JK Rowling faces online backlash over 'anti-trans comments'

[MenInG]

K Rowling has come under fire for making "anti-trans comments" on Twitter.

The Harry Potter author had taken issue with the phrasing of a headline for an opinion article about healthcare equality, titled Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.

"'People who menstruate'. I'm sure there used to be a word for those people," she tweeted on Saturday. "Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

The tweet sparked a debate, with many criticising the writer for appearing to define a woman as someone who has a menstrual period.

Twitter users pointed out that many people who identify as women, such as transgender women and women who have gone through the menopause, may not get their periods, while some people who do not identify as female may still menstruate, such as trans men.

What implications does COVID-19 have on the global menstrual health and hygiene agenda? WASH and health experts explain.

One Twitter user said: "What happens when women enter menopause? What about women who had hysterectomies? Women who don't menstruate because of hormonal issues? Are they not women? Nothing you say stops trans women from being women."

Another said: "That's interesting, because I have endometriosis and an IUD in place to treat it, and therefore, I no longer menstruate. I haven't had a menstrual cycle since early high school, and I'm 21. I guess I'm not a woman anymore?"

A third added: "I know you know this because you have been told over and over and over again, but transgender men can menstruate. Non-binary people menstruate. I, a 37-year old woman with a uterus, have not menstruated in a decade. Women are not defined by their periods."

Rowling subsequently posted a series of tweets defending her earlier statement.

She tweeted: "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.

"The idea that women like me, who've been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they're vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - 'hate' trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense."

Jamil said it's 'scary' to 'openly admit your sexuality' as 'a brown female in your thirties'
Image:
Jameela Jamil took issue with the author's comments
Her additional tweets were also met with criticism, however, with some claiming her use of language was "erasing the concept of sex".

One person replied: "As a physician, I want people to know that sex exists on a bimodal biological spectrum just like gender exists on a bimodal sociological spectrum. While most identify as either female or male, there are intersex and trans individuals whose identities are just as valid and real."

Another said: "You're a smart person. How do you not yet understand the difference between sex and gender? The only way I can possibly explain your ignorance at this point is willfulness. It's incredibly disappointing."

Following Rowling's comments, actress Jameela Jamil tweeted: "To JK Rowling": verb: To go out of your way to destroy your iconic legacy."

TV presenter Jonathan Ross jumped to the author's defence, tweeting: "I just ate too many brownies. Again. Oh, and also. @jk_rowling is both right and magnificent. For those accusing her of transphobia, please read what she wrote. She clearly is not."

In December, Rowling received backlash after tweeting her support for researcher Maya Forstater, who lost her job after stating that people cannot change their biological sex.

Rowling tweeted: "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".

https://news.sky.com/story/jk-rowling-faces-online-backlash-over-anti-trans-comments-12002690

 

[MenInG]

Daniel Radcliffe hopes JK Rowling's comments about gender will not "taint" the Harry Potter series for fans.

In a statement posted on an LGBT suicide prevention charity website, the actor said: "Transgender women are women.

"Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people."

JK Rowling had been criticised for tweets taking issue with the phrase "people who menstruate".

Radcliffe said this was not about "in-fighting" and added he felt "compelled to say something" because Rowling was responsible for the "course his life has taken".

'Love is the strongest force'

Writing on The Trevor Project's website he said he was sorry to anyone whose "experience of the [Harry Potter] books has been tarnished".

"If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe... that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, non-binary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life - then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.

"I hope that these comments will not taint that too much."

The actor started supporting the charity, which provides suicide-prevention counselling to young people in the US, in 2009.

Rowling had tweeted at the weekend about an article discussing "people who menstruate".

"I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

In response, she was called transphobic.

Rowling stood by her comments, saying it "isn't hate to speak the truth".

"My life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so.

"I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives."

'Identity and dignity'

Radcliffe said it's important not to "invalidate" transgender people's identities and "cause further harm".

"Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I."

The actress who played character Cho Chang in the Harry Potter films, Katie Leung, also shared support for trans people.

Conversation online had touched on the representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic characters in the Harry Potter series, with Cho Chang trending on Twitter.

Leung tweeted: "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes..."

Instead of commenting, she used the rest of the thread to share links to charities helping black trans people.

Rowling was criticised in December last year for defending a woman who lost her job after saying children cannot change their biological sex.

At Maya Forstater's employment tribunal, which she lost, the judge spoke about the "enormous pain that can be caused by misgendering".

JK Rowling used the hashtag #IStandWithMaya, and said women shouldn't be "forced" out of jobs for "stating that sex is real".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-52975994

 

[MenInG]

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them star Eddie Redmayne has said he disagrees with author JK Rowling's comments about transgender people.

The actor, who played the lead role of Newt Scamander in the Harry Potter prequel spin-off franchise, released a statement in response to tweets posted by Rowling which have led to allegations of transphobia.

Redmayne, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for his portrayal of transgender artist Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, follows Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe in speaking out against the author's remarks.

"Respect for transgender people remains a cultural imperative and over the years I have been trying to constantly educate myself," Redmayne said. "This is an ongoing process.

"As someone who has worked with both JK Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand. I disagree with Jo's comments.

"Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.

"I would never want to speak on behalf of the community but I do know that my dear transgender friends and colleagues are tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse.

"They simply want to live their lives peacefully, and it's time to let them do so."

Rowling came under fire after taking issue with a headline on an online article discussing "people who menstruate," tweeting: "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people."
What implications does COVID-19 have on the global menstrual health and hygiene agenda? WASH and health experts explain.

Many people have criticised the writer for appearing to define a woman as someone who has a menstrual period, and accused her of making "anti-trans comments" - which she strongly denied as "nonsense".

In a blog post for the LGBT suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project, Radcliffe said he hoped her remarks had not "tarnished or diminished" fans' experience of her beloved books.

While Rowling "is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken... as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment", he said.

Radcliffe continued: "Transgender women are women.

"Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I."

Defending her tweet, Rowling said: "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."

It is not the first time the author has been accused of being transphobic, after voicing her support for a researcher who was sacked after tweeting that transgender people cannot change their biological sex.

https://news.sky.com/story/eddie-re...ns-women-are-women-trans-men-are-men-12004232

 

[MenInG]

JK Rowling has said she spoke out about transgender issues in part due to her personal experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault.

The Harry Potter author addressed criticism of her response to an article that described "people who menstruate".

In a lengthy blog, she wrote her interest in trans issues stemmed from being a survivor of abuse and having concerns around single-sex spaces.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe was among those critical of Ms Rowling's comments.

In the blog post published on Wednesday, Ms Rowling, 54, detailed what she said were the five reasons why she felt the need to talk about the issue.

These included her interest in "both education and safeguarding" and "freedom of speech".

Explaining her final reason, she wrote: "I've been in the public eye now for over 20 years and have never talked publicly about being a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor.

"This isn't because I'm ashamed those things happened to me, but because they're traumatic to revisit and remember.

"I also feel protective of my daughter from my first marriage. I didn't want to claim sole ownership of a story that belongs to her, too.

"However, a short while ago, I asked her how she'd feel if I were publicly honest about that part of my life and she encouraged me to go ahead.

"I'm mentioning these things now not in an attempt to garner sympathy, but out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who've been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex spaces."

Mr Radcliffe, the star of the Harry Potter film series, and Eddie Redmayne, who leads the cast of the Fantastic Beasts movies, have both criticised Ms Rowling for her comments about transgender issues.

Emma Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the Potter franchise, said: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are."

The row began last weekend, after Ms Rowling responded to a headline on an online article discussing "people who menstruate" by writing in a tweet: "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

Critics accused her of being transphobic, but Ms Rowling said she stood by her comments, saying it "isn't hate to speak the truth".

"My life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so," she said.

"I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives."

In December last year, the author voiced her support for a researcher who was sacked after tweeting that transgender people cannot change their biological sex.

'Misogyny'

In the blog post on Wednesday, Rowling said she was motivated to address transgender issues through her Twitter account because of what she sees as an increasingly misogynistic society.

"We're living through the most misogynistic period I've experienced," she continued.

"Back in the 80s, I imagined that my future daughters, should I have any, would have it far better than I ever did, but between the backlash against feminism and a porn-saturated online culture, I believe things have got significantly worse for girls.

"Never have I seen women denigrated and dehumanised to the extent they are now."

