J.K Rowling's Position

[middler]

I am not a regular on these boards but I am aware of the controversy over J K Rowling's position as I have encountered so many young people who have become very hostile with me if I do not show that I do not go along with them in their views that she is the equivalent of a racist in her attitude towards racists. I try and stay neutral and not declare my views but that is not enough for them. They want tos ee you express the same vitriol that they have so they can be assured you are on the same side. I find it so anti democratic frankly.

Privately I was relieved with the British ruling that means trans women who may well still have a penis and all the bad actors who could then take full advantage of a law that allowed transwomen into women only spaces, are not allowed to access those women spaces. I appreciate that most transwomen just want to go about leading their daily lives identifying as women and using women spaces is part of that and they have no ill intent. But many do not have bottom surgery and so yes they still have a penis as do the men who can just wake up one day and say they identify as a woman and start using those women only spaces and not have good intent? What am I missing? Why don't the younger generation see this and get that it is a huge risk to women? Do they think that there will be no bad actors? I just do not get it. The law is not to punish transwomen. It's to protect women.

I am not without sympathy for transwomen who genuinely feel uncomfortable going into male spaces. I appreciate that they identify as female but I just feel it's a conflict of rights and that you cannot sacrifice the right of women to feel safe in a women only space so that the smaller % of transwomen do not feel uncomfortable. Safety trumps comfort.

I personally would not react to a transwoman being in a female toilet but then I am aware how do I know it is a genuine transwoman and not a bad actor so I appreciate other women not being comfortable.
Maybe we need additional gender neutral toilets in this day and age.

But when this topic comes up with many younger people I can tell that the fact that I do not join in with the hatred for JK Rowling, that it puts me in the pro JK Rowling camp and I do agree with her support of ensuring that law got passed.

I am not so sure about the comments she made about kids not being trans as I think some kids as teens do seem to think they are in the wrong gender, maybe not in the large numbers that we are seeing today but clearly some people do feel they were born in the wrong gender and as a society I think we do have to support them without sacrificing the rights of an other group.

Rowling has never expressed hate for transpeople as far as I am aware. I do think she can be provocative in how she expressed her views and that is her choice but I just do not understand how the younger generation claim she is the equivalent of a racist but with trans rights? The language they use about her is so strong and I really try to avoid conversations about her because it has become so divisive- it is hard to find a millennial who does not agree with Emma Watson's viewpoint.

I am not 100% up to date with all Rowling has said but what has she said that is so bad that the younger generation have such deep hatred for her? I am just trying to understand it better and be ready to respond to the vitriol I get from younger colleagues when it comes up as it does seem to.

Alucard doesn't know you from Adam. Or Eve. This whole 'I'm playing the middle ground' angle is nonsense. You know there are two sexes. Trying desperately to find the 'genuine' men who say they are women to let them in and keep out the 'non-genuine' men...if you are going to play that one then please offer up your evidence of why men who are 'genuine' are less of a threat than any other men. When the very fact that they want to access female spaces IS the threat.

Men are not women, even if they have their penis removed. It's as simple as that.

I think there's a difference between someone who is experiencing genuine gender dysphoria, and someone who is claiming the mantle of womanhood as part of a sexual fetish.

But, regardless of the reasonings, neither group can ever actually change sex, and women shouldn't be expected to accommodate them in their spaces, because we have no way of knowing which is which.

I also have no issue with sharing a changing room with a genuine, post-op transwoman. But the problem is, how do you filter out the predators? You can't.

And just because I'm ok with it, doesn't mean other women are, and that's ok - so much of the onus is put on women to preserve our own safety, to be vigilant, it's no surprise so many of us will be made uncomfortable or even terrified if we spot someone who we clock as male in a female space, regardless of their intentions. It's the entire reason there's warning signs about male cleaners in the ladies loos.

All you can do is put a blanket ban on males using female spaces, and maybe change the mentality over how this particular brand of dysphoria is treated - we don't accept transracialism, or blindly accepted that people who want to be disabled should start lopping bits off, so it's a bit of a mystery why transgenderism is approached so differently.

@middler What I mean by 'genuine transwomen' is people who were born as men (remain men biologically whether they have bottom surgery or not and I agree many do not have bottom surgery from what I understand)

I have rtft and I note you keep saying things like the above in bold.
Remain men biologically...

