A Week (And a Bit) in the War on One Woman - JK Rowling Special: Monday 8th June - Tuesday 16th June
On Saturday 6th June, JK Rowling tweeted a lighthearted objection to women being described as 'People who menstruate' in an article about menstruation.
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Sometime later she made further comments stating that whereas she supported the rights of any trans person to live the way they wish, denying that sex is real erases the experiences of women and those who are same-sex attracted.
"It isn't hate to speak the truth."
As always, trans activists took a different view, but they never had a target as big as this one. The harassment would have to be stepped up a notch.
Monday 8th June - Attack of the Adult Babies
Angry babies self-flagellated all over social media, keening that JK had poisoned her legacy and ruined their childhood.
childhood ruined because of JK Rowling’s transphobic tweets 🤢 sadly it wasn’t the first time either pic.twitter.com/jwebCxiDVl
— Rabs (@wellbeealright) June 8, 2020
She was accused of inciting violence.
Nobody is criticising you because you’re a woman. We’re criticising you because you continue to put lives at risk by attacking one of the most marginalised groups in society.
— Calum McSwiggan (@CalumMcSwiggan) June 6, 2020
And there were, of course, endless calls for her to 'stay in her lane' and shut up, like the instruction from this self-identified 'feminist'.
Close mouth. Open purse. 👍🏽 https://t.co/YteAh27R7A
— Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) June 7, 2020
Memories are short. In 2017 JK Rowling was named one of the Top 10 LGBT+ Celebrity Allies.
And therein lies the problem. JK Rowling has supported the Labour Party, donated millions of pounds to charity, set up her own charitable trust and always shown great empathy for gay and lesbian people, both through her writing and her actions. She is known for her kindness, philanthropy and liberal, progressive views. She is not easily dismissed as a bigot.
"This is where the narrative of trans orthodoxy is at its most fragile, and this is one of the reasons for the relentless barrage of abuse now directed at Rowling... How on earth does the priesthood of transgenderism explain to their flock that JK Rowling has become a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, one of those 'terfs' who it’s OK to threaten or even assault?"
"Because if you’re going to shout about the views of JK Rowling and her wickedness, you’re going to have to come up with an explanation for that wickedness, and in so doing, to ask people to reach their own conclusions."
Despite support from actual trans people like Blair White, Debbie Hayton and Dana International, Rowling found none from the people she had gifted with a career.
Harry Potter actor, Daniel Radcliffe, didn't waste any time weighing in. He said he felt 'compelled' to speak out and made a statement via The Trevor Project, an American LGBTQ youth organisation of which he is a donor.
He actually apologised to all the fans of the Harry Potter books for "the pain these comments have caused you". Why he thought he has any right to apologise to the fans of the books JK Rowling wrote, for comments JK Rowling made, is anybody's guess.
Among several paragraphs of word salad, Radcliffe stated, "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people".
Clearly he doesn't care too much for the 'identity and dignity' of women, not even the woman to whom he owes his entire career. And what about transmen? Oh, he never mentioned them. Don't worry, Daniel, no-one ever does.
FUN FACT: In 2016 Radcliffe told The Hollywood Reporter about his having racist friends. "I know some really f—ing racist people, friends I vehemently disagree with... They are anti-immigration and absolutely voted to leave in Brexit. And I'm still friends with them because I don't think that friendship should be drawn along those lines."
Daniel Radcliffe wasn't the only actor indebted to JK Rowling's genius queuing up to stab her in the back this week. Eddie Redmayne, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all issued statements in some extremely hasty arse-covering. Each one parroted the usual nonsensical soundbites about trans people being "whoever they say they are" etc... Of course, not one of them engaged with JK's actual arguments.
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.
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) June 10, 2020
Tuesday 9th June - Fantastical Biology & the Minister of Magic
Kirsty Blackman is the SNP MP for Aberdeen North and Deputy leader of SNP group in Westminster. She doesn't seem to understand biological sex, though.
Like so many women in the days after JK Rowling's statement, Blackman couldn't wait to prostrate herself on the altar of gender identity and show the world the she wasn't a nasty bigot like some people.
She began by tweeting about "A very famous author" and claimed that calling women 'menstruators' is not an attempt to erase the word 'woman'. Really? Then what's with the Venn diagram?
