The Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has landed herself in hot waters yet again after allegedly posting transphobic tweets. The backlash comes after she commented on an opinion article that mentioned: “people who menstruate”. In her initial tweet, she voiced her confusion about the phrase and said that there is a definite word for such people who have such biology. She continued and wrote answers to her statement, “Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
J.K.Rowling Facing Backlash For The Right Reason?
The article mentions statistics that 1.8 billion girls, women, and gender non-binary persons who menstruate need napkins and soaps for their monthly cycles. The fact there was a mention of non-binary people menstruating has become a leading cause of J.K. Rowling’s alleged transphobic tweets. Soon, her comments started to trend and the article also received a lot of attention because of this as many people started calling her out.
Despite the backlash, J.K. Rowling continued to support her alleged transphobic tweet. She then added an explanatory tweet to express her viewpoint.
“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.”
Related: How JK Rowling lost her fans?
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.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
She carried on with her tweets:
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
In the end, she clarified her support for trans people and told her audience that they would march with her if they were ever discriminated against. However, her life was shaped by being a female and it is not hateful to say something that she did.
Next thing we know, a Twitter hashtag for support started to trend. #IStandWithJKRowling is now currently trending in the United States. However, there are also shades of people trying to hijack the trend and talk about why J.K. Rowling’s tweets were transphobic.
