I have a hunch that celebrated author J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter et al.), who is being accused by many in mainstream media reports of being transphobic, is not transphobic at all, and that perhaps people who are transphobic are twisting her words. And that maybe some trans people are misinterpreting what she has to say, too. (Hey, trans activists, don’t freak at me. I’ve been an advocate for trans people and others for a long time.)
So, I plan to do some objective investigation, and will do a report for this blog.
I don’t know Miss Rowling, and I haven’t read any of her books. I would love to chat with her by email, but I’m sure millions of other people would like to do that, too. So, I’ve been looking at her Twitter feed and will check out her website when time permits.
I haven’t seen any evidence of transphobia in her tweets back to mid-July (as far as I got today before work intervened). Sure, she has made some comments about issues related to trans people, but nothing I would call transphobic. She isn’t calling for the erasure of trans people that I can see, like other people are doing.
But she is doing something very sweet in her Twitter feed: she has encouraged children to post drawings based on her writing, and she is responding to them with personal comments.
If that warms my heart, imagine how the kids she’s talking to must feel. It’s something they will remember a lifetime: “A famous author complimented my drawing, mom!”
Hey, I still remember the time I shared a doobie with folksinger Jesse Winchester and others, even though I’m sure Jesse forgot about it 10 seconds later.
Hopefully, I will post something more substantive on Miss Rowling in a week or two.
— Jillian
Jillian Page 
Well, I have read too much of her Twitter feed after the ‘middle-aged’ moments controversy, and certainly her justification blog and quite a few Tweets in earlier months of this year, I would say that you will nee a very imaginitive mind to explain these statements as not being transphobic…..
But yes, she’s so sweet with the kids and the drawings…..
Hmmmm… in what sort of context did we more often her ‘so sweet with the kids’…..
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I’ll be looking at all her tweets and such, Angela. I was hoping for some feedback from readers here, too, perhaps pointing me to particular tweets or posts. As for the comment about her tweets to kids, I’m sure those youngsters must be thrilled to get that feedback. So often, celebrities don’t communicate with their fans. That could be another post: I once heard about a famous rock singer telling a fan who simply said hello to “f–k off.” I bet that person never bought another song by that performer.
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This is the original article she was commenting on:
https://www.devex.com/news/sponsored/opinion-creating-a-more-equal-post-covid-19-world-for-people-who-menstruate-97312
“Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate” stated:
“An estimated 1.8 billion girls, women, and gender non-binary persons menstruate…”
To which she responded:
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Her point is that if you menstruate, you are a part of that ***biological*** category of “women.” It may feel insensitive to some people but I have no idea how it could be interpreted as transphobic. Where has she demonstrated a fear of – or a dislike for – trans folks? And nowhere did she indicate that menstruation was the sole definition of what constituted being a woman.
I think some people are looking for reasons to be offended rather than for ways to bridge gaps and make friends.
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Hmm. I get it.
I see why people were upset about her comments. The writer and the editor of that story you linked to, Fred, were trying to be as inclusive as possible. They were including trans men who might still menstruate by saying “people who menstruate.”
It does seem that J.K. was insensitive to that fact, and it was such a petty comment by her. Not sure why she felt the need to comment, but I can see why people felt it was transphobic. They saw it as a way to delegitimize trans men, I think.
But having said that, it does seem to have been blown out of proportion.
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I think you can say she is insensitive. I don’t see that as the same as trans phobic. Actually I think words like transphobic are themselves polarizing. It describes a condition that is far more extreme than may actually exist. A phobia is a mental disorder that involves high levels of irrational fear. I don’t think that describes Rowling at all. She just failed to engage brain before hitting send.
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Maybe, Fred. I attended an online seminar last week on diversity and discrimination, and one thing I came away with is that prejudice is often a subconscious thing in people and they don’t even realize it is there. I’m not saying this is the case with J.K., but the fact she felt compelled to make that statement on Twitter where it was sure to cause a fuss looks like an attempt to poke a hornet’s nest. More research to do, though.
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