Harry Potter fans tend to argue for the seperation of art from the artist.
That's a maybe.
But unlike, say, Lovecraft, your money is going to an alive person that is trying to eradicate my people *using* that money.
I wouldn't be able to look myself in the mirror if I did that to any minority.
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk She is one of the biggest backers of anti-trans activism and legislation globally. She regularly expressed joy about the denial of trans rights. Meanwhile, the critics of JKR who appeared on that podcast say they feel used and like their voices didn't come through. (See the response of Natalie Wynn who appeared on the podcast.)
Edit: I realized the article I linked to only showed part of the issue. I am working now and don't have time to look up the full responses.
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk There may be some conflation going on, but it's very clear she isn't a fan of transgender people.
JKR in December 2024 stated "there are no trans kids": https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14233581/JK-Rowling-says-no-trans-kids-says-NO-child-born-wrong-body-response-online-troll-accused-hateful-focus.html
She reportedly aims for her new TV show to "totally eradicate the memories of the old movies and the old cast" according to an insider: https://thehooknews.com/2025/03/21/jk-rowlings-plan-to-get-revenge-against-three-harry-potter-stars-revealed/
A listing of all her vitriol towards transgender people can be found here: https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/04/11/what-has-jk-rowling-said-about-transgender-people-trans-views-tweets/
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk Who did this podcast? A podcast which JKR felt comfortable being on likely wasn't a podcast that would put her in a bad light. Fuck, Joe Rogan is a podcast. Podcast != reputable and even if it was reputable, transphobia has an insidious way of sounding rational to people who aren't personally close to the issue.
Yes, she claims to not be transphobic and in support to live free of 'persecution'. It's unclear what her definition of persecution is as she does a lot of trans persecution herself.
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk [I am quoting and summarizing some of the shit JKR has said]
If this doesn't qualify as transphobic then you have made it an easy decision to block you. This post is made in good faith that you really aren't aware.
She follows social media accounts which dedicate themselves to hating transgender people (see Maya Forstater). She has liked social media posts that describe trans people as 'men in dresses' and 'male with all the bits who things he is a lesbian'. She peddles in lies about excessive detransitioning rates.* She also advocates for stronger restrictions in gender marker changes (see Scotland).** She has called transwomen as 'penised individuals'. Look no further than her book 'The Ink Black Heart' which is totally not a vendetta on how she sees herself. She has equated trans women to 'men performing their idea of femaleness'. She also continually mentions 'biological sex' without defining it. As a researcher in public health, this is asinine. Those two words put together have no official, widely recognized definition. Sex is not just two things. High school XY knowledge does not mean you understand the full breadth of what influences sexual development. Fuck, scientists are still continuing to find genetic segments which contribute to sexual development. It's just a dog whistle to attack trans people. She insists trans people do not exist - sounds like complete erasure to me. Saying trans women are men kinda sounds like a way to destroy a community. In the recent UK ruling she gloated about being a TERF and how she 'loves when a plan comes together'. She also donated ~$100,000 to the firm arguing against trans rights.
* some evidence suggests well over 50% of the general population which undergo any plastic surgeries regret it. Trans regret is less than 1%...
** One of the easiest and least controversial ways for a government to recognize trans people's existence and aid in reducing trans suicide rates
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk I apologize for coming across like that. Please understand that I am coming from the perspective of years of being told that I don't know anything from people who have no advanced biology or genetics experience. It comes from a place of frustration that people use the 'I learned this in high school' as support for - incorrect - statements on biology, i.e. since I learned this in high school and you don't know this basic high school level fact you must be terrible at your job or stupid.
It also comes from a place of frustration of experts and specialists being denigrated because podcaster/youtuber/twitch streamer/etc has convinced them expert = privileged elite who just wants power, money, and control. They have made it a personal identity to not learn facts from experts or challenge their viewpoints.
In broad strokes the high school XY lessons are not technically incorrect, just a combination of oversimplification and scientific knowledge improving over time.* Depending on your generation you may or may not have learned about X and Y non-typical configurations. XX with the SRY (the active part of the Y) being on one or both of the X's, XXY, etc etc. But even if you learned those configurations, most high school curriculum today hasn't caught up with all of the new genes and epigenetic factors we are discovering.
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk Yes education should be prioritized and improved. I would love that. But I am pretty jaded from the world rejecting education and experts. I am exhausted from watching in dismay at the dismantling of the US education system to keep these types of conversations from happening in classrooms. For example, in the US, only 39 states + DC require sex education with only 18 of those requiring that education to be medically accurate. No state has a mandated curriculum. 6 states explicitly prohibit the discussion of LGBTQ sex education. Another: Florida refuses to let the word gay be mentioned in a classroom.
I don't fault people for not knowing things. I fault them from not knowing and refusing to learn. I am not frustrated at people for choosing (or not being able to choose) to become specialists. I am frustrated at those who reject those who did choose that path and have that expertise.
* Sidenote: sex chromosome is not an official term and the person that coined it regrets coining it that because it leads to confusion
Honestly, I thought you were likely a troll but with an actual posting history I thought I might as well try to assume best intentions. I'm truly happy it worked out. 💜
To be frank that is why its toxic over here. Vulnerable groups spend their lives under the constant stress of their identity, the core of who they are, being the target. Trolls pretending to be ignorant, slurs, generalizations, harassment, the list goes on. The 'I just want to learn' is a frighteningly common troll tactic. It's not healthy to be so reactionary but it comes from a lifetime experience of trauma and pain.* It's hard to not lash out. Unfortunately, it makes it difficult for those who do want to learn.
Thank you for hearing me out and listening. It means a lot that someone actually listened.
* Tbh my initial reaction to your post was anger. I had to calm it down before replying as I didn't want it to get the better of me.
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk Unfortunately, this is the playbook the alt right and Federalist movements have been acting on for decades. They have slowly helped divide the nation by creating wedge issues and turning those wedge issues into identities. Increase the partisanship by slowly turning up the heat and hate. There is an excellent John Oliver episode on this, I don't remember which one though.
All that to say I don't have an answer. We no longer have open discourse, we no longer listen to facts or experts, and politics have just become ever more intense toxic identity wars with vulnerable groups placed in the crossfire. Podbro culture isn't helping either. My partner works with kids and they have seen a concerning uptick in youth being radicalized as early as 3rd or 4th grade. You see children normally empathetic and kind turn spiteful, even violent, and angry towards their feminine classmates.
I will say that there are a lot of communities irl that you could engage with if you are interested in learning more. The Trevor Project is also an excellent resource:
@JustinMac84 @thejessiekirk Oh I am not saying the left is perfect. A friend and I were just discussing yesterday morning how the left is too intent on what they could be doing wrong, instead of focusing on what they can do right. It's left the party completely rudderless.
Its infuriating that they are stuck engaging in the mucky stuff the right leaves out for them to engage with and waste time. I wholeheartedly wish for more protections for vulnerable people and more resources for health equity. But right now we are fighting to just save our system so lets focus on that - we all agree on that so let's save the system so we can build it back up again in the future. I voted for Harris for this exact reason. She wasn't perfect, not my favorite candidate, and imo wasn't nearly as progressive as I would have wanted. But as I see it, it was her or Tyranny. It was her or an acceptance of fascism, hate, and autocracy. This wasn't a hard choice for me.
In more normal political times equity (especially health equity), healthcare, LGBTQ rights, international aid, and global health are the things I consider first when looking at candidates to vote for. Now I'll vote for anyone who has a backbone and is actually dedicated to upholding our constitution.
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