4 ms·

The other problem with this claim is that even if you do believe that J K Rowling's personal views are transphobic (and honestly, they probably are), she really

by makomk 6y ago

The other problem with this claim is that even if you do believe that J K Rowling's personal views are transphobic (and honestly, they probably are), she really doesn't seem to have been using her power to push them. The woke establishment that's been going after her, on the other hand, absolutely used their power to push transphobia in ways that actually mattered, including into UK law.

space_fountain 6y ago
I mean we wouldn’t even be talking about this if she wasn’t you know a famous well respected author. I haven’t read her latest book, but my understanding is it has a character who is pretty close to the terf idea of what a trans person is which would seem like it’s using her writing to perpetuate her view
- zepto 6y ago
  The concept that it is perpetuating her view seems very questionable to me. Is it influenced by her view? Of course. Does it perpetuate it? Surely that depends on how readers react to it. We are free to interpret works as we like. My own view on this is complex. The problems JK Rowling outlines are clearly real, but of course so are the problems of trans people in gaining acceptance in society. Both TERFs and Trans people are groups that face gendered violence. If the mere writing of a character that holds a view ‘perpetuates it’, then don’t we need to burn all books written before the 1990s?
Eszik 6y ago
What do you mean? Rowling has absolutely used her power, i.e her visibility as a very prominent public figure, to write and share tweets and articles that prop up and reinforce the current transphobic discourse in the UK. I'm also not sure who you're pointing you when you say "The woke establishment that's been going after her", because as far as I know the people who have called out her transphobia have definitely opposed the various UK bills and motions you're referring to.

by makomk 6y ago

space_fountain 6y ago

I mean we wouldn’t even be talking about this if she wasn’t you know a famous well respected author. I haven’t read her latest book, but my understanding is it has a character who is pretty close to the terf idea of what a trans person is which would seem like it’s using her writing to perpetuate her view

zepto 6y ago
The concept that it is perpetuating her view seems very questionable to me. Is it influenced by her view? Of course. Does it perpetuate it? Surely that depends on how readers react to it. We are free to interpret works as we like. My own view on this is complex. The problems JK Rowling outlines are clearly real, but of course so are the problems of trans people in gaining acceptance in society. Both TERFs and Trans people are groups that face gendered violence. If the mere writing of a character that holds a view ‘perpetuates it’, then don’t we need to burn all books written before the 1990s?

Eszik 6y ago

What do you mean? Rowling has absolutely used her power, i.e her visibility as a very prominent public figure, to write and share tweets and articles that prop up and reinforce the current transphobic discourse in the UK. I'm also not sure who you're pointing you when you say "The woke establishment that's been going after her", because as far as I know the people who have called out her transphobia have definitely opposed the various UK bills and motions you're referring to.