All men (trans identified males) remain men biologically from the day they are born until the day they die.
No one changes from one biological sex to the other.

Do you think that some men don't always remain men biologically and can change sex at some point? You keep refering to this so it would appear so

We do seem to accept people identifying as neurodivergent though.

By which I partly mean those that claim to have, for example, 'undiagnosed ADHD'. Unless they're a qualified psychiatrist they can't really claim to definitely have it. It's like saying you're a Nobel peace prize winner, just you haven't won the prize yet.

I understand what you're saying but I think the difference is you don't need to be an expert to see that a man is a man. Even when he's pretending he's a woman.

I tell you what I understand a lot better from my interactions with you Alucard55. The depth of the hatred between the two sides on this. So ready with the spite and the lack of generosity with someone you don't know of course.

I try and respect the transwomen and people (whatever language they choose to use about themselves and people on here choose to pick apart) I encounter in my life and I am trying to do that in a way that also respects the rights of women to be safe and there's a conflict. Rowling sees that too and is standing up for women as far as I can see and I don't get the venom towards her I see from people in the teens to late 30s age group...so many of them express such hatred for her, it prompted me to ask what has she said that is so bad as someone asked me- have you seen what she wrote?

That's why I came on this thread to try better understand the issues around that.

Thank you to those who have helped unpack some of that without becoming those tedious tropey mean girls who we all worked out how to avoid in school and then in life and then on threads like these. Prodding and poking and trying to get a reaction, it's just so not contributing to having any kind of conversation to help anyone understand things better but I guess you need to do it, for your own reasons.

My position is probably similar to that of many people who have not looked so deeply into it but are aware that it is a very contentious issue and honestly I appreciate the people on here who have been able to respond in a balanced and civil manner. Some responses on here just reveal how much hate there is between people in this ongoing debate and it makes me think perhaps some enjoy the hate element from the energy of some responses on here. The division we are seeing in the world over issues where there is this deep heated polarity.It becomes a fight.
It is here in this thread.

It's been revealing.

I have never met a JKR hater who has actually read what she has written on the subject. If you can be bothered to derail these conversations feign ignorance and ask them to explain, with examples, what she’s said/done that is so hateful and harmful. There are many examples of TRAs threatening and inciting actual physical harm on JKR (and all TERFs) but yet they still claim they are the victims.

Whilst I know there are some genuinely ‘nice’ folk who struggle with dysphoria and their identity in this highly gender stereotyped society, that doesn’t mean we should allow men to warp the definition of ‘woman’ into a set of meaningless behaviours and ideals. We are adult human females, a man with long hair, make-up, nail polish, high heeled shoes, dresses and padded bras, that enjoys baking cakes and felting cute nicknacks* is still a man.

• or any other stereotypically ‘girly’ pursuits.

I suspect that what you're experiencing is the sheer exhaustion of women who've been plunged into a "fight" they didn't ask for. No women anywhere in the world campaigned to have men sharing changing rooms, showers, hospital wards etc. No sportswomen campaigned to hand over their team places / medals to men.
No parents ever argued for our children to be gaslit that their uncomfortable developing bodies could be " cured" with a sex change involving sterilisation, crude body modifications and their mental health issues going untreated. Yet transactivists have, until very recently, been given unmoderated access to the young in society to sell them that belief.

So here we are - in the midst of a dystopian nightmare where apparently sex is no longer binary and the word woman now includes men. And children are repeatedly told that they are not entitled to boundaries from the opposite sex and that girls undressing in front of males is compulsory in some schools

I've been involved in this for many years and am aware that my tolerance levels are reaching their limit. I know I'm not alone. And that's why women are often suspicious of posters who don't appear to have followed these debates and post on here asking questions. I'm not defending any hostility, just offering a possible explanation.

Notice you don't offer a solution to your middle ground as what prison "trans women" go to.

Can't argue with you there. 🤣

Another one for anyone such as OP and unintentionalarcher.

https://x.com/whtwldbabsdo/status/1980994292891214198?s=46

A guest lecturer at Bristol University discussing the abuse women experience online when discussing the issues as Rowling discusses, ended up having to move lecture rooms due to angry male voices outside led by a male voice on a loud speaker and drums. The signs pushed against the windows and male faces at the windows were only about intimidation and seeking to silence the lecture.

Maybe this will also help.

