Transmisia/JKR

the 2019/12/19 tweet in which JKR definitively announced her TERFdom to the world

About

Bestselling author J.K. Rowling has become infamous for her support of anti-trans beliefs and misrepresentations generally following the TERF philosophy, which of course have been strongly supported by those aligned to such beliefs. The hashtag #IStandWithJKRowling has become a dogwhistle for transmisia on Twitter and elsewhere.

It is somewhat ironic that an author whose books were unreasonably reviled by fundamentalists in the early 2000s has become herself an exponent of gender essentialism, a form of gender fundamentalism.

It also seems worth noting here that the pen-name JKR uses for mystery fiction, "Robert Galbraith", has a large overlap with the name of Robert Galbraith Heath, an early advocate of gay conversion therapy and the now-discredited idea that all mental illness derives from biological defects and is therefore treatable by physical means.

Anti-trans Claims

"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." 2020-06-06 18:02
- falsely implies that trans people are denying the existence of sex straw man
  - "I am a trans woman who knows hundreds of trans people and who is very active in the community, and I’ve never heard any trans person or expert say or imply otherwise even once. Trans people are often more keenly aware of sex characteristics than anyone else, having often spent their whole lives dealing with the dysphoria that their various sex characteristics cause them, and seeing how other people react to them. I, and almost every trans person I’ve talked to, have had to teach the doctors and nurses who aren’t experts how our biology works just to get basic healthcare. Often one of the main things that trans people want for the world is a better understanding of trans bodies and of biology." -- Katy Montgomery
- falsely implies a dichotomy between trans rights and biological reality false dichotomy

Links

2020/10/02 [L..T] Young trans men share brutal accounts of conversion therapy camps, where they were abused and forced to carry heavy rocks “...in June, J.K. Rowling liked a tweet from a Canadian anti-trans organisation called We The Females opposing a proposed law in Canada that would ban conversion therapy for LGBT+ youth, including trans kids. [..] Like other anti-trans organisations, We The Females propose that trans youth should be subjected to “gender-critical therapy”, to deter or prevent them from transitioning. Gender-critical feminists often claim that affirming therapists railroad youth. ”
2019/12/20 [L..T] JK Rowling's Transphobia Wasn't Hard to Find, She Wrote a Book About It "It's not just her blatant transphobia on Twitter. As the trans community has been saying for years, Rowling's transphobia is obvious in her writing, too."
2018/03/28 [L..T] Is J.K. Rowling Transphobic? A Trans Woman Investigates "Ultimately, the answer is yes, she is transphobic, at least in the ways that so many average cisgender people can be. However, because she’s J.K. Rowling, creator of the best-selling book series of all time and an idol to so many LGBTQ+ children and now adults, she gets called out for it. I think it's fair that she receives criticism from trans people, especially given her advocacy on behalf of queer people in general, but also because she has a huge platform. Many people look up to her for creating a singular piece of popular culture that holds deep meaning for fans from different walks of life, and she has a responsibility to handle that platform wisely."

to file

2020-01-05 Why J.K. Rowling's Tweet Was Transphobic and Hurtful (podcast, audio only)

Writings (to file)

2020-07-25 09:21 @jk_rowling “‘NHS identity clinics have been functioning as if acting outside the ordinary requirement of good medical and psychiatric practice.’ / Some may dismiss this paper by experienced psychoanalyst @marcusevanspsych, but they do so at their own peril. / https://bit.ly/3jEkjBb 1/4”
- 2020-07-21 Freedom to think: the need for thorough assessment and treatment of gender dysphoric children
2020-07-25 09:21 @jk_rowling “It feels as though we’re on the brink of a medical scandal. A second paper concludes: ”
2020-07-25 09:22 @jk_rowling “Since speaking up about gender identity theory, I’ve received thousands of emails – more than I’ve ever had on a single subject. Many have come from professionals working in medicine, education and social work. All are concerned about the effects on vulnerable young people. 3/4”
2020-07-25 09:22 @jk_rowling “The writers of this letter are just two of a growing number of whistleblowers. The bleak truth is that if and when the scandal does erupt, nobody currently cheering this movement on will be able to credibly claim ‘we couldn’t have known’. https://bit.ly/2D2zbIS 4/4”
- 2019-07-28 "We Really Really Tried." A 2017 Letter from GIDS Clinicians Ignored by The Guardian
2020-06-10 J.K. Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking out on Sex and Gender Issues (via)

Petitions

Mulholland Books: Drop Bigot J K Rowling

News (to file)

2020-07-08 JK Rowling’s treatment is a grim sign of how Twitter mobs have poisoned our cultural life: pro-JKR editorial
2020-06-16 Staff at JK Rowling’s publishing house are refusing to work on her new children’s book over her relentless anti-trans tirade (via)
2020-06-16 Katy Montgomerie: Addressing The Claims In JK Rowling’s Justification For Transphobia
2020-06-12 Ashley F. Miller: JK Rowling’s Anti-Trans Post: A Deep Dive
- 2020-06-13 PZ Myers: If you need further dissection of JK Rowling... (via)
2020-06-11
- Aja Romano: Harry Potter and the Author Who Failed Us
- AV Club / Shannon Miller: Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright tweet support to trans community since J.K. Rowling won't
2020-06-10 J.K. Rowling is still talking
2020-06-08 Daniel Radcliffe Responds to J.K. Rowling’s Tweets on Gender Identity by Daniel Radcliffe (who played Harry Potter in the movies)
2020-06-07 Katy Montgomerie: Why What JK Rowling Said is Transphobic: includes a good summary of the Gender Critical stance
2019-12-20 J.K. Rowling's Maya Forstater tweets support hostile work environments, not free speech
2019-12-12 This is not a drill: it’s time to #cancel JK Rowling

Transmisia/JKR

Contents