J. K. Rowling and the 'TERF Wars' Essay Example

“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” This is the tweet, sent by JK Rowling, starting the infamous “TERF War,” but what does this really mean? 

Many people know JK Rowling as the famous writer of the Harry Potter book series. These books brought her from impoverished, in a state of depression, and living on the streets, to being a millionaire. While she used to be praised by all, now, the LGBTQ+ community and their allies have casted their doubts because of her opinion on gender identity. 

Like most arguments, there are two sides to this one, the transphobic side, and the transgender side. Both sides have argued over this topic for years and this is just one, of many, who has been criticized for her opinions. This is not a breakdown of her essays, that has already been done. Instead, this is a breakdown of the argument in general. 

Transphobic people, and their supporters, argue that JK Rowling was giving her “free speech”, which the British do not have. The transphobic people believe that she, as a writer, was giving her beliefs when she wrote an essay that dehumanized transgender women (Male to Female). 

On the other side, transgender people, and allies, rebuttal that this type of “free speech” is actually detrimental to transgender people's health. The allies will also point 

out that it is illegal, with the punishment sometimes being death, in countries around the world. Also, freedom of speech like this silences others' freedom of speech, when “free speech” is used as an argument.

Transphobic people also argue that JK Rowling was fighting on the side of “science” and that she is being a “feminist.” They argue that she is trying to protect women and stop the erasure of women’s rights. Transphobes, including JK Rowling, argue that they are TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists). 

The LGBTQ+ argue that sex is not the same thing as gender identity. The LGBTQ+ argue that these claims that sex and gender identities are the same hurt transgender and non-binary people’s mental health, ending up with the highest suicide rates- 82% having suicidal thoughts and 40% attempting- National Library of Medicine. 

Transgender Jamie Rainer refutes the generic term TERF. He asserts that trans women are women and JK Rowling, and other transphobic people, are dehumanizing these women because they have yet to accept this fact. 

While JK Rowling does argue against transgender people, she did write in her counterargument to the hate that she does love and have friends who are transgender, and the main part she wrote that essay was after she did professional research for a book. 

Another major thing that people look over is she uses singular they/them pronouns in her counterargument, when referring to the people she did not know the gender of the people. It is also important to remember that in her works, the books she writes, do not deserve backlash for what she does.

JK Rowling has also written LGBTQ+ characters in her books, including Albus Dumbledore, who is a gay character in the Harry Potter series. And before the “TERF War,” LGBTQ+ activists used Harry Potter books in pride parades. For instance, one protester during a pride parade’s sign read, “Harry Potter taught us nobody deserves to live in a closet.”