Why is this such a fiercely debated topic?
Transgender people say they just want equal rights, but some groups believe that will lessen women's rights.

A key differentiation is between the words "sex" and "gender". Our sex, which is physical - male or female - is distinct from our gender, which is psychological and social.

"Women are oppressed on the basis of their biological sex, not their gender identity. There has to be a place for the female sex as a distinct group," Stephanie Davies-Arai, who founded the Transgender Trend website - a place for parents to discuss trans issues, told BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat.

This argument - the distinction between sex and gender - is refuted by some, including trans activist Julia Serano, who argues there are more than two discrete mutually exclusive sexes.

Instead, she argues sex is made up of a number of variable dimorphic traits - like chromosomes and reproductive organs - that sometimes align in a person and sometimes don't.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53002557

 

[Firebat]

Warner Bros. Responds to J.K. Rowling Controversy: ‘A Diverse and Inclusive Culture Has Never Been More Important’

Warner Bros. has responded to the ongoing controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling’s statements about transgender identity.

“The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult societal issues,” the company said in a statement to Variety. “Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world. We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all. We recognize our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content.”

The statement comes after days of outcry over Rowling’s public assertions about how transgender people define their identity. First, on June 6, Rowling posted a thread of tweets in which made clear she believes women are defined by their biological sex and not their gender identity.

Spoiler

“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,” Rowling tweeted. “The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women — ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences — is a nonsense.”

The tweets came under immediate criticism for in essence denying that transgender women are women, a stance that for many “Harry Potter” fans flies directly in the face of the books’ manifest lessons on inclusion and empathy.

The furor became so intense that “Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe posted a lengthy statement in support of trans identity and trans rights, and directly repudiated Rowling’s position.

“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe said. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either [Rowling] or I.”

In the following days, more actors joined Radcliffe, including Emma Watson and “Fantastic Beasts” star Eddie Redmayne.

“As someone who has worked with both J.K. Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand,” Redmayne said in an exclusive statement to Variety on Wednesday. “I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.”

That same day, Rowling posted an extensive essay to her website staunchly defending her decision to weigh in on trans identity and further detailing her views. While Rowling said that she does believe that “trans rights are human rights,” that “trans lives matter,” and that she wants “trans women to be safe,” she doubled down on her belief that sex identity is immutable, and that the efforts of trans activists to define womanhood by gender identity would corrode the rights of cisgender women.

“When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman … then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth,” Rowling wrote. “Endlessly unpleasant as its constant targeting of me has been, I refuse to bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.”

In her essay, Rowling also referred to a sexual assault she experienced in her 20s, which she said she’s never discussed publicly before. Rowling said that she was “triggered” by news that Scotland was moving forward what what she characterized as “controversial gender recognition plans,” and she chose to send her tweets on trans identity while in “a very dark place” in which memories of her assault kept playing in her head.

“I couldn’t shut out those memories and I was finding it hard to contain my anger and disappointment about the way I believe my government is playing fast and loose with womens and girls’ safety,” Rowling wrote.

“I’m mentioning these things now not in an attempt to garner sympathy,” she added, “but out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who’ve been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex spaces.”

https://variety.com/2020/film/news/jk-rowling-warner-bros-1234631061/

 

[The Viper]

J.K. Rowling reveals past abuse and defends right to speak on trans issues

Author J.K. Rowling has defended her right to speak about trans issues without fear of abuse in an intensely personal essay published on her website in which she revealed painful details from her past.

The Harry Potter creator has long been criticised by trans activists who have accused her of transphobia over her comments on social media, including a Twitter post on Saturday in which she criticised the use of the phrase “people who menstruate” in an article referring to girls, women and gender non-binary persons.

“I know it’s time to explain myself on an issue surrounded by toxicity,” Rowling wrote in a 3,600 word essay, published on Wednesday, detailing her research and beliefs on trans issues.

Rowling, 54, said she believed most trans people posed zero threat to others, were vulnerable and deserved protection. But she gave examples of where she thought demands by trans activists were dangerous to women.

“When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman ... then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside.”

LGBTQ group GLAAD accused Rowling of spreading misinformation and sowing divisiveness.

“Her misinformed and dangerous missive about transgender people flies in the face of medical and psychological experts and devalues trans people’s accounts of their own lives,” it said in statement to Vice, retweeted on its own account.

In the essay, Rowling said she was a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault and that the trauma of those experiences informed some of her feelings about women’s rights. She also said she has wondered whether she might have sought to transition to being a man had she been born 30 years later.

She said she had received abuse for her views including being told she was “literally killing people with your hate.” She said she refused to “bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode ‘woman’ as a political and biological class.”

Rowling said she understood why trans activists consider the use of phrases like “people who menstruate” as a way of including trans women but said it was demeaning to many women.

“For those of us who’ve had degrading slurs spat at us by violent men, it’s not neutral, it’s hostile and alienating.”

Rowling has drawn criticism from the LGBT community and actors including Eddie Redmayne and Daniel Radcliffe, who feature in the Harry Potter films, for her views.

But she won support from some in the trans community, including Israeli pop singer Dana International.

“Sometimes the community goes to unnecessary wars with people who are totally with us,” the Israeli artist said on Instagram.

https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-b...t-to-speak-on-trans-issues-idUKKBN23H2XE?il=0

 

[shaykh]

There has been such lazy journalism on this topic...

In short JK Rowling supports a researcher who was fired for having stated that biology is a scientific fact and not a construct...and takes issue with the idea of self identification and it's effects on women's private spaces such as prisons, bathrooms or in areas such as sports...

The idea that women's genuine concerns about such issues is bigoted or transphobic is ludicrous ...the idea that a feminist researcher who has spoken about these concerns has been sacked is just a poor look for what is supposedly a democracy and a country that values freedom of expression ...

Her views on biology aren't even remotely left field ...in fact the idea that sex is a construct is ...the debate in cognitive science isn't about whether sex exists but the debate is about the extent to which it influences human behaviour ...neuroscience, psychology among others all support the idea that sex exists ...

The idea that sex doesn't exist is a relatively new phenomena and one which is rejected by hard science ...the response is essentially that these scientists are transphobic rather than any substantial scientific refutations ...or lazy conflations of sex and gender ...

Largely the response also deals with 'marginalisation'...ie sex can't exist because if it does then it marginalises trans people ...the thing is that has absolutely no baring on what is true or not ...how someone feels and what is material truth are two completely different areas ...one can't simply reject scientific method because it doesn't give you the result you want ...

The idea of the marginalised' arguments being true simply because to believe otherwise leads to marginalisation isn't only applicable here sadly ...

At the very least there has to be room for discussion ...I find it extremely odd how people who speak about freedom state that a researcher should be dismissed because of her views ...and state things like 'she's transphobic and that's not even debatable'...

Shutting down argument with ad-hominem and hyperbole sadly is a reality of our times ...and the attacks on JK Rowling now are just another version of the anti-intellectual and unnuanced age we live in ...

 

[Firebat]

JK Rowling: Sun newspaper criticised by abuse charities for article on ex-husband

The Sun newspaper has faced a backlash from domestic abuse charities for an article in which JK Rowling's ex said "I'm not sorry" for slapping her.

As part of a blog addressing criticism of her comments on transgender people, the Harry Potter author said her first marriage had been "violent".

Jorge Arantes told the Sun he slapped Rowling when she left him - but added "there was not sustained abuse".

The newspaper said it had not intended to "enable or glorify" domestic abuse.

Critics have accused the author of being transphobic for her response to an article about "people who menstruate".

Rowling said her personal experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault, and her concerns about protecting safe spaces for women, were some reasons why she spoke out about transgender issues.

The Sun's front page headline on Friday was: "I slapped JK and I'm not sorry".

Mr Arantes, who shares a daughter with Rowling from their marriage, told the paper: "Yes. It is true I slapped her. But I didn't abuse her." When asked about his response to her claims - which included that the relationship was violent - he said: "If she says that, that's up to her. It's not true I hit her."

The charity Women's Aid said the newspaper's front page had a "negative impact", and added it was in conversation with the Sun about reflecting the voices of survivors of domestic abuse.

"Headlines matter," it added.

Another domestic abuse charity, Refuge, said on Twitter: "At a time of reported increased rates of #domesticabuse and terrifying uncertainty for so many women, @TheSun has chosen to amplify the voice of a perpetrator. There are no excuses for abuse. We, proudly, stand on the side of survivors."

