Will JK Rowling’s legacy paint her as a transphobe? The debate has been reignited recently after the famous and now best-selling video game, Hogwarts Legacy. Many people decided to boycott the game following what JK Rowling said two years ago about trans people. Since then, the community has been divided. Some of them don’t care about politics and play the game like any other game, others decide to boycott the game to support the trans community, also some trans people decide to play the game despite what he says, and many other cases exist.
Also, to annoy players, some people who defend the cause try to spoil the ending on Twitter and other social media to discourage people from playing the game. But with all the movement and ‘wars’ between communities, JK Rowling decided to speak out once and for all in a podcast hosted by Megan Phelps-Roper called ‘The Witch Trials of JK Rowling”. In this podcast that came out on February 21, JK Rowling will try to make it clear that she’s not a transphobe. And while It’s not out yet, we already have some clues about that discussion.
How JK Rowling Was Hated By The LGBTQ+ Community
According to Megan Phelps-Roper, JK Rowling is “the most successful author in the history of publishing, with the possible exception of God”. And of course, his image in the past is not what it is today. Before JK Rowling was a broke, abused and depressed single mother who used to write in cafes across Edinburgh. He once gave a conference at Harvard with a very inspiring speech: “We don’t need magic to change the world, we already carry all the power we need within ourselves”. After the speech, he always received thunderous applause and respect.
But today, it is impossible to see him in any University, or even in any public place in the US, because, for many, he has become like “Voldemort”, the main villain of his own book. He’s someone we can’t invite or talk freely about, because of what he tweeted in Summer 2020.
MEGA
“Menstruating people, I must have had a word for that person. Someone help me. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”. In this first tweet, he clearly states that trans people can’t have periods, and besides, he seems to be making fun of them. Of course, this first tweet has angered many people in her community, especially the LGBTQ+ section who consider JK Rowling like “God” because of what she has done with some of the Harry Potter characters. But that’s not all.
He then added in another tweet: “If sex is not real, there is no same-sex attraction. If sex is not real, the reality of women’s lives around the world will be erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex robs many of the ability to meaningfully discuss their lives. It’s not hate to tell the truth.” And of course, the ‘firestorm’ that followed the tweet was harsh and killed his image altogether. Not only were fans angry at him, but staff and publishers also decided to turn their backs on the author, and he received “negative headlines around the world”. Even the actress wants nothing to do with him anymore. Some fans also removed his pictures from blogs, others removed their Harry Potter tattoos, and finally, some others tore up his books on Tiktok.
And although many people wanted her to apologize because they felt broken, she never backed down and decided to publish an essay on sex and gender issues, in which she included the story of her ex-husband’s abuse, a horrific story. After that, It was never the same for JK Rowling again. But what does he say about this situation today?
JK Rowling Says She Never Wanted to Hurt Anyone
Many people wondered why he decided to talk about this subject, and from what he told Megan Phelps-Roper on the podcast, he felt quite relieved about the situation: “It was never my intention to upset anyone. However, I don’t feel uncomfortable getting off my pedestal”.
MEGA
To fans who said she had “ruined her legacy”, JK Rowling replied: “You couldn’t get me any deeper”. And this is the only word we have for now. From what we understand, he doesn’t seem to regret what he said. However, it might be interesting to listen to his full explanation in the podcast to find out who he really is, where he comes from, and of course, if he really is a transphobe or not. Maybe this will change a lot of people’s minds, or maybe this will just confirm what they already thought about it. See you on February 21st for that answer.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
