JK Rowling sparks controversy on the Internet with a tweet that has invited protests and death threats. Keep reading to find out.
JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter books, has been chastised for allegedly transphobic tweets and utterances. The author has sparked outrage among transgender people, activists, and sympathisers, with many of them questioning the variety of her books. Her supporters argue that she should be allowed to express herself, even if it is uncomfortable for some.
Highlights —
- What is the controversy about?
- Suffering consequences and death threats
What is the controversy about?
JK Rowling has lambasted three trans activists for attempting to ‘intimidate’ her by holding a protest outside her home and then releasing a photo of her address on social media. After ridiculing an online essay in June 2020, that used the terms “those who menstruate” instead of “women”, the author, 56, has been accused of transphobia.
Rowling doubled down in a thread when followers criticised the post as transphobic, writing, “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives”.
Suffering consequences and death threats
She then wrote a compelling article in which she defended herself against the claims, but she has continued to suffer criticism. According to the Daily Mail, in the most recent round of the debate, three demonstrators stood outside Rowling’s Edinburgh house brandishing pro-trans signs. The author’s location was clearly visible in the background of a widely circulated photo of the protesters on Twitter. Rowling accused the three of doxing her and seeking to punish her for “speaking out for women’s sex-based rights” in her tweet.
Rowling further claimed that the transgender discussion has resulted in so many death threats that she could ‘cover the house with them’. She also requested people to erase retweets of her home’s photos. She also posted a long list of women, including Labour MP Rosie Duffield and lawyer Joanna Cherry, who she claims have been “hounded on social media” and have endured similar “campaigns of intimidation”.
Interestingly, one of the campaigners, Holly Stars, claimed she later removed the photo after receiving hostile comments on social media. All three have since removed their Twitter accounts, according to the Daily Mail. “Yesterday we posted a picture we took at JK Rowling’s house”, wrote the trans rights advocate, who is also a drag queen and star of the Amazon Prime documentary “Holly Stars: Inspirational”. She added, “While we stand by the photo, since posting it we have received an overwhelming amount of serious and threatening transphobic messages so have decided to take the photo down. #transrightsarehumanrights. Love to our trans siblings”.
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