A spokeswoman for the Sun said: "It was certainly not our intention to 'enable' or 'glorify' domestic abuse, our intention was to expose a perpetrator's total lack of remorse. Our sympathies are always with the victims."

The spokeswoman added that the tabloid had a "long history of standing up for abused women", and "over the we have empowered countless victims to come forward and seek help".

Politicians have also criticised the Sun's coverage. Labour's shadow minister for domestic abuse and safeguarding, Jess Phillips, said "doubt and disbelief" benefited perpetrators of abuse.

The row about Rowling's comments on transgender issues began last weekend, after she responded to a headline on an online article discussing "people who menstruate" by writing in a tweet: "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson are among those who were critical of her comments, with Watson saying: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are."

In her blog defending her comments, Rowling said: "I've been in the public eye now for over 20 years and have never talked publicly about being a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor."

She added: "I'm mentioning these things now not in an attempt to garner sympathy, but out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who've been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex spaces."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-53023543

 

[MenInG]

Strange controversy this - so out of place compared to whats happening in the world at the moment.

 

[shaykh]

Strange controversy this - so out of place compared to whats happening in the world at the moment.

I think it fits perfectly with what is going on at the moment. The attempts at policing thought and views. That one can’t take a consensus science decision over someone’s feelings without being labelled a bigot. The same arguments are made against those who debate BLH for example. There is no debate. What is right is right.

 

[Yossarian]

“When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman ... then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside.”

Apparently, in some countries the law has been changed, or is in the process of being changed, such that an individual born as a man can simply say "I am now a woman", without needing to have had any surgery, or hormone treatment, or even psychologically assessed by a qualified medical expert. (Similar for someone born as a woman then saying they were now a man).

And by simply saying "I am now a woman", that individual can then use ladies toilets, ladies changing rooms, etc. whilst still having male genitalia.

Can you see the dangers in that? Any pervert can walk into ladies toilets or changing rooms, and if stopped, can simply say "I am now a woman", and be allowed in.

What next? 'Male' urinals in ladies toilets? 'Men' who menstruate and give birth to babies? And demanding that the birth is registered as the 'father' having given birth!

Oh wait! That's already happening.

The world has gone mental.

 

[Robert]

Can you see the dangers in that? Any pervert can walk into ladies toilets or changing rooms, and if stopped, can simply say "I am now a woman", and be allowed in.
.

Invasion of female safe spaces is a red herring, I think. A cis-man pervert can do that already. They don’t need to falsify a gender identification certificate. Women are protected by anti-rape law. But rapists don’t attack women in public toilets. Too much light and too many people about. The vast majority of rape victims are attacked by someone they know.

Trans-women are far more likely than cis-women to be the victims of physical and sexual violence, by the way.

 

[Robert]

Strange controversy this - so out of place compared to whats happening in the world at the moment.

Seems to me quite appropriate - about the liberation of oppressed minorities.

 

[Robert]

I think it fits perfectly with what is going on at the moment. The attempts at policing thought and views. That one can’t take a consensus science decision over someone’s feelings without being labelled a bigot. The same arguments are made against those who debate BLH for example. There is no debate. What is right is right.

Not sure what your point is here. Who says what is right? Society does. Right and wrong are social constructs that change over time as society evolves.

 

[Yossarian]

Apparently, in some countries the law has been changed, or is in the process of being changed, such that an individual born as a man can simply say "I am now a woman", without needing to have had any surgery, or hormone treatment, or even psychologically assessed by a qualified medical expert. (Similar for someone born as a woman then saying they were now a man).

And by simply saying "I am now a woman", that individual can then use ladies toilets, ladies changing rooms, etc. whilst still having male genitalia.

Can you see the dangers in that? Any pervert can walk into ladies toilets or changing rooms, and if stopped, can simply say "I am now a woman", and be allowed in.

What next? 'Male' urinals in ladies toilets? 'Men' who menstruate and give birth to babies? And demanding that the birth is registered as the 'father' having given birth!

Oh wait! That's already happening.

The world has gone mental.

Invasion of female safe spaces is a red herring, I think. A cis-man pervert can do that already. They don’t need to falsify a gender identification certificate.

But if a man can simply say "I am now a woman" to prevent anyone from stopping him going into ladies changing rooms or ladies toilets, but then is asked to provide a certificate showing that to be the case, he'll probably shout discrimination!!!

Besides, nowhere does it say he has to carry such a certificate around with him all the time. Otherwise, it will be back to the same old accusations of discrimination since other men and women are not required to carry identification at all times proving their sex..

Women are protected by anti-rape law. But rapists don’t attack women in public toilets. Too much light and too many people about. The vast majority of rape victims are attacked by someone they know.

Trans-women are far more likely than cis-women to be the victims of physical and sexual violence, by the way.

So it''s ok for a man to walk into women's changing rooms (eg at a leisure/sports centre ) simply by claiming that 'he's now a woman' as long he doesn't attack/rape any woman having a shower or getting changed in there?

I'm sure a heck of a lot of women would find it uncomfortable if a man, by simply stating "I am now a woman", starts stripping off in ladies changing rooms whilst other ladies are getting changed.


And in case anyone has noticed that I'm not referring to him as a 'she' or 'woman', well that's deliberate. In no whatsoever is he a woman simply by stating "I am now a woman"

 

[Robert]

But if a man can simply say "I am now a woman" to prevent anyone from stopping him going into ladies changing rooms or ladies toilets, but then is asked to provide a certificate showing that to be the case, he'll probably shout discrimination!!!

This is not possible under current U.K. law because trans people cannot self-certificate like they do in Ireland. Under the Gender Recognition Act, a person must be certified by doctors and undergo counselling before being recognised as trans. At that point, if challenged when entering a public toilet of their chosen gender, they would be protected under the Equality Act as the challenge would be discriminatory.

Besides, nowhere does it say he has to carry such a certificate around with him all the time. Otherwise, it will be back to the same old accusations of discrimination since other men and women are not required to carry identification at all times proving their sex..

So it''s ok for a man to walk into women's changing rooms (eg at a leisure/sports centre ) simply by claiming that 'he's now a woman' as long he doesn't attack/rape any woman having a shower or getting changed in there?

Obviously not, social norms prevent that and he would be banned from the gym.

I'm sure a heck of a lot of women would find it uncomfortable if a man, by simply stating "I am now a woman", starts stripping off in ladies changing rooms whilst other ladies are getting changed.


And in case anyone has noticed that I'm not referring to him as a 'she' or 'woman', well that's deliberate. In no whatsoever is he a woman simply by stating "I am now a woman"

Your position is currently technically lawful in the UK. Just rather rude and lacking empathy and compassion. But if you said so so a person undergoing transition or completing it under the GRA, you would be misgendering them and arguably committing hate crime, just as I would be if I insulted someone based on their religion.

 

[shaykh]

Not sure what your point is here. Who says what is right? Society does. Right and wrong are social constructs that change over time as society evolves.

No science does actually ...sex is not a construct...

And as I have stated already those who make that argument make it based on arguments such as feelings and we are marginalised ...neither of which have any relation to truth ...notice also that it is always ‘former’ males making these arguments against women for being transphobic...it’s nonsense...

Since you believe that feeling a sex means you are it ...is this ok with you ...I watch anime, I like sushi ...I feel Japanese therefore I am Japanese ...and anyone who disputes this is a bigot?

Increased marginalisation is not an excuse to let people’s feelings trump science ...science is not required to give you the result you want simply because you are marginalised ...

 

[Robert]

No science does actually ...sex is not a construct...

And as I have stated already those who make that argument make it based on arguments such as feelings and we are marginalised ...neither of which have any relation to truth ...notice also that it is always ‘former’ males making these arguments against women for being transphobic...it’s nonsense...

Since you believe that feeling a sex means you are it ...is this ok with you ...I watch anime, I like sushi ...I feel Japanese therefore I am Japanese ...and anyone who disputes this is a bigot?

Increased marginalisation is not an excuse to let people’s feelings trump science ...science is not required to give you the result you want simply because you are marginalised ...

Sex is chromosomal, gender is not. Gender dysphoria is a real condition, recognised by the medical establishment.

And if you apply to the Japanese Embassy I am sure you can become legally Japanese,

 

[Yossarian]

Your position is currently technically lawful in the UK. Just rather rude and lacking empathy and compassion. But if you said so so a person undergoing transition or completing it under the GRA, you would be misgendering them and arguably committing hate crime, just as I would be if I insulted someone based on their religion.

