For a lot of people, the Harry Potter series of books and movies are a lesson in tolerance and fighting those who would oppress minorities, as represented by the house elves and the wizard and witches with Muggle ancestry. However, a statement from series author J.K. Rowling might just show that the author does not share the same views as her books.
Entertainment Weekly reports on the internet firestorm that J.K. Rowling has found herself embroiled in after retweeting an article about what it would take to make an equitable world after COVID-19 for people who menstruate. Rowling apparently objecting to the use of the term “people who menstruate,” commented that there “used to be a word for those people” and then added several misspellings of the word “women.”
Rowling expounded on her point in another tweet, insisting that she knew and loved trans people but that it would be impossible to discuss the lives of trans people if the “concept of sex” is erased. She maintained that she was not hating on trans people but rather only telling the truth.
Her comments, considered to be transphobic by many, drew the ire of many people online, including a number of celebrities. For instance, Queer Eye member Jonathan Van Ness reiterated that trans women are women, and also underscored the fact that trans women and Black trans women face discrimination daily.
The Good Place cast member Jameela Jamil, on the other hand, questioned Rowling’s declaration that she supported trans women and challenged her to dip into her “$650 million mega wealth” and contribute to a GoFundMe set up for homeless Black trans women in Atlanta.
As Forbes notes, this is not the first time that Rowling has used talking points from TERFs or trans-exclusionary radical feminists, a group of feminists other feminists consider transphobic. The publication even pointed out that even trans activists do not use the “sex is real” argument in discussions like Rowling seems to think is the case.
Rowling’s insistence to stick to TERF talking points could make her lose even more fans, according to Forbes, especially since the Harry Potter franchise is no longer the surefire money-maker it was previously. It noted that the latest addition to the Harry Potter universe, the Fantastic Beasts films, were “a slog.” The books have also been endlessly nitpicked by fans, according to the publication, exposing its plot twists and problematic aspects.