JK Rowling has faced criticism on social media after appearing to express anti-transgender opinions on Twitter.
The Harry Potter author took to social media on Saturday evening with a series of tweets on sex and gender in relation to trans people.
She faced a backlash from many after she called out an article’s use of the term “people who menstruate” tweeting: "People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"
Rowling’s initial anti-trans tweet was in reply to an article from Devex, a media platform for the global development community, titled: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-Covid-19 world for people who menstruate:”
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
Following criticism she defended her initial comment writing: "The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense."
The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
"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. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so."
The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
"I've never felt as shouted down, ignored, and targeted as a lesbian *within* our supposed GLBT community as I have over the past couple of years." https://t.co/9tmEEydPIr
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Many were quick to criticise the author for her comments with one social media user writing: You are not demonstrating empathy. Trans people take nothing from you. NOTHING. Your gender essentialism hurts EVERYONE - cis women, trans women, all types of women who can't have kids, men of all types, non-binary people... It's anti-science, cruel, and embarrassing."
We love your books and we want you to stop tweeting so we can continue to love your books
— Zach Schonfeld (@zzzzaaaacccchhh) June 6, 2020
It is not the first time that JK Rowling has attracted criticism for her views on social media. Rowling tweeted support of Maya Forstater, a former employee of think-tank Centre for Global Development, who was fired for saying that “men cannot change into women”. In 2018, she also appeared to ‘like’ a tweet that referred to trans women as “men in dresses”. At the time, the author’s reps said she had liked the tweet by accident.
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