Violence and intimidation against women speaking to the end of 2023. Since April 2025 when the Supreme Court clarification of the law has been delivered, women are meeting more regularly and it seems every week there is at least one protest where male people are aiming to disrupt and intimidate women speaking. Of course, this list is just to the end of 2023 and it didn’t include many of the regular women’s rallies held around the UK that were protested.

https://x.com/glinner/status/1980390649246675001?s=46

On my website, JL collected almost a decade's worth of trans activist violence to disprove the "bad behaviour on both sides" myth. I just asked ChatGPT to summarize it:

Documented pattern spanning nearly a decade of violent intimidation, physical assault, property damage, vandalism of memorials, stalking, hostage-taking, and sustained harassment campaigns specifically targeting women's rights advocates, lesbians, feminists, and anyone questioning gender ideology. Only one side doing this.

2014 onwards - "Kill All TERFs"
Widespread violent threats on social media documented by website "Terf is a Slur" - rape and death threats against women.

September 2017 - Speakers Corner & Maria MacLachlan
We Need To Talk event forced to change venues after harassment. Trans activists followed attendees through Hyde Park. Meeting at University Women's Club had to be curtailed due to mob outside screaming and intimidating elderly members. MacLachlan assaulted on camera by Tara Flik Wood.

November 2017 - Social Justice Warrior at Book Fair
Woman surrounded for over an hour by 30 trans activists at anarchist bookfair, subjected to misogynistic abuse.

March 2018 - Spooking Millwall Football Club
We Need To Talk forced to cancel after relentless harassment of venue. Previous events in York and Glasgow also cancelled under pressure.

March 2018 - Violence on the Picket Line
Paula Lamont attacked on her own Bectu picket line by trans activists including Tara Flik Wood. Forced to leave for her safety.

April 2018 - The Siege in the Jam Jar
Trans activists forced their way into Bristol venue, physically blocked staircase, prevented attendees including Julie Bindel from entering. Heather Brunskell-Evans trapped in stairwell.

June 2018 - WPUK Besieged at Conway Hall
London Young Labour incited protest. Venue cancelled hours before event. Alternative venue surrounded by 100+ masked activists. Women assaulted, had projectiles and water thrown at them. One woman suffered panic attack running gauntlet of protesters.

January 2020 - Death Threats at Oxford University
Professor Selina Todd required security detail after speaking at WPUK event. Death threats credible enough for university protection.

June 2020 - Death Threats for Children's Author
JK Rowling subjected to rape and death threats after tweeting about biological sex. Continues after she published statement about concerns over gender ideology.

October 2020 - L'Amazone in Paris
Female-only space broken into by trans activists who changed locks, shut women out, vandalised artwork including memorial to murdered woman by drawing penis over it.

February 2021 - Spain's New Dictatorship
Trans activists hung effigy of First Vice President Carmen Calvo by neck from tree after she opposed self-ID laws.

March 2021 - Breaking Bones in Canada
Chris Elston assaulted approximately 20 times while campaigning. Attacked by masked thugs in Montreal who stole equipment, punched him, broke his arm.

July 2021 - Protest at Melbourne University
Trans activists organised protest calling for Dr Holly Lawford-Smith to be sacked. Women verbally abused, had water thrown at them, called c*nts. Trans-identified male shouted into woman's face with loudhailer.

August 2021 - Police Escort for Gay Man at Pride
Alexander Bramham assaulted at Manchester Pride, hat stolen, required police escort. Gay man ejected from Pride event for wearing LGB Alliance logo.

September 2021 - The Hounding of Kathleen Stock
Sussex University professor subjected to ongoing campaign of threats, harassment. Required cameras at home, bodyguards on campus. Anonymous 'Anti Terf Sussex' group posted guerrilla-style photos with smoking flares demanding she be fired. Eventually forced to resign.

September 2021 - Trying to Set Lesbians Alight
Trans-identified male attacked lesbians at Bordeaux Pride with lit flare.

October 2021 - Intimidation at FiLiA Conference
Large group of mostly male trans activists protested Portsmouth conference about ending male violence. Brandished placards with misogynistic slurs whilst women inside spoke about rape and domestic abuse.

November 2021 - Women Attacked in Brussels
Small group of women marching against male violence surrounded by 50 trans activists. Beaten, insulted, intimidated. One woman kicked in back.

