? So doesn’t that mean they are mentally not well by definition?

Newsenmum · 25/09/2025 06:55

Good on her. I dont think people realise how she will be treated for this.

TheBafflingIsGenerallyComplete · 25/09/2025 06:55

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 06:53

There's nothing mentally unwell about embracing one's own organic inclination towards femininity or masculinity in fact its a thoroughly widespread normalised phenomena.

Edited

Ah.

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 06:57

TheBafflingIsGenerallyComplete · 25/09/2025 06:54

TW are males with gender dysphoria, right? So doesn’t that mean they are mentally not well by definition?

Having a discomfort with one's gender non alignment doesn't mean the mismatch is not real.

EachandEveryone · 25/09/2025 06:57

She just wants an invite to see Fleetwood Mac at J K’s birthday party.

Helleofabore · 25/09/2025 06:59

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 06:53

There's nothing mentally unwell about embracing one's own organic inclination towards femininity or masculinity in fact its a thoroughly widespread normalised phenomena.

Edited

However, one's own organic inclinations towards femininity or masculinity is not relevant to one's belonging to one's sex class.

Male people can be as 'feminine' (according to the stereotypes they hold) as they like. They are not female. They are not 'women' or 'girls'.

Women can be 'feminine' or completely 'unfeminine' - still they are women.

Helleofabore · 25/09/2025 07:01

There are no biological or neurological markers that are found in common to categorise people as being transgender. The commonality is the philosophical belief about their identity that is not based on material reality.

LadyBracknellsHandbagg · 25/09/2025 07:07

crumpet · 24/09/2025 23:05

A few I’ve seen so far

You can’t appease these people, it’s either complete and utter adherence to the cult or you’re ‘literally committing genocide’. Emma will find out the hard way.

LadyBracknellsHandbagg · 25/09/2025 07:08

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 06:57

Having a discomfort with one's gender non alignment doesn't mean the mismatch is not real.

Interruptaron incoming.

Well, hello Emma Watson
LadyBracknellsHandbagg · 25/09/2025 07:12

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 04:44

"when she was slammed for "liking" a tweet that referred to trans women as "men in dresses.”

-Supporting a dog whistle for ‘deluded’/mentally ill

Months later, Rowling came under fire again for coming to the defense of Maya Forstater. At the time, the researcher had been waging an employment discrimination battle, as her contract with a think tank wasn't renewed after she made a series of anti-trans statements. These statements included that people should not be "compelled to play along with literal delusions like 'transwomen are women,'" and she referred to a gender-fluid person as a "man who likes to dress in women's clothes.”

-Supporting those who explicitly call trans people ‘deluded’/mentally ill

"Rowling revealed she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault and said this led her to sympathize with women who had "concerns around single-sex spaces." She argued against throwing "open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman.”

-Dog whistle for trans people as deluded predatory sex abusers

"Rowling published a new novel titled "Troubled Blood" under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book, which revolved around a male serial killer who dresses like a woman, was accused of being anti-trans.
It was disappointing that Rowling was propagating a "long-standing and hurtful presentation of trans women as a threat," a spokesperson for Mermaids, a charity that supports trans children, said to CNN. Rowling, meanwhile, said the book "was loosely based" on real killers."

-Dog whistle for trans people as mentally ill abusers of women

"When Scotland's new Hate Crime and Public Order Act went into effect in April, Rowling tried to bait them into arresting her with posts online. The law criminalizes "stirring up hatred" against people based on their race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity. By passing the law, Scotland "placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls," Rowling said in the thread on X. If anything she wrote qualified as an offense under the new law, "I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said."

-Dog whistle for trans people as deluded/mentally ill predatory abusers of women

"Rowling posted a photo from the fight, accusing Khelif of being a man who was "enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head."

-Dog whistle for mentally ill trans person who enjoys abusing of women

https://theweek.com/feature/1020838/jk-rowlings-transphobia-controversy-a-complete-timeline

Blah Blah Blah Whatever GIF by Minions

Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, blah blah blah.

Ddakji · 25/09/2025 07:15

WimbledonWhites · 24/09/2025 22:51

Everything in that article showcases perfectly how living such a privileged, cosseted life leads you to luxury beliefs like TWAW.

