Do you think people like J K Rowling are queerphobic or just ignorants?

Indeed. Since JKR began on her campaign of bigotry circa 2020 guess how many predators "self identifying" as female have tried to access female-only spaces and attacked women in UK?

Answer: none. Of course.

Beth

 

I read yesterday I think it was that last October, Rowling said she would “happily” go to prison for two years because she refuses to use transgender appropriate language. She said “I’ll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex.” I’m not sure how to do the link but it’s from deadline.com by Jake Kanter, October 19, 2023.

She made jokes about the jobs she might get in prison and said that “a court case would be more fun than I’ve ever had on a red carpet.” This discussion really bothers me for a lot of reasons. She has the resources to be at an advantage if she ever faced legal trouble and I think joking about something that is a terrible reality for a lot of people is unkind. That’s in addition to not understanding why she keeps going after trans people.

I’m to the point where I’ll probably give away my Harry Potter books. I was never a big fan although I read them all once. But after everything she’s said, I don’t see myself wanting to read them again.

 

I think it depends from person to person. Many times I don't think people are transphobic because they doesn't intend to be hateful or negatively discriminate. They just sits with old information, mix up terms (e.g. gender identity and biological sex) and are used to a different type of life than the newer generation. Sometimes there isn't black and white - so some people may be partially correct - at the same time lacking some nuances. I think we should be more patient with people, so more people are accepting to the way society changes and more willingly to keep themselves updated.

If someone says that there exist two biological sexes (male and female), but at the same time respect people's freedom to have the gender identity they wants to have and live their lives the way they likes to - it's not transphobic. One can support consensual and informed adults' right to medically transition, change their names and live openly, but at the same time think biological sexes are real. One can also think it's an advantage for the vast majority to wait with medical transitioning till adulthood. Although most people are happy with transitioning, a few people may detrans. Waiting with permanent medical transitioning till you're over 18 reduces detrans. One can also support people's freedom to identify as non-binary, but still think biological sexes are real. Both statements can be true at the same time: 1) Some people feels uncomfortable being in either a male or female body, and therefor is non-binary 2) Assigned sex at birth happens and sometimes people experiences gender dysphoria.

I'm a desister (female to male to female) and I support people's freedom to transitioning. Of course trans men should be allowed to be socially men and trans women be allowed to be socially women. What people usually means with biological sex is that there is a difference between a cis person and a trans person which is the reason many trans people wants to medically transitioning (HRT/surgeries) so their gender identity and bodies match appearance wise. Cis women and trans men can become pregnant. Cis men and trans women can impregnate. If someone says people shouldn't be allowed to transitioning when they truly have gender dysphoria, is intentionally using a pronoun someone isn't comfortable with, calls them bad names and wants to remove legal rights - then it would be negative discrimination and transphobia. To me trans right is similar to the freedom to live the way you feel comfortable with. Being able to choose to live openly as the gender you wants to be and being able to choose which career you wants are both important freedom in a democracy.

When it comes to bathrooms and locker rooms, I think the ideal would be having three options: 1) Men's room 2) Women's room 3) Gender neutral room. Then everyone would be happier. People who looks like men can use the men's room, people who looks like women can use the women's and everyone else can use a gender neutral room or single stall/single room. The reason bathrooms and locker rooms are gender segregated is because of privacy. Most men and women I knows about aren't afraid of sexual assault or rape, but still wants their own room because of privacy. The vast majority of people doesn't want the opposite gender to accidentally look at their private parts unless they are dating them because it's considered intimate. Sometimes people only wants to share certain parts of themselves with their partner and I think people's right to privacy should be respected. Not everyone are comfortable with being seen naked by everyone. That's the reason a 3rd room would be a good idea. Everyone who doesn't care who sees them can use the 3rd room. I want to add that most people doesn't care if someone has XY or XX chromosomes as long they looks the part when they uses a gendered bathroom. The point with HRT and surgeries is to look like the gender you identify as.

