JK Rowling once again accused of transphobia on Twitter

JK Rowling was criticised for a tweet perceived as transphobic. In her tweet, she critiqued a policy that allows rape accused to identify as women.

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Renowned author has been drawing flak for her transphobia yet again.

Harry Potter writer JK Rowling caused a stir on Twitter as she shared a Times UK article titled ‘Absurdity’ of police logging rapists as women.” The article discusses a policy that will allow Scotland police to register rapes as being committed by women if the accused identifies as a woman regardless of whether they have legally changed their gender.

In response to this article, Rowling tweeted, “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman”. This quote alludes to George Orwell’s dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four and centres around the themes of totalitarianism and brainwashing of the masses.

War is Peace.
Freedom is Slavery.
Ignorance is Strength.
The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman.https://t.co/SyxFnnboM1

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 12, 2021

John Burns, the General Counsel to the Carolinas Clean Energy Business Association, tweeted in response to Rowling’s post, “Imagine inventing as reprehensible a character as Prof. Umbridge and then deciding to be her forever.”

Imagine inventing as reprehensible a character as Prof. Umbridge and then deciding to be her forever.

— JohnBurnsNC (@johnburnsnc) December 13, 2021

Daniel Lismore, a British fabric sculptor and designer, tweeted, “Love is peace. Freedom is acceptance. Understanding is a strength. Trans women are not a danger to society. J.K Rowling loves to fuel hate towards a whole group of innocent beautiful people.”

Love is peace.
Freedom is acceptance.
Understanding is strength.
Trans women are not a danger to society. J.K Rowling loves to fuel hate towards a whole group of innocent beautiful people.

— Daniel Lismore (@daniellismore) December 13, 2021

Another Twitter user pointed out how despite the outrage, Rowling’s Twitter following has been steadily increasing.

Interesting how @jk_rowling follower numbers have been slowly increasing (now at 14m when had been 13.9m a couple of days ago). Perhaps she’s hitting a nerve and people aren’t ‘shocked’ or ‘disappointed’ by her constant standing up for women and girls? #WomenWontWheesht pic.twitter.com/Hzy4aWXzAq

— jizlack (@jizlack) December 14, 2021

Many women’s rights activists like Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Former MP and National Women’s & Equalities Convenor) and Rosie Duffield (Member of Parliament) have come out in Rowling’s support.

Interesting how @jk_rowling follower numbers have been slowly increasing (now at 14m when had been 13.9m a couple of days ago). Perhaps she’s hitting a nerve and people aren’t ‘shocked’ or ‘disappointed’ by her constant standing up for women and girls? #WomenWontWheesht pic.twitter.com/Hzy4aWXzAq

— jizlack (@jizlack) December 14, 2021

This is not the first time that Rowling has been accused of transphobia. In June 2020, she expressed her disapproval of the term “people who menstruate.” This term is used by many to include trans men (who have not undergone full transition) in conversations about menstrual or gynaecological health.

‘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

According to Rowling’s critics, her refusal to accept self-identification as a valid requirement for gender identity and seeing womanhood as something that is only biologically determined makes the best selling author transphobic. Her supporters argue that discrediting the importance of biological sex might endanger women and is not practical for legal or safety purposes.

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