That's a bit rich isn't it Roberet? I'm being rude and lacking in compassion because my views comply with the law as it currently exists?

Well, for the record, I'm more than happy to state loud and clear that, in my opinion, if. biologically, you're born as a man, then you'll always be a man, regardless of what surgical procedures and/or drugs you take.

Otherwise, it'll be no different to a white man putting on black make-up and then pretending/claiming to be black. Just like in the Black and White Ministrel Show.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Not sure what your point is here. Who says what is right? Society does. Right and wrong are social constructs that change over time as society evolves.

How do you know that is evolution rather than just fashionable opinion?

 

[Napa]

Apparently, in some countries the law has been changed, or is in the process of being changed, such that an individual born as a man can simply say "I am now a woman", without needing to have had any surgery, or hormone treatment, or even psychologically assessed by a qualified medical expert. (Similar for someone born as a woman then saying they were now a man).

And by simply saying "I am now a woman", that individual can then use ladies toilets, ladies changing rooms, etc. whilst still having male genitalia.

Can you see the dangers in that? Any pervert can walk into ladies toilets or changing rooms, and if stopped, can simply say "I am now a woman", and be allowed in.

What next? 'Male' urinals in ladies toilets? 'Men' who menstruate and give birth to babies? And demanding that the birth is registered as the 'father' having given birth!

Oh wait! That's already happening.

The world has gone mental.

If I need to pee, and the men's toilet is not available because it is being cleaned, do I wait 10 minutes, or decide I am temporarily a woman and use the women's toilet without delay? Sochne wali baat hai.

 

[Napa]

Not sure what your point is here. Who says what is right? Society does. Right and wrong are social constructs that change over time as society evolves.

Societies indeed do evolve... towards greater madness as Nietzsche noted. It is an unstoppable force.

 

[Robert]

How do you know that is evolution rather than just fashionable opinion?

Same thing, surely? Two hundred years ago, slavery was acceptable to most, then the abolitionists changed “fashionable opinion”.

 

[ManFan]

Same thing, surely? Two hundred years ago, slavery was acceptable to most, then the abolitionists changed “fashionable opinion”.

But slavery was being challenged and abolished by nation-states for centuries before it became a large enough movement for other nation-states to follow. It occurred in France in 1315. America did not adopt it until 1865 and that too only in writing.

The trans-movement only started as recently as 1952, with the publication of the Transvestia magazine.

I understand your point but comparing the two is a bit rich. One deals with human suffering for ages while the other is a recent mental phenomenon. One enslaved a human being, the other was merely a social taboo.

What one is feeling cannot be the basis for altering his biological makeup. I wonder if it was possible for people of different races to become another race, the one they feel more inclined as being? Where would that lead? Where does it stop? Do I feel as if I were a dolphin? What if I could become a dolphin?

Is the freedom to choose offsetting the freedom of acceptance of reality?

I want to hear your thoughts as to why you support it and where you would (if at all) draw the line.

 

[Robert]

But slavery was being challenged and abolished by nation-states for centuries before it became a large enough movement for other nation-states to follow. It occurred in France in 1315. America did not adopt it until 1865 and that too only in writing.

The trans-movement only started as recently as 1952, with the publication of the Transvestia magazine.

I understand your point but comparing the two is a bit rich. One deals with human suffering for ages while the other is a recent mental phenomenon. One enslaved a human being, the other was merely a social taboo.

What one is feeling cannot be the basis for altering his biological makeup. I wonder if it was possible for people of different races to become another race, the one they feel more inclined as being? Where would that lead? Where does it stop? Do I feel as if I were a dolphin? What if I could become a dolphin?

Is the freedom to choose offsetting the freedom of acceptance of reality?

I want to hear your thoughts as to why you support it and where you would (if at all) draw the line.

If you think my comparison with normalisation of anti-slavery is egregious, I am surprised that you compare trans people to hypothetical people supposedly wanting to become dolphins.

I don’t think being born in the wrong body is a phenomenon dating only 1952. Some ancient spiritual traditions involve changing gender.

There have always been gay people and I believe there have always been trans people, but the technology did not exist to help trans people change until recently.

 

[ManFan]

If you think my comparison with normalisation of anti-slavery is egregious, I am surprised that you compare trans people to hypothetical people supposedly wanting to become dolphins.

I don’t think being born in the wrong body is a phenomenon dating only 1952. Some ancient spiritual traditions involve changing gender.

There have always been gay people and I believe there have always been trans people, but the technology did not exist to help trans people change until recently.

I agree with many people throughout history might have felt that same way. But that does little to support either side of the argument. They were outliers and not even enough to raise a serious voice at anytime. 1952 is used as a starting point because it’s the first time it was considered a normal part of social conversation to bring about the transgender topic.

The comparison with dolphins was an example to explain the irrational thought of believing to be of a different biological makeup than you are. If you found that amusing, I wonder you can understand my point about people believing to be of a different sex. And even if it is indeed a mental confusion or illness, it does little to change their reality.

Or our emotions going to trump even the most sacrosanct of institutions in our secular world, namely the scientific ones?

 

[Robert]

I agree with many people throughout history might have felt that same way. But that does little to support either side of the argument. They were outliers and not even enough to raise a serious voice at anytime. 1952 is used as a starting point because it’s the first time it was considered a normal part of social conversation to bring about the transgender topic.

The comparison with dolphins was an example to explain the irrational thought of believing to be of a different biological makeup than you are. If you found that amusing, I wonder you can understand my point about people believing to be of a different sex. And even if it is indeed a mental confusion or illness, it does little to change their reality.

Or our emotions going to trump even the most sacrosanct of institutions in our secular world, namely the scientific ones?

Gender dysphoria isn’t an emotion, it’s a medical condition, therefore accepted by science.

 

[ManFan]

Gender dysphoria isn’t an emotion, it’s a medical condition, therefore accepted by science.

Okay, got it.

But how can we verify that it is a medical condition or not?

 

[Yossarian]

[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION],
So if a man can claim to be a woman, after having a medical procedure and/or taking drugs, or in fact even doing nothing to alter his body and thus retaining the appearance of a man, genitals and all,

In fact, as is already the case in some countries, whilst some others are about to change their laws, a man will not even require a medical diagnosis in order to claim to be a woman.

The Scottish government is proposing to relax some of these requirements, making the process "less onerous".

Under the proposals applicants would no longer need a clinical diagnosis or medical reports........

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-51445579
,

So if someone biologically born as a man can claim to be a woman because "They feel like a woman", would it be ok for a white man to blacken his face (or even do nothing at all) and then go around claiming to be black? You'd be perfectly comfortable with that right?

 

[MenInG]

British author J.K. Rowling’s title as one of the most esteemed public figures seems to have slipped off for good.

The Harry Potter writer has now sparked a new wave of fury after her latest comments about the transgender community.

She turned to Twitter on Sunday to reiterate how she thinks "we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people."

Her latest series of tweets were in response to some social media users pointing out that she had liked a tweet that suggested that people on “mental health medication” were “lazy,” thereby escalating the entire fiasco.

"I've ignored fake tweets attributed to me and RTed widely. I've ignored porn tweeted at children on a thread about their art. I've ignored death and rape threats. I'm not going to ignore this," she wrote in response to the claims.

"When you lie about what I believe about mental health medication and when you misrepresent the views of a trans woman for whom I feel nothing but admiration and solidarity, you cross a line,” she said.


“I've written and spoken about my own mental health challenges, which include OCD, depression and anxiety. I did so recently in my essay 'TERF Wars.' I've taken antidepressants in the past and they helped me,” she added.

"Many health professionals are concerned that young people struggling with their mental health are being shunted towards hormones and surgery when this may not be in their best interests.

"Many, myself included, believe we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people, who are being set on a lifelong path of medicalization that may result in the loss of their fertility,” she went on to say.

"As I've said many times, transition may be the answer for some. For others, it won't—witness the accounts of detransitioners. The long-term health risks of cross-sex hormones have been now been tracked over a lengthy period. These side-effects are often minimized or denied by trans activists."

"None of that may trouble you or disturb your belief in your own righteousness. But if so, I can't pretend I care much about your bad opinion of me,” she said signing off.