 

I think that trans people could have their own sport categories, so people who may not qualify can still participate in sports. If there were four categories: 1) cis men 2) trans men 3) cis women 4) trans women - trans people who otherwise wouldn't qualify could compete without having to join the category with the gender they doesn't identify as. A trans woman wouldn't like joining men's category because she identify as a woman. If she had a trans woman category, she could have a woman category at the same time having a fair competition. Although trans women should be allowed to live as women and trans men live as men, there is still some physical differences between trans and cis people. There are even categories divided by age, muscle class, able bodied vs disabled etc. Trans women who finished male puberty may on average be taller, faster and physically stronger than a cis woman because of their circumstances. If all trans women could compete against cis women, that means cis women should be allowed using testosterone to be more equal. In sports drugs and hormones aren't allowed unless you have a medical condition to justify it - because of fairness.

The only times trans women should be allowed to compete with cis women and trans men with cis men is if their bodies are equivalent to the cis person speaking of advantages vs disadvantages. If someone transitioned early, have X amount of hormones and bodies developed to the cis range, they may qualify. There can be rules with some exceptions and flexibility. It's not transphobic to think trans people could start their own categories, as long one allows some flexibility and individual exceptions that allows some trans people to compete with cis people they are equivalent to. I think as fair competition as possible in sport is important.

 

JK and her group of terfs are in deep with the alt right, she just recently accused all mtf trans people of being rapists, she's a horrible human being.

 

Sorry to hear that Sammy1995. Tried to quote and messed it up.

 

We'd be most likely competing in a field of one. That's like giving a prize to the fat kid at school because they 'tried really hard'.

The world of sport is riddled with instances where people have inbuilt advantages because of an accident of their birth - ie something they had no control over. In long distance running it's the East Africans, in sprinting it's those with a West African heritage. The Dutch are on average taller than many other European nations. I mean I could go on...there is not a level playing field in sport and never will be.

The bottom line is that I'm a woman. I want to compete with other women. Not with men and not in some patronising special category of my own.

You will of course be aware that many sporting governing bodies have banned trans women from competing as ourselves. The evidence that the all-important difference is having gone through a male puberty is not conclusive. There are many studies that have said that that makes virtually no difference. Those sporting bodies did not change the rules (which had worked perfectly for decades and related to the amount of testosterone an athlete has in their blood system) in a vacuum. They were under pressure from a concerted campaign by TERFs and their right wing allies, who are determined to push back the steps forward the LGTBQ+ community have made since the 1980s. We - trans women - are the ones on the frontline. But make no mistake they have everyone else in their sight line - I'm sure you are aware of the gay book bans in the States and the rumblings there already are about pushing back against gay marriage.

Don't be naive. This isn't about 'fairness'. It's about punishing and marginalising one section of the LGTBQ+ community.

Beth

 

This is one of those unsolvable problems, where there is no answer that doesn’t disadvantage one person or group to the benefit of another.

On a personal level I am torn because I have nothing but love for trans people but I also know how important sport is for girls - and cis girls are the vast majority, who could be put at a competitive disadvantage, or just put off from even bothering in the first place.

 

Mods, am I allowed to link to other articles? If not, my apologies...

Anyway, there's an article in today's Guardian that neatly sums up what is happening. This is not about fairness. This is about the gradual erasure of trans people from public life.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2...-even-parkrun-a-battleground-for-trans-people

Beth

 

Not the biggest fan of the guardian nowadays but that article was spot on.

 

J K Rolling is so transphobic that it's literary impossible to think of her as being ignorant over her own actions. She even made a whole book and wrote an "essay" that were both extremely transphobic. She demonizes trans women and infantilizes trans men just like every other transphobic person you can think of. Her views are negatively impacting her transgender fans and trans people who live in the UK. Her hatred for us is so visible and explicit it isn't even a question if she's queerphobic at this point.

 

I read the post I was replying to wrong. Please, ignore this if possible.

 

I agree.

As a man, I do not feel threatened, physicslly or otherwise. Women are typically much more vulnerable. Your dad was right to stand guard outside the door.

 

I think from everything Rowling has publicly posted and stood for up to this point indicates clear transphobia (just do a quick search of her opinions on trans women for example). There's not even a single argument to be made in her defense on this particular subject - not even the ignorance card She is foul and deserves no platform to spew her bigotry. That scab knows full well what she is doing.