“There is No Excuse For Targeting Trans People”

Author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, has provoked outrage by LGBT groups and others online after a series of “anti-trans comments” that were “inaccurate and cruel,” according to LGBT media advocacy organization GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation).

Rowling, who has been criticised in the past for her controversial commentary on gender identity, tweeted about an opinion piece with a headline reading: ‘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. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she tweeted.

This tweet along with a lengthy thread about sex and gender, garnered widespread criticism online.

GLAAD said Rowling “continues to align herself with an ideology” distorting facts about gender identity.

“JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans,” the organisation said on Twitter.

“In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people.”

JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans. In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people.

— GLAAD (@glaad) June 7, 2020

If you want to direct your rightful anger over JK Rowling’s latest anti-trans comments into something positive, support orgs that help Black trans people like @MPJInstitute, @blacktransusa, @TransJusticeFP, @Genderintell and @ukblackpride

— GLAAD (@glaad) June 7, 2020

Last year, Rowling sparked similar backlash on Twitter when she expressed support for researcher Maya Forstater who was deemed to have made transphobic comments.

Tweeting her support for her, Rowling said at the time, “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.”