Her tweets led to more outrage over her anti-trans stance, with trans activist and model Munroe Bergdorf hitting back and saying: "Not once has @jk_rowling stopped to think about the damage she is doing to the mental health of trans kids. Not supporting a trans kids transition doesn't stop them from being trans. If anything forcing them to live as a gender they don't identity as, is conversion therapy."

"Kids, I want to say that I am so, so sorry this is happening. I will fight tooth and nail on this for you, I will always fight for you. These evil people will not win,” she added.

Kat Blaque, acclaimed YouTuber also retorted, saying: “Why does JK Rowling need to keep reminding the world that she doesn't see transgender people's genders as valid? I hate to say this but trans folks who take hormones, have surgeries etc, KNOW their biology isn't similar to the cis folks who share their gender."

"And it's honestly so annoying for people to pretend that taking a stance against transgender folks is edgy and is a stance that's actively silenced. I hate how people forget that while you debate about if trans folks get to participate in public society, time continues for us,” she added.

Drag artist Juno Birch also took an aim at the writer, saying: "JK Rowling needs to be quiet immediately she is literally harming the trans community, she apparently just posted the clinic I went to as a child and said that they are experimenting on us, when in fact the Tavistock clinic saved my life.”

Rowling had earlier found herself in hot water after she posted a series of controversial tweets about gender identities invalidating biological sex.

“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.”

“The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women — ie, to male violence — ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences — is nonsense,” she added.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/296568-jk...oversy-as-she-maintains-her-transphobic-views

 

[Firebat]

JK Rowling joins 150 public figures warning over free speech

Some 150 writers, academics and activists - including authors JK Rowling, Salman Rushdie and Margaret Atwood - have signed an open letter denouncing the "restriction of debate".

They say they applaud a recent "needed reckoning" on racial justice, but argue it has fuelled stifling of open debate.

The letter denounces "a vogue for public shaming and ostracism" and "a blinding moral certainty".

Several signatories have been attacked for comments that caused offence.

That includes Harry Potter author JK Rowling who was fiercely criticised this month for comments about transgender people.

A diverse cross-section of figures from across the globe put their names to the letter which was published on Tuesday in Harper's Magazine.

It includes US intellectual Noam Chomsky, eminent feminist Gloria Steinem, Russian chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov and author Malcolm Gladwell.

Several have had works banned in some countries, including British novelist Salman Rushdie, who lived in hiding after receiving death threats for his 1988 book Satanic Verses.

And at least two novels by Syrian writer Khalid Khalifa that criticised Syria's government were banned in his home country.

Other signatories are prominent historians of race and slavery, including Nell Irvin Painter, who wrote The History of White People and David Blight, who heads Yale University's Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition.

Many have been in public life for decades, while others are younger including 29-year-old activist Sarah Haider, whose organisation Ex-Muslims of North America aims to normalise religious dissent.

Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53330105

 

[Robert]

I hardly think someone with fifteen million Twitter followers is having her freedom of expression restricted.

 

[sweep_shot]

JK Rowling didn't say anything wrong.

I hope she will not backtrack.

 

[MenInG]

JK Rowling has said she is giving back an award associated with the US Kennedy family, after being criticised for her views on gender and trans issues.

The author was given the Ripple of Hope honour by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation last year.

But earlier this month, its president Kerry Kennedy said views expressed by Rowling recently "diminished the identity" of trans people.

Rowling says Kennedy's implication that she is transphobic is "incorrect".

What is the row all about?
The Harry Potter writer was criticised in June for posting tweets which took issue with the phrase "people who menstruate".

Rowling objected to the avoidance of the use of the word "women".

In a lengthy blog post, Rowling said her interest in trans issues stemmed from being a survivor of abuse and having concerns around single-sex spaces.

"I respect every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them," she wrote. "At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so."

Several film stars from the Harry Potter universe distanced themselves from her comments, including Eddie Redmayne, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53944773

 

[Yossarian]

[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION],
So if someone biologically born as a man can claim to be a woman because "They feel like a woman", would it be ok for a white man to blacken his face (or even do nothing at all) and then go around claiming to be black? You'd be perfectly comfortable with that right?

Still waiting for a response.

 

[Robert]

Still waiting for a response.

I didn’t respond because you posited a strawman argument. The discussion is about actual transgender issues, about equal rights and equal accessibility, not some hypothetical non-issue about racial identity.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Very pleased to see Rowling sticking to her guns. The term transgender is itself a misnomer, in most cases these are just people wishing to act or dress like the opposite sex. By all means do that, but it doesn't change your gender. Transexual or transvestite would probably be more accurate terms, and would lead to a lot less confusion and discomfort for those who have to share intimate spaces with them at school or in changing rooms.

 

[Robert]

Very pleased to see Rowling sticking to her guns. The term transgender is itself a misnomer, in most cases these are just people wishing to act or dress like the opposite sex. By all means do that, but it doesn't change your gender. Transexual or transvestite would probably be more accurate terms, and would lead to a lot less confusion and discomfort for those who have to share intimate spaces with them at school or in changing rooms.

There is a difference between people who like dressing up as the opposite sex, and people who feel they are born in the wrong body and want to change their gender with hormone treatment and surgery.

 

[sweep_shot]

There is a difference between people who like dressing up as the opposite sex, and people who feel they are born in the wrong body and want to change their gender with hormone treatment and surgery.

There's no logical reason why people should feel they are born in the wrong bodies.

If I feel like being a horse, it doesn't mean I should try become a horse. I have to accept I am a human.

I feel transgenders should get treatments because this is possibly some sort of disorder.

 

[Lurker_Ind]

JK Rowling herself is a liberal and pretty woke. Funny to see woke people get out woked.

 

[Robert]

There's no logical reason why people should feel they are born in the wrong bodies.

If I feel like being a horse, it doesn't mean I should try become a horse. I have to accept I am a human.

I feel transgenders should get treatments because this is possibly some sort of disorder.

But no human feels like a horse, so let’s not get into strawman arguments.

Gender Dysphoria is a recognised medical condition. Some people feel incredibly miserable in the bodies they are born into. Having undergone surgery and hormone treatment they become happier.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

There is a difference between people who like dressing up as the opposite sex, and people who feel they are born in the wrong body and want to change their gender with hormone treatment and surgery.

I don't have a problem with that, but while they are in 'trans'ition, they should respect male/female separation in public areas such as toilets or changing rooms. Once they have physically changed into whatever gender they feel suits them through hormonal and surgical treatment, then they should be free to mingle with fellow males or females of their preference.

 

[TM Riddle]

I don't have a problem with that, but while they are in 'trans'ition, they should respect male/female separation in public areas such as toilets or changing rooms. Once they have physically changed into whatever gender they feel suits them through hormonal and surgical treatment, then they should be free to mingle with fellow males or females of their preference.

Agree with this.

 

[andy0204]

Agree with this.

Welcome back.

 

[Robert]

I don't have a problem with that, but while they are in 'trans'ition, they should respect male/female separation in public areas such as toilets or changing rooms. Once they have physically changed into whatever gender they feel suits them through hormonal and surgical treatment, then they should be free to mingle with fellow males or females of their preference.

Ok. That’s an acceptance that some people are born into a body of the wrong sex and that they have the right to correct their gender dysphoria.

You’d be called a transphobe for so saying so though.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Ok. That’s an acceptance that some people are born into a body of the wrong sex and that they have the right to correct their gender dysphoria.

You’d be called a transphobe for so saying so though.

Some people THINK (key word) that they are born into the wrong body. It is a sexist view that certain traits belong to a particular gender only. Surprised that the woke snowflakes are supporting such sexism.

One must be an idiot of 5th category to believe they are born into a wrong body.

 

[Madplayer]

Ok. That’s an acceptance that some people are born into a body of the wrong sex and that they have the right to correct their gender dysphoria.

You’d be called a transphobe for so saying so though.

Rob what do you think are the chances that it is actually a mental sickness for a person to think that he/she is born in the wrong body? I'm just curious as to why and how believing that one belongs to the opposite gender came to be seen as sane behaviour all of a sudden in past few decades. It does make you ask more questions. What if a 60 year old person says that in his mind he feels he is 20 (or vice versa) and that his the details on his documents should be changed accordingly ? I am being conservative in my imagination here just to not come across as disrespectful because i understand this is a sensitive issue for a lot of people. Don't you think it opens up a pandora's box though with what claims people could come up with?

