Thursday 11 June 2020

Done With Rowling

Trigger Warning: Transphobia. 

Once Upon a Bookcase is a book blog. A book blog that promotes diverse books. It was also a book blog where I was very vocal about my love of the Harry Potter books. Because of this, I feel it is important that I speak up regarding J.K. Rowling's recent transphobic tweets and essay on her website. I am absolutely disgusted. I am horrified at the pain and suffering trans and non-binary people are experiencing because of her transphobia. I am so damn angry.

I would like to reply to Rowling's original criticism of the use of "people who menstruate" in a headline. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. Gender has nothing to do with reproductive organs and how those organs function. As I said on Twitter, cis-women are not the only people who menstruate. People who identify as women - including cis-women - may not menstruate. Non-binary people may or may not menstruate. "People who menstruate" is an inclusive statement. It doesn't exclude cis-women, it acknowledges and includes other genders who menstruate. There is absolutely no threat to cis-women by being inclusive. Cis-women do not cease to be cis-women just because other genders are included. It's really not that difficult to understand.

In regards to Rowling's other tweets and her essay on her website... I'm just completely at a loss. I am just completely astounded at the gall. I cannot equate the author who wrote the books that meant so much to me and others - books that are all about love and acceptance of all people, against bigotry - with this woman who is being so vile. I cannot imagine what trans and enby people are feeling right now, especially those who found solace in her books. She just keeps on seeming to put her foot in it. But now I'm starting to wonder if she was just putting her foot in it, or was willfully ignorant and offensive.

And it's just so hard, you know? When those books are just loved so much, when they mean so much. I am in the very privileged position of not having been personally offended by Rowling, I know that. And I know that this is all just so much harder for those who have. But tweets like these from authors Lucy Saxon and Anna-Marie McLemore make me feel better about the love I still have for those books.

But I'm done. I am done with Rowling. Everything she touches is tainted. I cannot support her or what she puts her name to. I will not.

Instead, I will support trans and enby people, and trans and enby authors. You may want to donate to Mermaids, who supports gender-diverse children and young people until their 20th birthday, as well as their families and professionals involved in their care, and similar charities, and buy books by trans and enby authors - especially by Black and other POC trans and enby authors - and the following posts may help you do so.


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1 comment:

  1. Such a thoughtful needed post. I have so much trouble when a person I admired show they are racist or misogynistic or just hateful. How do we separated their work from them? I chose to separate the Harry Potter books from her - they stand now on their own. She has shown what she truly is. Sad

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