April 2022 - Fantasising About Male Violence
Trans-identified male Gretchen Felker-Martin published "Manhunt" - novel featuring hunting and killing women described as "TERF soldiers" and "knights of JK Rowling". Features rape scenes and disturbing violence.

May 2022 - Bookshop Burning in Barcelona
Trans activists attacked bookshop hosting authors of "No One is Born in the Wrong Body", clashed with police, threatened to burn down shop. Authors forced to shelter inside with blinds drawn for 45 minutes.

March 2022 - Let Women Speak in Manchester #1
Large gang marched from St Peter's Square chanting "Terf scum off our streets". Disrupted WPUK meeting where speakers included Zimbabwean lesbian asylum seeker and CSA survivor discussing importance of female-only spaces.

June 2022 - Bristol Let Women Speak
Masked, hooded, predominantly male protesters screamed at women. Held signs reading "TERFs can suck my dick". Wrote "Colston - Terfs are next" on pavement (reference to torn-down statue of slave trader).

June 2022 - MP Escorted By Police at Pride
Jo Gideon, Conservative MP, subjected to non-stop abuse at Stoke Pride by 20 LGBT+ Society activists. Required police escort. Banner vandalised.

June 2022 - Let Women Speak in Barcelona
Feminists protesting male violence surrounded by trans activists screaming "Kill the TERF".

July 2022 - Destroyed Memorial to Murdered Babies
Trans activists vandalised street mural memorial to 14 babies killed by shaken baby syndrome. Collage created by grieving mothers whose babies were murdered by male partners. Vandals admitted destroying it because creators were "transphobic feminists".

August 2022 - Let Women Speak in Philadelphia
Trans activists with drums, noise makers, megaphones tried to drown out women. Crowded Kara Dansky, tried to grab mic, screamed "Shut the fuck up", gave continual thumbs down. Police unprepared.

August 2022 - Let Women Speak in Port Townsend
80-year-old Julie Jarman barred from pool after protesting male employee in women's changing room watching little girls undress. Women's press conference attacked by trans activists. Activists threw equipment, tore flags, damaged property, screamed in faces. Man with AR-15 over trans flag on cap present. Aggressive men shouting at Black woman and rape survivor.

September 2022 - The New Homophobia
Lesbian Strength march in Leeds disrupted by trans activists.

September 2022 - Attacking a Stonewall Veteran
Fred Sargeant, 74-year-old gay rights pioneer who was at original Stonewall riot and organised first Pride march (1970), assaulted at Burlington Pride. Pushed to ground, hit on head, jabbed with umbrella, had coffee poured on him. Required hospitalisation. Over $550 property stolen/damaged.

September 2022 - Let Women Speak in Brighton
Trans activists arrested for assault, obstructing police officer, and sexual assault by touching.

October 2022 - Portland Cancellation
Event cancelled after credible death threats by Antifa. Portland police unable to offer protection. Isabel Rosa Araujo (Antifa militant) publicly fundraised for pepper spray, collapsible baton, Bowie knife. Made open threats: "Smash On Sight", "Make TERFs afraid again". Few brave women who did gather were attacked.

October 2022 - Let Women Speak in Tacoma
Despite death threats, police refused presence. Man in short skirt rushed Lierre Keith at mic. April Hutchinson had fingers deliberately crushed and broken by male activist's bare hands. Trans activists advertised with image of boot stamping on women.

November 2022 - Mob at New York City Hall
Kellie-Jay Keen unable to reach podium due to aggressive demonstrators. Large crowd of trans activists and Antifa members required barricades. Demonstrators spat at women, chanted insults, used whistles/bells/drums/alarms, fought with NYPD, breached barricades, followed and threatened attendees.
Two topless trans-identified males grabbed and fondled own "breasts" whilst screaming at women. Amara Gisele Jones Velasquez screamed "I'm going to beat your ass", "These titties are way more real than you", "No man wants you", called 77-year-old LGBT activist "fucking faggot".
NYPD Strategic Response Group deployed. Unlawful assembly declared. Multiple arrests. Eli Erlich (accused of rape/sexual assault) bragged "We glitterbombed, pied, flipped off, screamed at, spit on, and cursed TERFs".

December 2022 - Shit-Throwing in Brussels
Céline Masson and Caroline Eliacheff (authors of "The Making of the Transgender Child") attacked at Brussels café. Twenty hooded men threw pots containing litter and excrement at attendees, tried to assault speakers, vandalised venue.

