JK Rowling is, once again, facing backlash, after publishing a tweet insinuating that she stands by her former transphobic comments.
On International Women’s Day 2022, Rowling posted a tweet directed at Labour Equalities Shadow Minister, Annalise Dodds. Dodds appeared on BBC’s Women Hour and hesitated when answering a questions about how a women is defined “with certainty”.
“Someone please send the Shadow Minister for Equalities a dictionary and a backbone,” The Harry Potter writer wrote in the first tweet.
She added, in a second tweet: “This is what a woman who owns a dictionary and a backbone looks like.”
Rowling continued her tirade with a third tweet, saying, “Apparently, under a Labour government, today will become We Who Must Not Be Named Day.”
Rowling then posted another attack on Dodds.
“This morning you told the British public you literally can’t define what a woman is. What’s the plan, lift up random objects until you find one that rattles?” She tweeted.
This morning you told the British public you literally can’t define what a woman is. What’s the plan, lift up random objects until you find one that rattles? https://t.co/QoBPt5HpKf
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 8, 2022
While many of Rowling’s followers on Twitter wrote complimentary messages in the comments section, American musician shared her displeasure over the tweet.
“Oh my god, SHUT UP,” she commented.
Oh my god, SHUT UP
— TINASHE ³³³ (@Tinashe) March 8, 2022
Rowling has frequently found herself in hot water over a series of controversial comments about the trans community.
In June 2020, Rowling took to Twitter retweeted an article titled: “Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.”
She captioned her retweet: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
Naturally, the anti-trans rhetoric did not fair well with fans and critics. Rowling’s tweets saw several prominent artists, writers and even stars of the Harry Potter film franchise publically denouncing the author’s comments.
Rowling responded to the universal backlash by penning a 3,600-word essay defending her view on the transgender community, and “explain [herself] on an issue surrounded by toxicity.”
“I’m concerned about the huge explosion in young women wishing to transition and also about the increasing numbers who seem to be detransitioning (returning to their original sex), because they regret taking steps that have, in some cases, altered their bodies irrevocably, and taken away their fertility,” she wrote.
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