The JK Rowling issue

[nyx]

This issue is not exactly new - you might have heard that last year, the famous author of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, outed herself as TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist). As I have grown up with these books, it was a big deal for me and for many other Harry Potter fans in the world it meant that the books that were formative for our generation were written by a highly transphobic person. What makes this really bad is the fact that Rowling is a very powerful and wealthy woman who has millions of fans world-wide. So her opinion is not just like any opinion, it has a huge impact.

Why I made this thread: I wanted to share with you this video ContraPoints has uploaded a few days ago in which she goes into detail about the whole issue, explaining very well how problematic Rowling's tweets are, how the whole TERF movement is getting everything wrong etc. It is a bit long, but I watched it yesterday and I think it is a really good video essay. Focusing mostly on rather binary trans people, ContraPoints also takes nonbinary into account so I think she in a way speaks for all of us here.



Another interesting video I found was made last year by Lindsay Ellis, discussing the possibility or rather impossibility of a 'death of the author' attempt on Rowling's work. If you are invested in the issue because you were a big fan of Rowling before, I can reccomend to watch it:

[Iona]

Jan 28, 2021 22:40:35 GMT 8 nyx said:

This issue is not exactly new - you might have heard that last year, the famous author of the Harry Potter series, JK Rowling, outed herself as TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist). As I have grown up with these books, it was a big deal for me and for many other Harry Potter fans in the world it meant that the books that were formative for our generation were written by a highly transphobic person. What makes this really bad is the fact that Rowling is a very powerful and wealthy woman who has millions of fans world-wide. So her opinion is not just like any opinion, it has a huge impact.

Why I made this thread: I wanted to share with you this video ContraPoints has uploaded a few days ago in which she goes into detail about the whole issue, explaining very well how problematic Rowling's tweets are, how the whole TERF movement is getting everything wrong etc. It is a bit long, but I watched it yesterday and I think it is a really good video essay. Focusing mostly on rather binary trans people, ContraPoints also takes nonbinary into account so I think she in a way speaks for all of us here.



Another interesting video I found was made last year by Lindsay Ellis, discussing the possibility or rather impossibility of a 'death of the author' attempt on Rowling's work. If you are invested in the issue because you were a big fan of Rowling before, I can reccomend to watch it:

I saw the contrapoints video yesterday and thought it was excellent - incisive and balanced.

I've been feeling somewhat crushed by the tenor of what has been erroneously called a 'debate' and 'conversation' in the uk, when all it is, at best, is polite abuse.

I'm from the uk, and most of my family and friends are there, so it adds another layer of fear every time I come out to someone, no matter how progressive they seem to be. And I worry that another celebrity/creative person I love and respect will turn out to be another little Rowling.

Added to this, the media coverage, even from the likes of the BBC and the guardian have to include 'gender critical' voices, for 'balance'. (While of course rarely talking to actual trans and nonbinary people.)

It's a horrible environment there just now, and I fear it seeping over to north America and elsewhere, although I have a feeling it is a uniquely british idiocy.

Sorry, I haven't really engaged with JK Rowling and Harry Potter specifically! I'll just end by saying from time to time I come across things that make me happy and give me hope, like this excellent podcast from a comedian I really like:

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/andrew-oneill-f-k-glitter/id1541953524?i=1000505618802

[Leena]

Jan 28, 2021 22:40:35 GMT 8 nyx said:

Why I made this thread: I wanted to share with you this video ContraPoints has uploaded a few days ago in which she goes into detail about the whole issue, explaining very well how problematic Rowling's tweets are, how the whole TERF movement is getting everything wrong etc. It is a bit long, but I watched it yesterday and I think it is a really good video essay. Focusing mostly on rather binary trans people, ContraPoints also takes nonbinary into account so I think she in a way speaks for all of us here.

Thanks for sharing this. Some of her earlier videos on nonbinary people rubbed me the wrong way, but she is at least trying to understand, unlike Rowling.

[nyx]

Jan 28, 2021 23:17:40 GMT 8 Iona said:

I saw the contrapoints video yesterday and thought it was excellent - incisive and balanced.

I've been feeling somewhat crushed by the tenor of what has been erroneously called a 'debate' and 'conversation' in the uk, when all it is, at best, is polite abuse.

I'm from the uk, and most of my family and friends are there, so it adds another layer of fear every time I come out to someone, no matter how progressive they seem to be. And I worry that another celebrity/creative person I love and respect will turn out to be another little Rowling.

Added to this, the media coverage, even from the likes of the BBC and the guardian have to include 'gender critical' voices, for 'balance'. (While of course rarely talking to actual trans and nonbinary people.)

It's a horrible environment there just now, and I fear it seeping over to north America and elsewhere, although I have a feeling it is a uniquely british idiocy.

Sorry, I haven't really engaged with JK Rowling and Harry Potter specifically! I'll just end by saying from time to time I come across things that make me happy and give me hope, like this excellent podcast from a comedian I really like:

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/andrew-oneill-f-k-glitter/id1541953524?i=1000505618802

I agree that you can't call it a debate, it seems to be more like a lot of mud-throwing and I am always confused by the thought of these people being actually scared of us, it is so stupid.
My impression is that the media coverage over here isn't much better. No matter how stupid things the bigots say, the mainstream media will always say 'but we have to listen to their worries' while not listening to the problems marginalized groups have to deal with every day.

I'll listen to the podcast when I have the time, thank you for sharing! It is always important to keep an eye on the funny and nice things. 

Jan 29, 2021 2:34:32 GMT 8 Leena said:

Thanks for sharing this. Some of her earlier videos on nonbinary people rubbed me the wrong way, but she is at least trying to understand, unlike Rowling.

Yep, I think the most important thing is to stay open to grounded arguments and learn from people. If there are people who are able to learn, it restores a bit of my belief in mankind 

[Ativan Prescribed]

People tend to follow things like this as if it is a big deal, it's their opinions to me and if it isn't the same as mine, then I discount them as being any kind of authority on it at all, stupid people is how they tend to come off, narrow thinking is narrow thinking and hardly the stuff of wisdom.

[Droomvlucht]

Jan 29, 2021 9:21:57 GMT 8 Ativan Prescribed said:

People tend to follow things like this as if it is a big deal, it's their opinions to me and if it isn't the same as mine, then I discount them as being any kind of authority on it at all, stupid people is how they tend to come off, narrow thinking is narrow thinking and hardly the stuff of wisdom.

Once a therapist said to me: Well, most people are stupid.

That helped me so much, haha. They're stupid, but often mostly ignorant.

I haven't seen the video's, not really have the time or place to do that. But here the Harry Potter-books are still in the living room. I don't blame Harry for things his writer is saying.

[Leena]

The reason it is a big deal is that she's using her money and fame to influence politicians in the UK. They recently pretty much banned blockers and HRT for trans teens, and some are having to detransition.

[Droomvlucht]

Feb 6, 2021 23:09:50 GMT 8 Leena said:

The reason it is a big deal is that she's using her money and fame to influence politicians in the UK. They recently pretty much banned blockers and HRT for trans teens, and some are having to detransition.

That's terrible.

[Ativan Prescribed]

Thats politicians, they are despicable when it comes to trying to get more votes.
They have a job and thats to take care of the people, its their only job, do it and they get the votes of the people and not just the some of them they think they need to stay on their job.
It's like those vids where they show peoples work and say stuff like you have just one job and yet they screw it up, politicians are always screwing up their one job.