the writer's room discussion

thoughts on jk rowling?
(please be respectful!)

She is transphobic so not a big fan of her

@Bones can you...explain what you mean by saying she's not as transphobic as we think she is? You and I may be thinking of different people (hopefully), but doesn't she literally have a book with an evil trans mc who's only trans to prey on people?
I don't mean to attack you at all, I'm just wondering

Bones (Ganon’s Version) wrote: "Reading on Wheels wrote: "@Bones can you...explain what you mean by saying she's not as transphobic as we think she is? You and I may be thinking of different people (hopefully), but doesn't she li..."

I do my research as well, Bones. And I believe you're missing the point. But I'm not going to use my valuable trans time explaining it because it's not my responsibility, and frankly, I don't have the energy.

I will highlight a few things you said though. "the Twitter mob lost their minds" is an inherently right wing talking point–one which Rowling and her fandom espouse and is transphobic because right wingers don't believe trans people are real or deserve to exist.

Being pro LGBTQ doesn't mean jack when she thinks trans people are denying biological sex (which she says here "If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased.") Mind you, all of this kicked off based on an article that used the term 'people who menstruate' which includes nonwomen and recognizes that not every woman menstruates.

Actually, maybe I will bring more receipts. I don't mean any of this to be disrespectful, I'm just sharing what she said and the general interpretation of it so maybe you'll see why people are hurt by this and have empathy for them.

"I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans." Notice the if there? If I wasn't discriminated against for being trans, everyone would respect my pronouns and I wouldn't have to worry about becoming yet another trans person murdered by transphobia. It's a reality trans people have to live with every day. One that extends to restrooms, friends, and doctors. How can I safely transition if I fear my doctor will out my–or worse recommend conversion therapy. I'm not saying Rowling was specifically thinking of this when she was tweeting, but the 'if' speaks volumes.

Also, another cause for her tweets was her" support for Maya Forstater, a tax specialist who’d lost her job for what were deemed ‘transphobic’ tweets" She's supporting a transphobe. I believe discrimination doesn't belong in the work place. You are more than welcome to disagree that people shouldn't lose their job for their public actions or discriminatory beliefs, but know that I disagree.

She also later commented that cishet people like herself should be "worried about the new trans activism" to which she is referring to people wanting their pronouns respected and not wanting to get murdered. That's not how she sees it, of course. She's referring to predatory grooming narratives which are provably false, but are, again, a right wing talking point.

And her disagreement isn't on sex–it's on sex determining gender. Which, as you know having talked to trans people, isn't true. I'm afab and agender, meaning I don't have a gender and don't identify as a woman. You can see that this is the common interpretation of her nonsense when Daniel Radcliffe responded "trans women are women". Meaning their sex doesn't determine their gender, and their gender and expression of it are valid. Because they are.

After people started responding, she tweeted "It isn’t hateful for women [to] speak about their own experiences, nor do they deserve shaming for doing so.” How is it not hateful to deny the validity of someone's identity? This is the definition of white woman tears. We weren't talking about how women are discriminated against and the issues she has faced as a woman, we're talking about the hateful rhetoric she's espoused. If I were to say, 'I can't be racist because I'm disabled and queer', you would say 'wtf are you on about' because that statement doesn't make any sense. I agree, and what she said doesn't either as it's the equivalent of saying 'I'm not transphobic I'm a woman'

If you still believe she supports transition, she doesn't! "Many health professionals are concerned that young people struggling with their mental health are being shunted towards hormones and surgery when this may not be in their best interests. Many, myself included, believe we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people, who are being set on a lifelong path of medicalisation that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function." Basically, people who take hormones are only doing it because it's popular (feeding into the harmful narrative of transtrenders) and also saying trans women are just confused gay men. She's disguising her transphobia as concern for queer youth. Frankly, as a queer youth, I don't want her concern, I'd rather her not spew hateful rhetoric on such a large platoform where it can reach so many people. At the end of the day, JKR is a transphobe, which is gross, but the main problem is, she's a transphobe with one of the largest platforms in the world, meaning there is no limit to the amount of people she could be introducing to the right wing pipeline and jordan peterson, who shares her views.

To further her belief on transitioning, "These side-effects are often minimised or denied by trans activists…. None of that may trouble you or disturb your belief in your own righteousness." Hormones do have side effects, yes. Everything has side effects because that's how medicine works. And, I'm sorry, but If she thinks I'm the one with the holier than thou attitude just because I think I should be able to express myself in a way that feels authentic to me...yeah, that speaks volumes.

