TERF attack?
J.K. Rowling – author of the “Harry Potter” series – is facing backlash for tweets deemed transphobic, and seemingly highlighting her position as a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” (or women who claim to be feminists, but do not believe transgender women are female).
On June 6, Rowling used the “I know and love trans people, but” argument by tweeting to her 14.5 million Twitter followers that transgender people are “erasing the concept of sex”.
Prior to this, Rowling took issue with the wording of the headline for an article, which read: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.” The article was written for Devex.
Rowling stated after retweeting: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
She was criticized for basically equating womanhood with menstruating, neglecting that many women do not have menstrual periods.
This isn’t the first time Rowling expressed an anti-trans sentiment.
In 2019, she tweeted her support for researcher Maya Forstater, who lost her job due to transphobic tweets. Forstater lost a court case against her former employer.
“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 force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill,” Rowling tweeted then.
Seemingly solidifying her TERF creds, Rowling’s tweets that are deemed anti-trans are still on her Twitter account.
Still on June 6, Rowling added: “I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.”
But she has yet to actually do this; and her position makes this untenable.
