J.K. Rowling Defends Transphobic Comments
In a move that is likely to make her lose even more of her fans, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has stood by her transphobic comments and doubled down on her beliefs, despite repudiations not just from LGBTQ rights groups but also from Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne.
Variety reports on the lengthy essay Rowling posted on her website to defend her transphobic beliefs, highlighting how the author began her defense by declaring herself a survivor of sexual assault and domestic abuse.
The essay detailed how Rowling found herself getting involved in trans issues. According to the author, it started when she was doing research for her Cormoran Strike novels and ended up “absent-mindedly” liking a tweet. Rowling says she had been harassed ever since.
From there, Rowling when on to follow the Twitter account of lesbian feminist Magdalen Burns, who herself is a proponent of the transphobic idea that trans women are men. Rowling claims this further increased the harassment she received.
Rowling then goes on to make claims either without citing any sources or citing sources that other researchers have deemed “very flawed.” Just some of the claims Rowling makes include one where she says a majority of gender dysphoric teens grow out of their dysphoria and another where she claims the government of the United Kingdom can recognize a biologically born male as a “woman in the sight of the law” even without transitioning through a “Gender Recognition Certificate.”
The decision to stand by her transphobic tweets has drawn responses not just from actors Radcliffe and Redmayne but also from LGBTQ rights group GLAAD, which has called on businesses associated with Rowling to denounce her anti-trans views. Deadline notes that Universal Parks and Resorts, while not outright naming the author, put out a statement reiterating their values of “diversity, inclusion, and respect” as well as emphasizing their theme parks as a place for everyone.
Redmayne had earlier remarked that it is “a cultural imperative” to respect transgender people and that he has been constantly educating himself about the lives and experiences of transgender people.
Aside from Radcliffe and Redmayne, a number of celebrities have also spoken out against Rowling. Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness emphasized how trans women and trans women of color regularly face discrimination.
Meanwhile, Jameela Jamil from The Good Place challenged Rowling to contribute some of her $650 million fortune to a GoFundMe set up for homeless Black trans women in Atlanta if she truly supported trans women as she claimed.