We need to talk about menstruation. Contrary to the views of a very famous author, using the word "menstruator" is not an attempt to erase the word "woman". The word menstruator is used to describe people who menstruate. This is not the same as women. pic.twitter.com/w4cCCQkOnB
— Kirsty Blackman (@KirstySNP) June 9, 2020
When challenged on this comment, Kirsty Blackman then posted another tweet making the fantastical claim that transwomen are actually adult human females.
Woman. I would use woman. For the avoidance of doubt, trans women are also adult human females. https://t.co/q26bOAEFQi
— Kirsty Blackman (@KirstySNP) June 9, 2020
An elected member of parliament, a legislator, is pretending not to know what a woman actually is. Historians will look back at this time in wonder.
Wednesday 10th June - JK Rowling & The Statement of Fire
JK Rowling wrote a statement in which she laid out her position on the "TERF wars".
TERF warshttps://t.co/mc58tGXOjs
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 10, 2020
In the statement, JK Rowling described how she developed an interest in the debate around sex and gender and realised the levels of abuse that women had been receiving for speaking in defence of their rights.
She laid out her various concerns over current gender identity ideology; the erosion of biological sex in favour of 'gender'; the rocketing numbers of young girls seeking help at gender clinics; the removal of rigorous safeguarding processes for those who wanted to transition and the possibility that intact males who've made no medical or physical changes can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate and legally be women.
JK Rowling then explained why she understand only too well the reality of biological sex; she had survived domestic violence and sexual assault.
"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."
A woman really should not have to reveal such personal and traumatic experiences of male violence in order to justify the need for sex-based protections. But JK Rowling did explain why surviving domestic violence and sexual assault made her so conscious of the importance of female boundaries and spaces.
One might have hoped that the jackals would back off, even if only for a day or two. Sadly not. Pink News posted this 6 minutes after JK Rowling posted her statement on Twitter.
Less than two hours after she posted the statement, they accused her of an "Anti-trans tirade".
They tried to use her own work against her, attempting some sort of puerile 'gotcha'.
They even published a headline in which a man pontificated about male violence. "War's over, get out of your trench", JK Rowling was told.
They pretended JK doesn't know what she is talking about. Men can't just legally be women by simply saying they are women, they scoffed. "She's wrong".
Luckily Channel 4's Factcheck had started to pay attention, pointing out that it was actually Pink News that had it wrong, leading to a typically mealy-mouthed correction.
Why are Pink News and their ilk so determined to vilify this brave, talented and successful woman? As a warning to all other women, of course. Not even JK Rowling must be allowed to question the cult; if she can be harassed into silence then the rest of us will not dare to speak out.
Thursday 11th June - The Body Shop & the Menstruators of Fury
THE SPECTATOR: Debbie Hayton asked "How dare the Body Shop tell JK Rowling what to think?"
By me for @SpecCoffeeHouse: "Men also have a responsibility to speak out when they see women being abused and belittled. We owe it to women; we owe it to ourselves; we need to put our own house in order."
Solidarity with @jk_rowling.https://t.co/t4i2CaEg6m
— Dr Debbie Hayton 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@DebbieHayton) June 11, 2020
Debbie described the complete ideological capture of institutions and businesses by trans activism, exemplified by the Body Shop's appalling response to JK Rowling.
Only hours after JK posted her statement in which she revealed that she'd survived domestic violence and sexual assault, the Body Shop tweeted her with this:
Hey @jk_rowling here's something we made earlier, we thought you might like one! We've also popped in a vegan bath bomb and a copy of Trans Rights by @paisleycurrah for you to read in the bath! pic.twitter.com/RNbPsSTS88
— The Body Shop (@TheBodyShop) June 10, 2020
As Hayton wrote:
"After one of our most accomplished female authors aired her distaste at her sex being described, not as women, but mere 'menstruators', Body Shop suggested she read a book. Worse, a book written by a man."
"And here is the root of the problem – while women have been speaking up, in this social policy debacle, they are victims rather than offenders. When they have been told to budge up and make room, too many of my sex – whether they identify as men or transwomen – have left it to women to get on and make the arrangements necessary."
Also Today - Performative Inclusivity & The School of Compliance
BBC NEWS: A Sussex school has discarded its plan to name one of its houses after JK Rowling.
