J.K. Rowling draws backlash over comments about sex and gender … again

After sharing her stance on sex and gender on Twitter, J.K. Rowling has found herself at the center of fan backlash — again.

As if Twitter wasn’t already busy (and angry) fighting against police brutality, decrying white supremacy, and dealing with a worldwide health crisis, it seems people on the platform have been given another reason to be upset: J.K. Rowling has drawn the ire of the LGBTQ+ community and its supporters once again, this time by sharing an article about “people who menstruate,” then diving into her beliefs about biological sex.

The Harry Potter author prompted this conversation — and the subsequent backlash — by sharing an article from Devex entitled “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.” Rowling evidently took issue with the writer’s phrasing, questioning why the word “woman” wasn’t used to describe the population being discussed.

She shared the article, writing, “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

The thing is … not all women menstruate. Not only does this definition of the word exclude trans women, but many women who have already gone through menopause, or who don’t menstruate for medical reasons, also wouldn’t fall into this category. As many have pointed out, this definition of a “woman” is exclusionary, and it’s understandable that trans women would feel attacked by it.

If the author was trying to be humorous with her Tweet, much of her fanbase wasn’t having it. The backlash began almost immediately, with Twitter users calling the author’s comments “anti-trans” and “transphobic.” Many also expressed disappointment that she’d write these things during Pride Month of all times.

The author buckled down on her definition of “women,” though, writing, “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.”

And this isn’t the first time Rowling has pushed this stance about biological sex. Back in December, she spoke out in support of a researcher who had lost her job after insisting that people could not alter their biological sex. Many in the LGBTQ+ community have come to refer to the author as a TERF, or a trans-exclusive radical feminist, since, a label that Rowling denied.

She later wrote that she’s “been empathetic to trans people for decades” and respects trans rights, but that “her life has been shaped by being female” and that this is something trans people, apparently, can’t fully relate to.

Despite Rowling’s insistence that she repects trans rights, however, many have continued to criticize her statements about gender and sex, and rightfully so. GLAAD even denounced the authors views, listing organizations that support Black trans people to turn the situation “into something positive.”

Many also questioned the timing of Rowling’s Twitter commentary, suggesting she could have used her platform to discuss some of the more pressing issues at hand currently — namely, the worldwide protests against police brutality or the pandemic that’s killed millions over the past several months. Unfortunately, it seems this is the hill she’s chosen to die on.

To access transgender resources from GLAAD, click here.