Harry Potter JK Rowling has responded to all the hate she has received on social media for what many have perceived as transphobic tweets in a lengthy article that ‘described people who menstruate’.
Addressing domestic abuse and sexual assault that she faced during her first marriage, which was before she wrote the famous children and young adult series of the famous wizard, Rowling detailed ‘the five reasons’ why she felt the need to talk about the issue. You can read that lengthy essay here.
These included her interest in "both education and safeguarding" and "freedom of speech".
Explaining her final reason, she wrote: "I've been in the public eye now for over 20 years and have never talked publicly about being a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor.
"This isn't because I'm ashamed those things happened to me, but because they're traumatic to revisit and remember.
"I also feel protective of my daughter from my first marriage. I didn't want to claim sole ownership of a story that belongs to her, too.
"However, a short while ago, I asked her how she'd feel if I were publicly honest about that part of my life and she encouraged me to go ahead.
"I'm mentioning these things now not in an attempt to garner sympathy, but out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who've been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex spaces."
Rowling was deemed a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and a transphobe for stating sex is real.
JK Rowling was called out after she tweeted an opinion article: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? “
The article stated that an estimated 1.8 billion ‘girls, women and gender non-binary persons menstruate’.
After being called a host of not-very-nice things, Rowling tweeted: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. 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.
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.
She Rted one commentator who wrote: “@jk_rowling has pinpointed why so many gay peeps are concerned about the new version of trans activism. We used to be comrade-in-arms with our trans mates until some extremists insisted biological sex was an illusion. Our legal protections and our identities are based on it.”
Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter, however, cited a contrasting opinion.
Daniel issued a statement through The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention non-profit organisation for LGBT youth.
He said, “I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now. While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honoured to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.”
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”
