Headline RoundupDecember 21st, 2019

J.K Rowling Faces Backlash for Supporting Woman Who Was Fired for Her Views on Transgenderism

LGBTQ Issues, Culture War, Culture, Transgender Issues

Summary from the AllSides News Team

An earlier edition of this post incorrectly referred to Maya Forstater as "Mackereth", another person also fired for similar reasons. J.K. Rowling faced backlash this week for a tweet she wrote in defense of Maya Forstater, a tax expert who was fired for tweeting "men cannot change into women." The Central London Employment Tribunal upheld her firing, with the judge stating the employer’s decision was fair because Forstater’s stance is “incompatible with human dignity” and "not worthy of respect in a democratic society." Many left media outlets reported on Rowling's tweets with condemnation, calling her "transphobic" and a "TERF" ("trans-exclusionary radical feminist"). Right-wing media outlets defended Forstater, saying her beliefs are reasonable and that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent.

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From the Left

J.K. Rowling sparks controversy for transgender comments; GLAAD responds

USA TODAY

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USA TODAY

News

J.K. Rowling has cast a spell of controversy.

The "Harry Potter" author has come under fire for tweeting a message of support Thursday for Maya Forstater, a researcher who lost her job at a think tank for stating that people cannot change their biological sex.

"Dress however you please," Rowling wrote. "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"

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From the Left

After a Transphobic Tweet, J.K. Rowling Can No Longer Be Considered an LGBTQ Ally

Slate

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Slate

News

J.K. Rowling spent Thursday once again demonstrating a perplexing inability to pipe down and enjoy her millions. This time, the Harry Potter author wasn’t retconning diversity into the series she finished writing over 12 years ago or disclosing that before indoor plumbing, the wizards of her universe used to just poop themselves and magically vanish the evidence away. Instead, Rowling tweeted her support for Maya Forstater, a tax expert whose firing from a think tank over transphobic comments and subsequent court battle has generated a great deal of controversy in...

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From the Right

Why J. K. Rowling Took a Stand

National Review (News)

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National Review (News)

Opinion

Twitter has exploded in outrage because J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter books, is an alleged “TERF.” That’s right, a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” This ridiculous slur was invented by people who insist on denying the science of sex and who want to take out their rage on nonbelievers, and on dissenting women in particular.

Prominent male transgender activists such as Charlotte Clymer have gone full hysterical. “For several years, there has been substantial concern that J.K. Rowling is transphobic,” Clymer tweeted, referring, I presume, to the time Rowling...

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