The hagrid actor ended up supporting her and said "I don’t want to get involved in all of that because of all the hate mail and all that shit, which I don’t need at my time of life.” Yeah, hate mail's the worst thing in the world. Hate mail received because you don't believe trans people are real. Cry me a river and wipe it with your money. Trans people are dying and being murdered every single day because they're trans. But yeah, hate mail is the worst thing in the whole wide world

Ok, you know what, I'm done. I'm tired, and I don't care. I apologize that this was disrespectful, I mean no ill will toward anyone. I shouldn't have responded but I did–I'm just here to have some fun. I think we an all agree trans rights are human rights and no one deserves discrimination. Have a nice day, and happy writing.

Here's a few quotes from an amazing article on Vox, there is proof there if you'd like to read more into any of these points:

-"The Silkworm, the second novel in the Cormoran Strike mystery series, which involves a trans woman who is portrayed as conspicuous and unable to pass. The book includes a scene where the main character gleefully threatens this character with prison rape."
-In March [2018], Rowling “likes” (and then unlikes) a tweet referring to trans women as “men in dresses” and implying that trans rights are “misogyny.”"
-"In September [2018], Rowling “likes” a tweet linking to an opinion column by known TERF Janice Turner, which argues yet again that trans women are inherently sexual predators"
-"In an interview with Good Housekeeping, Rowling claims that “90 percent” of Harry Potter fans secretly agree with her anti-trans views, "Many are afraid to speak up because they fear for their jobs and even for their personal safety,” said Rowling. “This climate of fear serves nobody well, least of all trans people.”"
-"[2022]Rowling tweets about a sexual assault committed by a trans woman, using this single incident to imply that all trans women should be denied access to public spaces designated for women."

-[2023]A new podcast, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, produced by Bari Weiss’s The Free Press, featured interviews with Rowling. In its fifth episode, Rowling begins discussing the modern trans rights movement, calling it “a cultural movement that was illiberal in its methods and questionable in its ideas” and insisting, “I believe, absolutely, that there is something dangerous about this movement and that it must be challenged.”

Some queer people are homophobic and/or transphobic, being queer themselves does not make them immediately accepting and loving of other queer people and I wouldn't believe that reviewer you were talking about upon her opinion for any other possible problematic books/authors.
J.K.Rowlings argument on safe spaces for different genders was negative and harmful to many trans people including myself. You're right that I am biologically female and I would intimidate some people in a woman's bathroom. That might be "just facts" for you but trans people all over the world are being forced to intimidate because they're legally not allowed to use the bathroom of the gender that fits with them and they feel comfortable with, purely for the comfort of other people, like J.K.Rowling. This makes trans people feel scared and makes them feel scary to everyone else. She has never made a statement about trans people "respectively" and I'd like an example if you're willing to keep this conversation going.

https://www.vox.com/culture/23622610/...

@drew you and I are on the same wavelength love it. We brought ~receipts~

Reading on Wheels wrote: "Bones (Ganon’s Version) wrote: "Reading on Wheels wrote: "@Bones can you...explain what you mean by saying she's not as transphobic as we think she is? You and I may be thinking of different people..."

well said my friend <3

Reading on Wheels wrote: "@drew you and I are on the same wavelength love it. We brought ~receipts~"

For real always carry my backup quotes 🤝💪💪

I love how you put that. As a FTM and as a teenager so I am already developed I am being forced not to transition by my family and I have to use the bathroom to my biological gender if its just not one by itself

@Storm I feel similarly. I don't want to be counted as a woman, but there are never any gender neutral restrooms I can use (esp as someone who uses a mobility aid)

Especially in my high school

Bones (Ganon’s Version) wrote: "I guess this where we will just have to agree to disagree. A lot of the comments I would say on the other side of this would not be about JK Rowling herself, and they are still ones I formed after ..."

That is your opinion but I find her transphobic. Its like saying Coho should stay by her son with everything and that it was the girls fault

i’m happy that i made this topic because i heard somewhat about the transphobic things rowling said but i didn’t know the full story. thank you for telling me <3

but i am sorry that i started beef 😭

Yeah, sorry Bones I have beef with you considering you noticed us talking about being trans and still managed to tell us that trans ppl are groomers and otherwise shouldn’t exist! No hate no disrespect. This is just a subject that’s really important to me as an openly trans and queer person.

Also, can you give me any statistics to back up anything you claimed? Not in an accusatory sense, I just want to know where you’re getting this information.

And I didn’t mean to say you’re a right winger, just that what you said aligns with right wing politics, which is true. I’m not here to judge your politics, but imho leftists don’t get to be transphobic. But we already know we’re both operating on different fields of existence. I apologize if I come off as antagonistic, I’m autistic so it’s difficult to navigate my tone when I’m upset or passionate.