Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts writer J.K. Rowling has once again been targeted for cancellation.
Rowling was previously targeted last December after she was accused of transphobia for supporting fired researcher Maya Forstater.
Rowling posted to Twitter in support of Forstater. She wrote, “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? I stand with Maya. This is not a drill.”
Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019
The ensuing outrage would even see the mob go after Star Wars actor Mark Hamill, who had to explain why he liked Rowling’s tweet.
Like Hamill did in December, Rowling is coming under the gun for liking a tweet. The tweet in question was from gay activist Fred Sargeant.
This is Alex Drummond, an adult human male who claims to be a lesbian (yes, he’s kept his dangling bits & has skipped the hormones) and believes that real lesbians who aren’t into penises are transphobic and should be excluded from the lesbian community. Yeah, this guy. pic.twitter.com/g5ufafzHUk
— Fred Sargeant (@FredSargeant) May 15, 2020
As documented by Sargeant, Rowling would “like” the tweet.
This one got a Like from @jk_rowling today. After my thousand or so re-Likes of her tweet, seems fair. pic.twitter.com/OiZ1ww6YlZ
— Fred Sargeant (@FredSargeant) May 15, 2020
For liking this tweet and others like it, Rowling has come under the gun with a number of people wanting to cancel her.
Harry Potter fan site Wizarding News was one of those leading the charge.
We tried so very hard to give @jk_rowling the benefit of doubt that she harbors anti-trans sentiment, but it’s just not possible when she amplifies it with likes & RTs.
We thought the Maya Forstater fallout in Dec. might have changed things but no.
Where do we go from here? pic.twitter.com/SJxtnC4bM5
— Wizarding News™ 🔔 (@HPANA) May 18, 2020
Twitter user Layton Bell called Rowling a “bigot.”
Woke up and read that @jk_rowling isn’t even attempting to hide her anti-trans views anymore. Can’t believe a person who has “championed” tolerance is actually a bigot. Sad.
— Layton Bell (@spiritushex) May 18, 2020
Another decried Rowling as “transphobic.”
I really wish that someone non-transphobic wrote Harry Potter
— lydia 🌜 (@lydblogs) May 18, 2020
like JK Rowling imagined up an entire wizarding world but can’t fathom that trans people exist? try harder please
— lydia 🌜 (@lydblogs) May 18, 2020
Others piled on.
This is the fucking moron that J.K. Rowling tweeted in support of.
Are we all clear she’s a bigot now? https://t.co/Gs3nlS0Cvt— 🌶 Caitlin ‘Her Vajesty’ Spice 🌶 (@CateSpice) May 22, 2020
daily reminder that J.K. Rowling is a transphobic bigot 💅 https://t.co/oUa55rsZWj
— hayley st. james 🏳️🌈 PRIDE PLAYS 🌙☀️ (@hayleystjames) May 17, 2020
This. I’ll never stop being a Potterhead, but I’m so disappointed in J.K Rowling, and with her “people” to call her behaviour a “middle-aged” moment. No, you don’t become a bigot the moment you reach middle age. You’re either one or your not, regardless of age. https://t.co/g2zumHCYAa
— LesBeMums (@LesBeMums) May 19, 2020
Unfortunately, J.K. Rowling has proved herself to be what she was ostensibly writing against: a hateful bigot.
— Gary Rucker🌹 (@rucker_gary) May 18, 2020
The mob wasn’t just coming for Rowling on Twitter either. Pink News writer Nick Duffy insinuated Rowling was transphobic for liking the tweet.
Duffy wrote, “But this week the multimillionaire has been caught liking a message from an activist linked to the anti-transgender LGB Alliance.”
“JK Rowling liked Twitter message smearing trans woman,” added Duffy.
David Reddish at Queerty would also write, “Harry Potter author JK Rowling doesn’t know when to quit. For the second time since December, fans have noticed the author liking transphobic tweets on Twitter.”
What do you think of this latest controversy surrounding J.K. Rowling? Is Rowling being mislabeled by internet activists looking for a new target to cancel?
Let me know your thoughts on all of this!