 

[Yossarian]

I didn’t respond because you posited a strawman argument. The discussion is about actual transgender issues, about equal rights and equal accessibility, not some hypothetical non-issue about racial identity.

Typical. Throw accusations of a strawman argument just because you're unable to argue against the point being made.

So let me ask again:
If someone biologically born as a man can claim to be a woman because "They feel like a woman", would it be ok for a white man to blacken his face (or even do nothing at all) and then go around claiming to be black? You'd be perfectly comfortable with that right?

Unless of course you believe that issues of equal rights and equal accessibility are only transgender issues, but are simply 'strawman arguments' when it comes to people of colour.

 

[Robert]

Typical. Throw accusations of a strawman argument just because you're unable to argue against the point being made.

So let me ask again:
If someone biologically born as a man can claim to be a woman because "They feel like a woman", would it be ok for a white man to blacken his face (or even do nothing at all) and then go around claiming to be black? You'd be perfectly comfortable with that right?

Unless of course you believe that issues of equal rights and equal accessibility are only transgender issues, but are simply 'strawman arguments' when it comes to people of colour.

Your repeated use of this false equivalence reveals that you don’t understand the concept of transgenderism. You seem to think it a choice like which suit to put on, but it isn’t a choice due to the medical condition of gender dysphoria.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Your repeated use of this false equivalence reveals that you don’t understand the concept of transgenderism. You seem to think it a choice like which suit to put on, but it isn’t a choice due to the medical condition of gender dysphoria.

How does one know that he/she/it is in the wrong body?

 

[Robert]

Rob what do you think are the chances that it is actually a mental sickness for a person to think that he/she is born in the wrong body? I'm just curious as to why and how believing that one belongs to the opposite gender came to be seen as sane behaviour all of a sudden in past few decades. It does make you ask more questions. What if a 60 year old person says that in his mind he feels he is 20 (or vice versa) and that his the details on his documents should be changed accordingly ? I am being conservative in my imagination here just to not come across as disrespectful because i understand this is a sensitive issue for a lot of people. Don't you think it opens up a pandora's box though with what claims people could come up with?

Chances? It’s a condition recognised by the biomedical establishment, it’s not up to a layman like me to tell doctors they are wrong.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Chances? It’s a condition recognised by the biomedical establishment, it’s not up to a layman like me to tell doctors they are wrong.

Doctors recognise schizophrenia as a real condition, doesn't mean what the schizophrenic person thinks is true.

 

[sweep_shot]

How does one know that he/she/it is in the wrong body?

Good question.

Answer is they are not in the wrong bodies. Everyone is in the right body.

We are who we are. We can't change ourselves.

 

[Robert]

Doctors recognise schizophrenia as a real condition, doesn't mean what the schizophrenic person thinks is true.

The doctors will attempt to correct the schizophrenia with drugs, as they do gender dysphoria with drugs and surgery.

 

[CricketCartoons]

The doctors will attempt to correct the schizophrenia with drugs, as they do gender dysphoria with drugs and surgery.

You still did not answer. How does one know to be in the wrong body? What makes a woman feel, for instance, that she should not be in a woman's body?

 

[CricketCartoons]

Never liked JK Rowling as a writer after I read the first and my only harry potter book. but massive respect for her holding truth to these woke snowflake good for nothing defective generation who should be returned to their sender.

 

[Robert]

You still did not answer. How does one know to be in the wrong body? What makes a woman feel, for instance, that she should not be in a woman's body?

I am not TG so I don’t know, in the same was as I don’t know what it feels like to orbit the Earth. Never been there. I suggest that you ask a TG person your question.

 

[CricketCartoons]

I am not TG so I don’t know, in the same was as I don’t know what it feels like to orbit the Earth. Never been there. I suggest that you ask a TG person your question.

Got it. You don't know and have no idea, but still want to advocate these sexist beliefs because you want to conform with the snowflake generation. At your age, I thought you would be a hard core conservative wanting to preserve our age old values and preventing the decay to society by this woke buzzfeed generation.

 

[sweep_shot]

VANCOUVER -- A billboard in East Vancouver championing author J.K. Rowling, who has been widely accused of transphobia, was removed Saturday after drawing outrage and condemnation.

The billboard, which was visible from busy Hastings Street, was black with white text that read, "I (heart) JK Rowling."

Vancouver city councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung said she was discouraged to see the billboard put up in her city, given Rowling's controversial statements criticizing the trans rights movement.

“It’s just one of those things where you see it and get that feeling in the pit of your stomach,” said Kirby-Yung before the sign was taken down.

“My first thought was ‘Oh no, really?’”

Photos of the untarnished billboard were shared on social media on Sep. 11. But when CTV News Vancouver visited the billboard on Sep. 12, it had been marked up with blue paint splatter. About an hour later, a Twitter user posted a video of a person hoisted up in a cherry picker and covering over the billboard.

Nicola Spurling, a trans YouTube personality and LGBTQ2+ advocate in Metro Vancouver, tweeted out her disapproval of the billboard before it was covered up. She asked for it to be taken down and questioned why the billboard company allowed it in the first place.

"Why did you allow a billboard that targets trans people?" reads her tweet.

The billboard was coded transphobia, said Kirby-Yung.

“I think it's intentionally intended to incite hate without officially contravening . . . guidelines of hate speech. But the clear intent is to stoke division and be exclusive of people in our city.”

“It's clearly targeted, in my opinion, towards the trans community,” she said.

Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, has been outspoken about her criticisms of transgender people and even went so far as to write an essay about her views on the topic.

Trans people are protected from discrimination based on their gender under Canadian and B.C. human rights laws.

The people claiming responsibility for the billboard issued a statement on Twitter Saturday insisting they aren't transphobic, while also openly denying the identities of trans women. They described womanhood as "a biological reality, not a feeling," which is a common refrain among opponents of transgender rights.

CTV News Vancouver has reached out to the billboard company, Pattison Outdoor Advertising, for comment.

Before the billboard was removed, Kirby-Yung, who is cisgender, said she would like the billboard to come down and to see allies speak out about it.

“I'd love to see it come down. Ultimately, I would love to see a really strong condemnation from the community, and I mean our collective community not just within the trans community. But, you know, people who are allies and supporters (of trans rights).”

Source: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/j-k-rowling-b...-and-removed-as-advocates-speak-out-1.5102493.

 

[Madplayer]

JK Rowling's new book is about a 'transvestite serial killer'. Internet blasts author

JK Rowling's new book Troubled Blood narrates the story of a cisgender man who wears dresses and kills women.

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/trend...ler-internet-blasts-author-1721900-2020-09-15

Talk about slamming your foot on the hatchet blade.

 

[sweep_shot]

JK Rowling's new book is about a 'transvestite serial killer'. Internet blasts author

JK Rowling's new book Troubled Blood narrates the story of a cisgender man who wears dresses and kills women.

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/trend...ler-internet-blasts-author-1721900-2020-09-15

Talk about slamming your foot on the hatchet blade.

So, people now have problems with books also.

I admire Rowling's courage but I think she should keep a low-profile for a while.

 

[Madplayer]

So, people now have problems with books also.

I admire Rowling's courage but I think she should keep a low-profile for a while.

This should tell you the power of LGBTQ lobby today. They could rival the zionist jews soon.

 

[Robert]

Got it. You don't know and have no idea, but still want to advocate these sexist beliefs because you want to conform with the snowflake generation. At your age, I thought you would be a hard core conservative wanting to preserve our age old values and preventing the decay to society by this woke buzzfeed generation.

No, I’m a liberal. How other people self-identify and who they sleep with is not my business, or the state’s business as long as nobody gets hurt.

I have no desire to try to impose my will on others and oppress them into reductive little boxes like conservatives do.

You say “snowflake” like compassion and kindness and love are bad things. I find that very sad. It’s like you think you have to be horrible to be strong. But true strength is not imposing your will on others, but in showing compassion with no thought of recompense.

 

[CricketCartoons]

No, I’m a liberal. How other people self-identify and who they sleep with is not my business, or the state’s business as long as nobody gets hurt.

I have no desire to try to impose my will on others and oppress them into reductive little boxes like conservatives do.

You say “snowflake” like compassion and kindness and love are bad things. I find that very sad. It’s like you think you have to be horrible to be strong. But true strength is not imposing your will on others, but in showing compassion with no thought of recompense.

