Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling recently gained media attention for her comments about the transgender community. Her latest comments are part of a trend of statements that misinterpret trans activism as an attack on feminism.
The British author came under fire for a tweet critiquing an article that used gender-neutral language referring to “people who menstruate.”
‘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
Her tweet ignored the fact that not all women — trans or cisgender — menstruate. It also invalidated trans men and non-binary people who do.
This tweet is one of many comments by Rowling that falls within the trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF) movement.
In an essay on her website Rowling wrote, “we’re living through the most misogynistic period I’ve experienced.”
“From the leader of the free world’s long history of sexual assault accusations’ […] to the trans activists who declare that TERFs need punching and re-educating, men across the political spectrum seem to agree: women are asking for trouble.”
The problem with this opinion is that it frames trans people’s existence as an anti-feminist force. Thus, it creates infighting between marginalized people whose interests intersect. Trans people and women would be better off tackling common struggles together.
One of Rowling’s newer tweets gives some insight as to how she is instigating infighting.. “If sex isn’t real,” Rowling tweeted, “there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased.”
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.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Rowling misunderstands the core of what it means to be trans — assuming that all trans people see both gender and sex as entirely non-existent. She sees the trans perspective as an attack on legitimate feminist and gay concerns that centre around the lived experiences of women in a patriarchy.
In reality, there is no single theory on gender. All you need to support trans people is to understand that gender is made up of social and personal factors. This doesn’t invalidate the lived experience of women.
Ironically, many trans readers were drawn to Harry Potter for its theme of acceptance.
“While I was nervous about coming out [as transgender] to some relatives and acquaintances, I never doubted that the Harry Potter fan community would accept me for who I was,” Harry Potter Alliance (an activist group/fan club) member Jackson Bird said in an essay in The New York Times.
“We all adhere to the values we learned from the books about being yourself [and] loving those who are different.”
Bird’s statements point to a troubling reality about Rowling’s comments. She has a large, young, LGBTQ+ fanbase, many of whom are still figuring their lives out. Rowling’s comments can seriously hurt her audience.
In addition to exclusionary comments, Rowling’s “queer-bating” in her novels by including tokenistic representation without telling queer stories, can also hurt her readership. Rowling is known for retroactively inserting details about her works after publication. This includes claiming some of her characters are queer.
Although her intentions may have been good, queerbaiting effectively lets an author foster an LGBTQ+ following without affecting the success of her books by directly mentioning queer culture in them.
In 2019, Rowling began following some TERFs on Twitter and Tweeted support for tax expert Maya Forstater, who lost her job after she misgendered trans women and posted transphobic rhetoric on the internet.
Furthermore, Rowling’s latest statements were made during Pride month — where LGBTQ+ people take a moment to celebrate their accomplishments and organize to stand together against current struggles. It may be the case that Rowling chose this month to frame her position as pro-gay, but this would be missing the mark — Pride is about LGBTQ+ solidarity, not creating divisions and infighting.
While Rowling’s right in being concerned about sexism and homophobia, she fails to understand that trans rights aren’t incompatible with supporting other marginalized groups. On the contrary, the queer struggle is intersectional.
Featured image from IMDb.
