Is J. K. Rowling A TERF Now That She Supports A Transphobe?
Harry Potters fans were always skeptical about the views of the Harry Potter series author, J K Rowling. Now, it is most unfortunate that they have to find out from herself that she is not as open to other forms of gender. After her recent post, she might just be a transphobic TERF!
Here is what happened.
J K Rowling and #IStandWithMaya
A researcher working at a think tank in the UK lost her job after her employers found out she tweeted transphobic material with her account. She tweeted that transgender women cannot change their biological sex. Judge James Tayler ruled that researcher Maya Forstater’s words did not have ‘philosophical belief’ characteristic.
Now, J K Rowling is an outspoken person in terms of politics. She has talked about stuff that is somewhat liberal to progressive. However, recently she took a new stance when this recent incident took place. Here is her tweet:
Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019
J K Rowling starts by telling her audience that they can wear whatever clothes they want. Vox states that this and the next two lines are much of a “dismissal of transgender identity”. Next, in the final line, she claims that a woman should not be is forced out of a job by believing that “sex is real”. Due to this people are asking whether Rowling has been a TERF all along.
Transgender Exclusionary Radical Feminist
TERF: Transgender Exclusionary Radical Feminist, is more than a decade old term. People use this term either for a slur or as a descriptive word. There is an argument that whether trans should or should not be included in female spaces. While J K Rowling did not specify herself to be a TERF, her stance to stand with a transphobe surely makes people believe that she supports the trans-exclusionary group.
Even Indya Moore called out the author of the Harry Potter series for what she said. Moore is famous for defending the rights of the trans community, being a part of one themself.
She didn't say sex was real. She said trans women are men & you are co-signing her. The existence of sex doesn't mean trans women aren't women & trans men aren't men. The determination of sex is not binary, it can be determined in many different ways USING SCIENCE. https://t.co/tzpSGko108
— Indya Moore (@IndyaMoore) December 20, 2019
Moreover, Jameela Jamil advises Rowling that she should read more about trans people. If she knows what experiences they go through, she will realize that her tweet is dangerous for their identity.
There is no response from Rowling yet, and there probably would not be any either.