You are not a liberal if you support these sexist beliefs. How does one decide that he/she/it is in the wrong body? Is there any trait that is exclusive to a particular gender? How can one classify any traits as belonging to a particular gender. This is the basis for thinking that one is on the wrong body.

At least admit that you support sexism and don't call yourself a liberal.

 

[Robert]

You are not a liberal if you support these sexist beliefs. How does one decide that he/she/it is in the wrong body? Is there any trait that is exclusive to a particular gender? How can one classify any traits as belonging to a particular gender. This is the basis for thinking that one is on the wrong body.

At least admit that you support sexism and don't call yourself a liberal.

May I suggest that you look up ‘sexism’ in the dictionary? You don’t seem to understand the word.

 

[CricketCartoons]

May I suggest that you look up ‘sexism’ in the dictionary? You don’t seem to understand the word.

I checked. One of its meaning is stereotyping based on gender. And this is what this notion of person in the wrong body is based on: stereotyping traits.

Otherwise, how the hell can one think they are in the wrong body?

 

[Robert]

I checked. One of its meaning is stereotyping based on gender. And this is what this notion of person in the wrong body is based on: stereotyping traits.

Otherwise, how the hell can one think they are in the wrong body?

There is also stereotyping based on transgender, according to the Equality Act 2010.

To get an answer to your question I suggest that you find a trans person and ask them to explain their experience to you.

 

[CricketCartoons]

There is also stereotyping based on transgender, according to the Equality Act 2010.

To get an answer to your question I suggest that you find a trans person and ask them to explain their experience to you.

What an easy cop out. This is what I meant by conforming to snowflake culture. Having no idea, having no critical thought, but still supporting something because it is considered cool and earns the badge of a liberal.

A transgender person should grow a spine and learn that it doesnt have to be either a male or a female. They should learn to accept their body instead of trying to fit in the male/female duality.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

JK Rowling's new book is about a 'transvestite serial killer'. Internet blasts author

JK Rowling's new book Troubled Blood narrates the story of a cisgender man who wears dresses and kills women.

https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/trend...ler-internet-blasts-author-1721900-2020-09-15

Talk about slamming your foot on the hatchet blade.

Hope that doesn't mean Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is the next one to go on the banned list. One of the greatest thrillers of all time.

 

[Robert]

What an easy cop out. This is what I meant by conforming to snowflake culture. Having no idea, having no critical thought, but still supporting something because it is considered cool and earns the badge of a liberal.

A transgender person should grow a spine and learn that it doesnt have to be either a male or a female. They should learn to accept their body instead of trying to fit in the male/female duality.

Being cool does not matter to me at all. That is based on need for acceptance and validation. I have no such need. Way too old for that.

I think you are copping out, through fear. You cannot cope with the world being more complex and varied than you would like it to be in order to feel comfortable. So you want everyone jammed into labelled boxes. Fear is weakness.

Whereas I simply don’t care how others self-identify, as long as nobody gets hurt. TG people face discrimination. That is what I oppose. My position is based on love, which is strength.

So you see that fear makes you the snowflake, not me.

 

[MenInG]

JK Rowling has expressed her gratitude over a letter signed by well-known figures supporting the author over allegations of transphobia and "an insidious, authoritarian and misogynistic trend in social media".

The Harry Potter writer has received strong criticism and online abuse for her stance on gender identity but has vehemently denied accusations that she is transphobic.

https://news.sky.com/story/jk-rowli...-letter-over-transphobia-allegations-12084520

 

[Madplayer]

Being cool does not matter to me at all. That is based on need for acceptance and validation. I have no such need. Way too old for that.

I think you are copping out, through fear. You cannot cope with the world being more complex and varied than you would like it to be in order to feel comfortable. So you want everyone jammed into labelled boxes. Fear is weakness.

Whereas I simply don’t care how others self-identify, as long as nobody gets hurt. TG people face discrimination. That is what I oppose. My position is based on love, which is strength.

So you see that fear makes you the snowflake, not me.

The other day i saw a youtube video about a man entering women's locker room claiming he was a woman. No joke. I can share the link if you want. And (real) women were visibly upset about it.

Also, i saw some businessmen discussing that they can't wait for gender fluidity to be a thing because then they could hire an all men staff and claim them to be gender fluid people in order to get rid of any maternity benefits and other benefits which are a liability on the business.

I also saw a man saying that his 20$ bill identifies as 100$. But that's for another day i guess.

 

[MenInG]

JK Rowling has hit back at Vladimir Putin, after the Russian president cited her in a wide-ranging speech that saw him criticise "cancel culture".

At a televised meeting on Friday, Mr Putin compared recent criticism of the Harry Potter author to that faced by pro-war Russian composers and writers.

In response, Ms Rowling denounced the invasion of Ukraine in which she said Russia was "slaughtering civilians".

Rowling has been criticised for her views on transgender issues.

"Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics," the Harry Potter author wrote on Twitter.

In the lengthy speech, which was given to the winners of various cultural prizes, President Putin claimed Russian composers and writers were being discriminated against.

"They are trying to cancel a thousand-year-old country," he said.

Some events featuring pro-war Russians have been cancelled since Moscow invaded Ukraine last month.

A much smaller number of events have been cancelled due to their use of music by dead Russian composers.

But Mr Putin also alleged - without providing evidence - that there was a "gradual discrimination against everything linked to Russia... in a number of Western countries".

"They are banning Russian writers and books," he said."The proverbial 'cancel culture' has become a cancellation of culture."

Mr Putin then defended Ms Rowling, who has faced criticism for her comments on transgender issues. She denies accusations of transphobia.

"JK Rowling was cancelled because she, a writer of books that have sold millions of copies around the world, didn't please fans of so-called gender freedoms," Mr Putin claimed.

The writer has said her interest in trans issues stems from being a survivor of abuse and having concerns around single-sex spaces.

Critics have said her views have diminished the identity of trans people.

Conductor Valery Gergiev, who attended Friday's meeting with the president, has been dropped by festivals, concert halls and management after he failed to condemn Russia's invasion of its eastern neighbour.

And earlier this month, a Welsh orchestra dropped music by the Russian composer Tchaikovsky from a concert because of the war.

"There were two military-themed pieces... that we felt were particularly inappropriate at this time," the Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra said in a statement.

"When the humanitarian crisis is over the discussion about 'woke' and 'cancel culture' can have its place," it added.

Russia's invasion, which is entering its second month, has sparked a major humanitarian crisis with more than 10m people displaced.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

Cast your mind back 25 years. Hanson's MMMbop was number one, Titanic topped the box office, and Tony Blair had just been elected PM.

But perhaps more culturally significant than all three 90s moments is the first 500 copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone being published at the end of June 1997.

It would become the third best-selling novel of all time, establishing JK Rowling as one of the world's most loved and best-selling authors; a towering figure in the arts.

But the prolific author's legacy now seems destined to be defined by the culture war sparked by her position on women's rights and gender.

Rowling thinks, in some circumstances, women and girls should have the right to single-sex spaces - prompting accusations of transphobia, which she denies.

The controversy has rendered the author notably absent from anniversary celebrations - as was the case with the recent TV reunion - decisions widely presumed to be driven by the deepening controversy.

Attempting to separate the art from the artist is now apparently a mission for many invested in ensuring Harry Potter continues to be lucrative.

Sky News was invited to a new Mandrakes and Magical Creatures feature at Warner Brothers Studios this week, and such is the effort to distance the brand from the toxicity of the debate around trans rights, Sky News wasn't allowed by the PR to bring up JK Rowling's name in the interview.

Our reporter was interrupted mid-flow and made to redirect the line of questioning.

When we asked why, the response on email was "JK Rowling is not connected to Warner or Tom Felton, the team felt it was not relevant to the piece"... Not aside from the fact she created Harry Potter and executive produced the films.

(For the record, PRs don't and shouldn't - for all sorts of reasons not least press freedom - dictate Sky News editorial direction.)

Felton - left somewhat awkwardly momentarily in the middle - was allowed to tell us: "I was auditioned 500 metres from where I am now, which is nuts.

"That was when I was 12, and here I am at 34 years old talking about it still...

"We all expected the Harry Potter fandom flame to start dousing as the years go on and clearly it's not going anywhere," Felton added.


So 25 years on, Harry Potter is as popular and profitable as ever and seems unscathed - apparently, as long as you don't mention she who must not be named.