I do think entering the world of HP at aged 9 means Emma never grew up in the real world. That is so, so young. Not her fault as such, but I’m more annoyed that organisations use someone from such an unusual background as a figurehead and mouthpiece.

SparklyGlitterballs · 25/09/2025 07:23

Well, she's gained a BA in English Lit and now is studying for a Masters in Creative Writing at Oxford. As she hasn't acted in almost 6 years, perhaps she's considering a career change to become a writer and wants to improve her image in literary and publishing circles. Let's hope her writing style is better than her speaking style and isn't all full of "like" and "basically" etc. I certainly will not be buying any books she may write.

CameltoeParkerBowles · 25/09/2025 07:29

Howseitgoin · 24/09/2025 22:56

Well done! Emma Watson has always been a class act. Nice to see her maintain consistency in treating those you disagree with respectfully.

Edited

😄

CameltoeParkerBowles · 25/09/2025 07:35

NameinVane · 25/09/2025 01:43

In some ways I’m heartened by this, in general I think it’s a good thing to be able to fundamentally disagree with someone about something but still respect and love them and it should be encouraged in this very black and white world we seem to live in.

I also don’t presume to know anything about JKR and EWs friendship (if that’s what it was) but I do remember when it all unfolded back in 2020 and JKR did her tweet and her essay in which she explained in very personal terms why she felt the way she did. I remember being quite shocked to see the glib EW tweet of “TWAW & TMAM and so sad for my trans fans and also donate to Mermaids”
shortly afterwards. It seemed a very odd and fairly cruel public response from a colleague/friend who positioned herself as a feminist to someone who was apparently close to her and had laid themselves bare in terms of detailing precisely why the abuse she had suffered from men meant that she thought self id was a bad idea and single sex spaces were important.

Fair enough if EW disagreed but she had the option of not saying anything given that JKRs views had absolutely nothing to do with her or even saying something along the lines of “I don’t agree but obviously she has the right to an opinion based on her own life experience”.

The what felt forced responses of the HP actors to JKR in 2020 when, on the face of it, there was no need for any of them to say anything at all, brought home to me how deeply this stuff was embedded and how powerful the forces were that were promoting it. Genuinely interested to know what the HP actors really think now and also why they all felt they had to put out public statements in response to what a woman who wrote the books that were made into films that they starred in years before as children said on Twitter.

Edited

...a woman without whom none of those three shit, fifth rate actors would have had any kind of career at all. But clearly they were all more interested in costing up to the TRA mob than showing an iota of gratitude.

Howseitgoin · 25/09/2025 07:41

CameltoeParkerBowles · 25/09/2025 07:35

...a woman without whom none of those three shit, fifth rate actors would have had any kind of career at all. But clearly they were all more interested in costing up to the TRA mob than showing an iota of gratitude.

Are you suggesting people should lie about their values as a trade off for a job?

MrsOvertonsWindow · 25/09/2025 07:42

Soontobe60 · 25/09/2025 06:50

They’re not ‘dog whistles’. They’re facts. Anyone who believes they were born in the wrong body, who believes in gendered souls, who believes that dressing in opposite sex clothing literally makes them the opposite sex (I could go on) is clearly mentally unwell.

Indeed.
This is from a man from Australia who for ....reasons.... spends hours every day on a UK feminist board lecturing women with his own distorted views of feminism, women, the UK and politics
😂😂😂

Deerfolk · 25/09/2025 07:42

I remember her speech with the ‘bar one’. During the height of anti JKR. Now she’s slivetherin back.

Collaborate · 25/09/2025 07:43

TERFS: Don’t cancel us because of our beliefs!

also TERFS: How dare Emma Watson not cancel JKR because of her beliefs!

StewkeyBlue · 25/09/2025 07:44

The tide is less likely to turn if those on the cusp of turning get turned back by hate.

Leave that to the TRAs.

BernardBlacksMolluscs · 25/09/2025 07:44

Couldn’t finish the article. Yet another cautionary tale about how generally unsatisfactory child actors go on to find their adult life.

PinkChaires · 25/09/2025 07:46

I wonder if the new hbo series has made her realise that she might not always be beloved due to her hermione granger role and she wants to become closer to jk rowling before the new series takes over and the movies potentially become sidelined

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