Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling is facing backlash once again after she tweeted her support for a British citizen who lost her job because of her transphobic comments. While Rowling created one of the most beloved fantasy worlds on Earth, she’s come under fire in recent years for her attempts to participate in the modern conversation regarding diversity and inclusion without truly understanding the issue.
This controversy centers on Maya Forstater, a British tax expert. In March, Forstater’s employer, the Centre for Global Development, opted not to renew her contract after the researcher fired off a series of tweets aimed at transgender people. In the Twitter storm, Forstater questioned an update to the U.K. Gender Recognition Act that would allow people to self-identify as whatever gender they chose. In one tweet, she specifically stated that “Men cannot change into women.” Forstater was fired for her transphobic comments and contested the decision not to renew her contract at the Central London Employment Tribunal. This week, the court ruled against her and upheld the company’s decision, stating that her views created an “intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.” The judge also added, “The approach is not worthy of respect in a democratic society.” That’s where J.K. Rowling joins the fray.
After learning about the court ruling against Forstater, Rowling tweeted her support of the British researcher. On Thursday, Rowling fired off a tweet that read, “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill .” Her statement immediately received intense backlash. Celebrities on Twitter fired back requesting that Rowling spend more time researching the trans experience. Along with releasing a statement condemning her comments, LBGTQ organization GLAAD asked to have an off-the-record conversation with Rowling regarding transgender people but were reportedly denied by her publicist. See the controversial tweet below:
While this is Rowling’s latest offense, her support for a transphobic researcher is far from the first time the author had made headlines. Most notably, she was deeply criticized for her decision to keep Johnny Depp in the Fantastic Beasts movies after he was accused of abuse by ex-wife, Amber Heard. In addition, Rowling’s continued revelations about Harry Potter characters have been labeled as a way for the author to deflect accusations that the books aren’t very inclusive. For example, she’s claimed that Dumbledore was always gay, though she never included that information in her original books.
While Rowling was trying to support a feminist agenda, her tone-deaf tweet only served to marginalize another minority. In addition, her statement hardly connects to the root of the issue. Sex and gender are two different things. Sex is the classification of a person as male or female based on their anatomy. Gender focuses on a person’s internal identity and they deeply held sense they have of their own place in the world. Maya Forstater didn’t state that sex is real. She stated that people cannot choose their own gender identity, which is both hateful and scientifically inaccurate. By standing up for her, Rowling continues the spread of prejudice and misinformation. Considering her large platform and the impact her statements have, she should learn to be more responsible with her tweets.
Next: Harry Potter: The 15 Worst Retcons JK Rowling Made to the Series (And the 8 Best)
Source: J.K. Rowling
