JK Rowling claims her statements about transgender women were ‘deeply’ misunderstood in new podcast
Harry Potter author JK Rowling, whose statements about transgender people have been widely criticized as transphobic over the years – including by some of the biggest stars of the Potter film franchise – now says her views are “deeply” misunderstood.
In the trailer for the new podcast The Witch Trials of JK Rowling (Listen below), Rowling says, “I never set out to offend anyone. However, I did not feel uncomfortable coming down from my pedestal.”
Rowling said that when people on social media say, “You’ve ruined your legacy. Oh, you could have been beloved for ever, but you chose to say it,” she muses: “You could not have misunderstood me more profoundly.”
The Witch Trials of JK Rowling Premiering on February 21 from The Free Press, the media organization founded by Barry Weiss, who routinely targets provocateurs in what he perceives as vigilante culture and liberal censorship. The new podcast will be hosted by Megan Phelps-Roper, who grew up as part of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church Phelps family.
Critics of the author say that Rowling is associated with the TERF (for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists) movement. Rowling insists that she is not transphobic yet repeatedly draws the line between trans women and “menstruating people,” insisting that if “sexual [gender] Not real, the lived reality of women worldwide has been erased.”
In 2020, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe added his voice to the criticism, saying, “Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional healthcare associations who have much expertise on the subject. [Rowling] or I. It is clear that we need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not invalidate their identities and further harm them.”
The Witch Trials of JK Rowling The podcast launches Tuesday, February 21, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other audio platforms.
Here is the trailer for the podcast:
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