January 2023 - Storming McGill University
Professor Robert Wintemute (37 years defending LGB rights) prevented from giving talk at McGill. 100 trans activists stormed discussion. Attendees physically assaulted - shoved, pushed, blasted with bullhorns, one pushed to ground. Professor had flour thrown at him.

March 2023 - UCL Feminist Conference
Feminist conference featuring Joanna Cherry KC, Julie Bindel, Helen Joyce besieged. Sarah Jane Baker (30 years for kidnap/torture/attempted murder) yelled "c*nts" at women. Activists banged on windows, screamed. Kate Worley (DJ Lippy) assaulted - phone wrestled away and thrown, thumbs pulled back, bruised.

February 2023 - Storming Mexican Congress
Trans activists stormed Mexico City Congress protesting legislation to prevent child medicalisation. Smashed doors and windows, threw rocks, graffitied. Victoria Sámano forced way through, fought security guards.

March 2023 - Auckland Mob
Kellie-Jay Keen's New Zealand event besieged by "feral" mob before it started. Predominantly men, not in dresses. Shoved women, screamed in faces. Broke through barriers, descended on rotunda. Kellie-Jay doused with tomato juice, grabbed, jostled, stomped on. Mob tried to trip, punch her, grabbed clothing.

March 2023 - Assault in Vancouver
Chris Elston mobbed and surrounded by masked male activists in camouflage. One lunged at him twice, jabbed hand in his face. Another activist threw Elston's supporter to floor whilst police watched. Trans-identified male with long blond hair screamed "Fuck you!" repeatedly in Elston's face. Police did nothing.

April 2023 - Threats in Nantes
Symposium "Woman, Life, Freedom" supporting Afghan/Iranian women postponed after threats of "rotten eggs and baseball bats" from trans activists. Poster circulated with knife superimposed. Organiser faced "absolutely monstrous violence".

April 2023 - Riley Gaines Held Hostage
Riley Gaines speaking at San Francisco State University heckled throughout. After speech, mob burst in, turned off lights. Man in women's clothing hit her twice - shoulder then face. Cornered in hallway with no exit. Barricaded in office for three hours whilst mob hammered walls screaming "Open the door, we want Riley", "This is vengeance". Eventually required SFPD cordon and had to run to car as mob chased her. Left at 2am.

April 2023 - Gay Man Assaulted by Belfast Bar Staff
Man assaulted by staff at Robinson's bar Belfast after Standing For Women event.

July 2023 - Incitement to Violence at Trans Pride
Sarah Jane Baker told London Trans Pride crowd: "If you see a TERF, punch them in the fucking face". Cheered loudly. Recording shared by official London Trans Pride Instagram who defended it: "Sarah and many others hold a lot of rage and they have the right to express that anger".

July 2023 - Woman Seriously Assaulted in Aberdeen
Julie Marshall assaulted at Women Won't Wheesht event. Male activist struck her full in face with sign, glasses flew off, then punched her in arm. Suffered black eye and severe bruising. Esme Houston, trans-identified organiser of protest, celebrated male violence on social media.

August 2023 - 'Millions of Dead Terfs' in San Francisco
WDIUSA conference at Hilton Hotel besieged. Trans activists outside making sexually aggressive gestures, chanting obscenities. Hotel locked doors. One activist held sign "millions of dead terfs". Eight scaled fence trying to attack Meghan Murphy and K Yang on rooftop. They had to run. One attacker physically assaulted hotel general manager.
Nearby art exhibition "A Nasty Piece of Work: The Art of Dissident Feminists" featuring work by lesbian and Black African artists also targeted.

November 2023 - Portland Violence
WDI event at Multnomah County Library. Trans activists stalked organisers to AirBNB, slashed car tyres. Vandalised library - smashed glass doors, spray-painted graffiti. Library forced to close. Event moved outside. 30-50 masked male trans activists descended on 10 women. Threw cans, pepper-sprayed women directly in faces causing temporary blindness. Punched women, pushed them down, kicked them on ground. Four hospitalised. Equipment stolen, phones snatched/destroyed. Elderly uninvolved woman in 70s pushed down. Portland Police never responded to multiple 911 calls reporting active assaults.

Wow, this is really damning.