Author J.K. Rowling sparked controversy over the weekend after posting a series of tweets which many considered to be offensive and hurtful to transgender women.
In the tweets, Rowling took issue with an article's use of the phrase "people who menstruate" and insinuated that the writer should have just said "women". She doubled down on the comments after many accused her of trans erasure.
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 a nonsense.
She went on to claim that she respects and is empathetic to trans people, but seemed to argue that cisgender women face a different kind of discrimination by virtue of their gender assigned at birth.
I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.
Many people took issue with Rowling's words, and several stars of the Harry Potter franchise have spoken out, including Daniel Radcliffe, who said he was "deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused."
Other stars — such as Katie Leung, who played Cho Chang, and Noma Dumezweni, who played Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — have also addressed Rowling's comments.
2. As I honour mine, and the trans friends in my life. I’ll defer to THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES, not their erasure. And these are just the WOMEN! There is Magic in listening. This 🌍 has stories for millennia. I know You Know All this...with love. Nx #TransRightsAreHumanRights
And on Tuesday, Evanna Lynch — who appeared as Luna Lovegood in the movies — posted a lengthy statement to Twitter calling the comments "irresponsible" and "hurtful".
"I don't believe 'cancel culture' is helpful for any of us," she went on. "I actually think it's a very shallow, painful, and unrealistic approach to tackling humanity's issues."
"I know so well what it's like to find solace and a sense of belonging from Harry Potter," Lynch wrote. "I'm so sorry to any trans people who feel that's been taken away or that this community is no longer that safe place."
Read Lynch's statement in full here:
Here are my thoughts. Sending love to all. ❤️💜💗🧡💛💚🤎🖤🤍