The Weald School in Billingshurst told the BBC that it did not wish to be associated with JK Rowling's views.
Deputy headteacher, Sarah Edwards, said that the author "May in fact no longer be an appropriate role model" for pupils. (Well, we certainly wouldn't want young girls to think they're entitled to assert boundaries and discuss their bodies without fear of vilification, would we?)
Mrs Edwards went on to say that JK Rowling's views did not meet with the school's ethos of inclusivity and that the school's houses are to be renamed "To make them more representative of gender, ethnicity and sexuality/gender identity".
Friday 12th June - UN Women and the Oft Repeated Lie
According to its website, "A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide".
"Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people."
- Daniel Radcliffe. via @HeForShe #HeForShe #Pride pic.twitter.com/V1NLa2yiAq
— UN Women (@UN_Women) June 12, 2020
Yet here is UN Women on Twitter, fueling the vilification of a woman, a victim of male violence, whose only wish to protect he rights and spaces of her sex. Here is UN Women quoting a man dictating to women how we must define ourselves.
"Transwomen are women" they say. But they do not explain how that's possible. It's certain transwomen have never faced FGM, forced pregnancy, dying in menstruation huts or any of the other female-specific oppressions that women face around the world every day. The sort of women UN Women are supposed to represent.
Saturday 13th June - The Deceitful Mermaids & the Letter of Falsehood
Twitter genius, Bill Moon, played a wonderful practical joke on controversial youth charity, Mermaids.
Hi @Mermaids_Gender. You know that quote you’ve just liked, from Robert Galbraith?
It’s actually from @jk_rowling, the woman you’re criticising in your ‘open letter’. I just used her pseudonym.
Just so you know. pic.twitter.com/WlNnBMmRC6
— Bill Moon (@BigBillMoon) June 13, 2020
Bill took JK Rowling's words, attached them to a picture of a JK Rowling character and attributed them to JK Rowling's pseudonym. He then duped Mermaids into 'liking' the result.
This not only shows up how gullible Mermaids are when they think someone has swallowed their dogma, but it also highlights a serious issue; Mermaids responded, at length, to JK Rowling's statement. And yet, only one day later they do not recognise a quote taken directly from it?
The Mermaids open letter is littered with the usual untruths, hyperbole and misrepresentations. There are far too many inaccuracies to mention individually but perhaps the most obviously deceitful and dangerous is the assertion that hormone treatment for children is harmless. They must surely be aware that NHS guidelines now reflect the potential serious harms of treating children with hormones.
Mermaids themselves don't seem to have any faith in their own letter - within 24 hours of issuing it, they made numerous alterations. Thanks to Alan Henness for archiving and documenting the 61 removals and 161 additions.
Have you seen the changes Mermaids have made to their statement since yesterday?
61 removals, 161 additions: pic.twitter.com/9Kt5jpVJo2
— Alan Henness Esq. (@zeno001) June 13, 2020
Also Today - The Right Side of History & the Silencing of Debate
THE NATIONAL SCOT: Shona Craven wrote about the determination of certain people to prevent us from hearing what JK Rowling has to say.
Since the whole JK Rowling furore began last week, many gender ideologues have been ordering people not to read her informed, considered opinion.
Chase Strangio, for example, who is an American lawyer, trans rights activist and staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.
And Ellie Mae O'Hagan who is a journalist at The Guardian.
As Shona Craven explained:
“Some people really don’t want you to know what JK Rowling’s blog post says. They’re worried it might give you the wrong ideas and, worse still, that you might irresponsibly spread them around. They want you to believe that even reading what she has written – as a woman, as a survivor, as a mother of daughters – will make you complicit in causing harm to people who believe in gender and insist that you believe in it too.
...Those in the outraged online echo chambers might try their best to drown out voices who want to talk about sex, but telling people not to read the world’s most famous author feels like a losing strategy. This discussion cannot be ignored.”
Sunday 14th June - The So-Called Human Rights Organisation & the Incitement to Harassment
The Human Rights Campaign bills itself as the USA's "Largest LGBTQ civil rights organisation". Via Twitter it invited JK Rowling to a meeting to discuss her "Anti-trans" and "Unacceptable" remarks.