The notion that JK Rowling can or should be cancelled is bizarre to many, but trans woman Nicci Take, who enjoyed reading and watching Harry Potter with her children, told Sky News she is largely just deeply disappointed by it all.

"I am anti-cancel culture, she should be allowed to say what she thinks," says Nicci Take.

"Her views are manifestly out of sync with the general population and desperately, tragically out of synch with the Harry Potter fanbase… trans is almost cool, it's certainly normalised.

"People know we're not sexual predators, they know we're not preying on people in bathrooms, they know because they know us, they've met us….

"That's what happens, people don't meet us, engage with us, and yet they have opinions about us," she adds.

Most associated with the wizarding world are perhaps understandably reluctant to comment on the clash, but many concede Rowling is taking more of a backseat.

Thomas Taylor, the original front cover illustrator of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (who told me he wishes he'd made Harry's hair "madder" - which I love) agrees the author seems to be less prominent in events.

"It is a bit strange not to see the author when we are celebrating a book," admits Mr Taylor.

"It seems to me that fans own Harry Potter now anyway, the fan space has always been incredibly rich, creative and inclusive and I hope people can continue to find what they need in it and shape it to the way they want it to be," he adds.

Taylor credits the books with bringing back reading when "in the 90s we were panicked that reading was dying off, with video games and TV".

"This book came along and children were queuing up at midnight dressed up as wizards to get hold of the latest copy and read it, that's definitely worth celebrating," he said, reminding us of the fevered fandom that HP ignites.

The Harry Potter cast seem also to be torn between their relationship with Rowling and any discomfort with her position on gender rights.

Daniel Radcliffe was quick to issue a statement confirming his solidarity with the trans community, saying "trans women are women".

He also reassured fans, saying: "if Harry Potter resonated... that is sacred", in a plea to separate the art from the artist.

Emma Watson appeared to take aim at Rowling in her BAFTAs shout out for inclusivity and "all the witches".

So, while the polarised debate is largely hosted on Twitter, its toxic mess spills over the edge of the social platform, leaving an unfortunate stain on the record of modern public discourse infiltrating our biggest cultural and media institutions from BAFTA to Warner Bros Pictures and Bloomsbury publishers.

All of them now forced to consider how to navigate events being hijacked by the issue.

Mina & Eduardo Lima are the MinaLima illustrators who have worked on the Harry Potter films and a special 25th edition copy of the first book.

Mina Lima points out the world now transcends the author.

"The wizarding world has become so established now, what she did was entrust creative minds to tell their version of her worlds, our book is just one of those manifestations as well so it's almost like she's done her genius and now she hands over the baton," Lima told Sky News.

So perhaps it doesn't matter that JK Rowling isn't present at the anniversary celebrations.

Perhaps she and HP fans don't care whether she attends events held by those invested in ensuring Harry Potter continues to be wildly profitable.

Such is the intensity of the debate, Rowling revealed earlier this year that she's had so many death threats she could wallpaper her house with them after trans activists doxxed her (meaning they published her address and personal information on the internet with malicious intent).

But as the 25th anniversary of one of the world's most beloved books is celebrated, whether Rowling has been or should be cancelled continues to obscure the future of the Boy Who Lived.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Warner Bros. has defended JK Rowling, contradicting a decision to ban Sky News from asking questions about the Harry Potter author at an event at Warner Studios Tour last week.

In the run-up to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 25th Anniversary celebrations at the weekend, Sky News was invited to interview Tom Felton for the launch of a new Mandrakes and Magical Creatures attraction, but when we asked about Rowling the PR interjected insisting we move onto the next question.

In an email attempting to explain why Rowling's name couldn't be mentioned, the PR (brought in to run the event) said Rowling is "not relevant" or "connected to Warner".

A spokesperson for the world-famous American film company's Warner Bros. Studio Tour has now given Sky News a statement to dispute the controversial question-censoring incident with Felton, and admits it was "wholly wrong" and that they are "proud" to work with "one of the world's most accomplished storytellers" over the last 20 years on both the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises, and that "Warner Bros. Studio Tour London regrets it happened as part of a media event that day".

This is a significant development in the story of how Rowling has been treated, some say cancelled, in an apparent backlash, by much of the media and corporate world, including the author being stripped of an award by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights group.

It is widely presumed that Rowling has been forced to take more of a back seat at Harry Potter launches and anniversaries because of her stance on women's rights.

Her June 2020 tweet about "people who menstruate" led to highly publicised accusations of transphobia, which she denies, and an impassioned essay on same-sex spaces and gender, and specifically proposed law reform on transgender rights from the 56-year-old author followed a few months later.

In the lengthy essay she revealed for the first time her own experience of serious sexual assault and domestic violence which, Rowling said, she felt compelled to write about after reading about the Scottish government's latest progress towards changing gender recognition laws.

Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson responded (separately) to denounce Rowling's comments as hurtful to the trans community, and over the last two years the debate has only intensified, becoming increasingly polarised.

Press censorship

When Sky News asked Tom Felton - not about trans rights (that wouldn't be relevant or appropriate for him to comment on) - but about Rowling's absence from Harry Potter events when he and the other cast members remain the faces of the franchise, the 34-year-old Draco Malfoy actor didn't get chance to answer as the PR interrupted shutting down the topic.

Following that, the PR hired to run the Harry Potter event suggested Rowling wasn't "relevant" to it.

Press censorship and the power of the PRs to dictate the narrative is an issue of increasing concern for journalists.

Deadline reported last month that they couldn't publish their interview with Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Frémaux because the press team not only demanded copy approval but removed "content including potentially uncomfortable answers from Frémaux relating to diversity and controversial filmmakers".

Sky News has also observed some increased intervention in the last year by PRs keen to control the narrative.

Press freedom is at the core of exposing people like Harvey Weinstein and R Kelly.

Interviewees may refrain from commenting on whatever they choose and it is common practice that they are briefed on how to handle certain questions, rather than silencing journalists.

Full Warner Bros. statement

The full statement emailed to Sky News by Warner reads: "Warner Bros. has enjoyed a creative, productive, and fulfilling partnership with J.K. Rowling for the past 20 years.

"She is one of the world's most accomplished storytellers, and we are proud to be the studio to bring her vision, characters, and stories to life now - and for decades to come.

"On Monday, a statement was issued by a third-party media agency that appeared contrary to this view.

"The statement was wholly wrong, and Warner Bros. Studio Tour London regrets it happened as part of a media event that day."

https://news.sky.com/story/warner-b...s-in-jk-rowling-press-censorship-row-12642879

 

[MenInG]

JK Rowling is working with police after receiving a death threat over her support for Sir Salman Rushdie.

After hearing about the attack on Sir Salman in New York State, Rowling tweeted: "Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok."

Someone replied: "Don't worry you are next."

The Harry Potter author appealed to the Twitter authorities, asking: "Any chance of some support?"

In a later update, she added: "To all sending supportive messages: thank you. Police are involved (were already involved on other threats)."

Rowling, who has voiced her support for female-only spaces, has been accused of transphobia, which she denies.

Her address was made public by activists after she "spoke up for women's sex-based rights", she revealed last November.

At the same time, she said she had "received so many death threats I could paper the house with them".

Warner Bros recently defended the author, contradicting a decision to ban Sky News from asking questions about her at an event at the Warner Studios Tour.

SKY

 

[MenInG]

Police are investigating an online threat to JK Rowling, after she tweeted support for Salman Rushdie following his attack in the US.

The Harry Potter author, 57, shared screenshots of a message stating: "Don't worry, you are next".

The same Twitter account also posted messages praising the man who attacked Mr Rushdie on stage at an event in New York state.

Ms Rowling said she felt "very sick" at the news and hoped he would recover.

She shared a screenshot of the threat, writing: "To all sending supportive messages. Thank you. Police are involved (were already involved on other threats)."

The tweet, from an account in Pakistan, had been removed on Sunday morning.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "We have received a report of an online threat being made and officers are carrying out enquiries."

Officers had previously investigated online criticism targeted at Ms Rowling over her views on transgender issues.

BBC

 

[MenInG]

JK Rowling has responded to the backlash she received after sharing her views on gender identity, saying she "never set out to upset anyone".

The 57-year-old is one of the most successful authors of all time - her seven Harry Potter books published between 1997 and 2007 sold more than 500 million copies worldwide.

 

[BouncerGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1887432914989654163