I love how I’ll never be able to watch the movies or read the books without thinking about Rowling’s tweets.
J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series has been an important part of many of our lives. Most of us at some point in our lives been grateful to JKR for giving us this beautiful franchise. But many fans have noticed, that every once in a while, Rowling tweets things that sound transphobic and have criticized her for the same.
Recently, while the world was burning; while we were fighting against a pandemic and racism, JK was busy stirring up controversies on Twitter. On June 6th she re-tweeted an op-ed titled “Creating a more equal post- COVID-19 word for people who menstruate”, to this she added a comment that seemed transphobic to many; when she was called out, she responded “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.” This has been interpreted as a direct attack on the trans community. It does not help her case one bit that many times in the past, she has liked tweets that refer to trans people as ‘men in dresses’.
Previously, JK Rowling has also tweeted #Istandwithmaya, a trend in support of a woman who got fired for aggressively and continuously attacking the transgender community and constantly misgendering trans men and women. She has always claimed that she ‘knows and loves trans people’ (typical) but has time and again said things like this. While trans-exclusionary feminists consider her an icon, her controversial comments have been under scrutiny by fans, who have been vocal about how disappointed they are.
Even Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays the role of Harry Potter in the movie series, has been openly critical and says that while Rowling has been the reason his life has taken the path that it has, behavior like such will not be accepted.
Imagine being openly transphobic. In 2020. In June. Disgusting.
Lavanya Joshi
(Student, Grade XII, Manav Rachna International School) is an aspiring content writer and poet. She is a published author and has performed in various spoken word/poetry forums She has a quirky sense of humour and uses it sarcastically to drive home a point. She is a staunch feminist and takes keen interest in human behaviour and psychology.