.@HRC is inviting J.K. Rowling to our table to discuss her recent anti-trans remarks ... and we need your help to get her there.
Send her an "owl" today with a message asking her to accept our invitation.
Here's how: https://t.co/OXuWhbvuzz
— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) June 14, 2020
All week JK Rowling has been subjected to the most appalling abuse and harassment including threats of rape and murder.
And yet the HRC has not only encouraged its 800,000 followers to contact her directly, it actually provided them with an online form in order to do so. Are they really so naive they didn't know how that might work out?
Perhaps because they were too busy facilitating the continued abuse and dehumanisation of a woman who has survived male violence, the HRC didn't bother to explain why they think the protecting of women's rights is 'anti-trans' and 'unacceptable'. Don't forget there's an 'L' in that LGBTQ, fellas!
Also Today - The Psychotherapist & the Kindly Voice of Reason
THE IRISH INDEPENDENT: Stella O'Malley is a psychotherapist, writer and public speaker who made the Channel 4 documentary, Trans Kids: It's Time to Talk. She wrote about the background to and events which caused the vitriolic reaction against JK Rowling.
"The insults and outrage seemed to reach a pinnacle and the general public, who have been mostly unengaged about this complex issue until now, began to scratch their heads and wonder whether it was true that the author of the Harry Potter books was a transphobic bigot...
Rowling has been brave to speak her mind and this has highlighted the problem with cancel culture and online mobbings.
Is there any hope that we can soon begin to discuss complex issues without descending into a brawl?"
Tuesday 16th June - The Fearless Publisher & the Tantrum of Brats
THE DAILY MAIL: Staff at the publishing house about to produce JK Rowling's latest book have announced they're not prepared to work on it.
"Staff in the children’s department at Hachette announced they were no longer prepared to work on [Rowling's] book. They said they were opposed to her comments and wanted to show support for the trans lobby."
How did the trans lobby become so powerful?https://t.co/1Qsw064c4Z
— Dr Debbie Hayton 🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈 (@DebbieHayton) June 16, 2020
The publishing house, Hachette UK, has had to deal with a temper tantrum from several staff members involved in the production of JK Rowling’s new children’s book, The Ickabog. A source told The Daily Mail that some staff in the children’s department were refusing to work on the book because they oppose JK Rowling's views. These rebels without a clue, mostly in their 20s and early 30s, said they wanted to show support for the trans lobby.
Luckily, there are also some grown-ups at Hatchette UK and the company issued a statement:
"We will never make our employees work on a book whose content they find upsetting for personal reasons, but we draw a distinction between that and refusing to work on a book because they disagree with an author’s views outside their writing, which runs contrary to our belief in free speech.”
Also Today - The Right Side of History & the Breaker of Skulls
JK Rowling is currently publishing her new book, The Ickabog, online, one chapter at a time. There is a competition for children aged 7 - 12 to illustrate the story and JK Rowling herself is retweeting and saying lovely things about the entries.
You are an idiot. https://t.co/okshN7P1lm
— Fallon Fox (@FallonFox) June 16, 2020
Transwoman, Fallon Fox, thought is was appropriate to insult JK Rowling on a thread to a 7 year old child about her drawing.
For those not familiar with Fallon Fox, he is a trans-identified male and retired MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter. He joined the US navy and then worked as truck driver before transitioning in 2006. He later took up MMA fighting, women's MMA fighting, that is.
On 2nd March 2013 Fox took just 39 seconds to defeat Ericka Newsome in an MMA fight. Fox grabbed the back of Newsome's head and then, bringing his leg up and forcing Newsome's head down, he whacked her in the face with this kneecap. The blow struck Newsome on the chin and rendered her unconscious. She never fought professionally again.
Fallon Fox in the ring with Tamikka Brents
In September 2014 Fox crushed a woman's skull when fighting in an MMA bout with Tamikka Brents. This fight lasted less than three minutes before Fox landed a blow to Brents' face which broke her eye socket and resulted in a concussion. It also ended her career.
Shockingly, neither Newsome nor Brents had been informed of Fox's transgender status; they had no idea they were being expected to fight in the ring with a male.
Back to this week's events and Fox's barging onto JK Rowling's tweets to children about their drawings. This is what Fallon Fox tweeted on a thread about children's art to a woman who has suffered male violence.
