BEST BITS – Is JK Rowling Transphobic?

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TRANSCRIPT:

File this next segment under – Let’s jump on an unpopular but popular bandwagon issue and side with the unpopular opinion… yep I’m going there!

A Canadian trans artist is ripping off JK Rowling’s name from the “Harry Potter” books, and replacing the cover for fans who’d rather have the book without the author’s name on them.

The artist said in a January 4 TikTok video that they are a “trans artist and bookbinder.” The video showcases their process of re-binding the books. It involves the cover and a page with Rowling’s name being torn off and replaced.

The artist sells the books, the full set of seven “Harry Potter” books for $1,600 Canadian dollars. People can buy a single book in the series for $230 Canadian dollars.

TikTok their aim with this project is to “engage critically and give an option to people who do still want to enjoy Harry Potter without supporting JK Rowling.”

Reality check, someone had to buy the book in the first place so JK Rowling still gets her cut! Turns out that the Trans artist, is in violation of any copyright laws. But there might be a trademark claim — though McKenna says it would be “tricky” for Rowling to prove it.

But this is where I want to jump on the bandwagon, I’ve never discussed this before, publicly, but let’s go back to the core of this debate, and that is wether or not JK Rowling is transphobic or not.

For this we head to the dictionary, so we base this conversation on fact. the dictionary says that to be transphobic one must have or show a dislike of or strong prejudice against transgender people.

Has JK Rowling shown a a dislike of or strong prejudice against transgender people?

Lets look at the tweet that started is mass pile on of accusation, an article by glamour.com reads:

On June 6, 2020, Rowling retweeted an op-ed piece that discussed “people who menstruate,” apparently taking issue with the fact that the story did not use the word women. Quote: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she wrote.

That initial tweet garnered a lot of backlash, but the Harry Potter author did not relent and wrote about her views in more detail. Quote: “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,” she tweeted. “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—i.e., to male violence—‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences—is a nonsense.”

She continued, “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.”

There is more to this saga and Rowlings tweets, but it was these tweets that started the hate pile on, so I’ll stick where we are thus far.

Is JK Rowling transphobic with what she said? Remember according to the dictionary to be transphobic one must have or show a dislike of or strong prejudice against transgender people.

If this was a court and I were the judge, I’d say no. she has demonstrated support, admiration and compassion for transgender people, and always has in her public presence, negating the “showing a dislike” in the dictionary description of transphobic and as for the “strong prejudice against transgender people”. I don’t see that either.

I do see a series of tweets that supports biological women, I am not saying that trans women are not women, but when we look at things through the prism of fact not feeling the fact is there is a physical difference between a biological women and trans women, despite both being women. Now, I do support the trans community, but not at the expense of a women who stand up for biological woman and the use of language that detracts from their lived experience.

Was she transphobic in her tweet? No! Was it the right thing to post? Also, No! Let’s face it, biological women who transition to men, and now identify as men, can still menstruate. Therefor the term people who menstruate is valid and inclusive language, Transgender men are men just like transgender women are women.

Should Rowling back down for her stance, yes, but not in a way that negates her lived experience, how that happens, I have no idea, will this happen, well it’s been a contentious issue since 2020, so I doubt she will back down. it’s a rock and a hard place situation indeed. But, back to the unpopular opinion, is Harry Potter author JK Rowling transphobic, look, I can see how people might clumsily make that connection, but upon looking at the facts at present, I disagree.

Like I always say, I am always happy to discuss my opinion, have my mind changed if an argument is compelling enough or there is a side of this that I have not considered gets me over the line, and I am also happy chat further on this topic should anyone wish to in a civilised manner.

It’s my opinion that the only way forward for society is open discussion, not cancelling opinions that don’t align with your own, nor does it by holding opinions because on what the masses bandwagon on.