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New JK Rowling tweet sparks uproar, fans ask 'that's the hill you're going to die on?'

'Your entire point now is hating a community of people? We don’t need to hear from you and your little stories anymore,' Akilah Hughes tweeted

Author JK Rowling has landed herself in controversy yet again after her problematic tweet on December 12. Rowling, who had been accused of transphobia in the past, shared an article by The Times UK titled "Absurdity of police logging rapists as women". The article detailed how Scotland Police have been criticized for saying "they will record rapes by offenders with male genitalia as being committed by a woman if the attacker 'identifies as a female'." The report was tweeted by Rowling, along with the sarcastic caption - "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman."

Her remark created an uproar soon afterward, as fans vehemently criticized her transphobic stance and alleged hatred towards the trans community. Rowling had previously asserted her belief that trans people shouldn't be allowed to legally change their sex to reflect the choice of gender that they identify with. She thought this would allow individuals to exploit the law and manipulate it. The 'Harry Potter' author also wrote an elaborate personal blog to explain how and why she came to a conclusion regarding her stance on "an issue surrounded by toxicity".

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In June 2020, Rowling earned severe flak for a series of tweets where she defended her anti-trans stance. She explained why she supports trans people and respects them but doesn't agree with them. She did so by speaking about the concept of sex being erased and how that would negatively impact women as it "removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives."

She started with, "If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."

Elaborating herself, Rowling added, "The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is nonsense. I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so."

Rowling was censured by many of her ardent fans and die-hard 'Potterheads', including Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe himself. However, her latest tweet bears evidence that her negative stance towards the trans community still holds relevance even in the face of immense backlash. 

"You literally have a castle and you spend your time doing this," producer Rob Rousseau quipped at the billionaire author. 

A Harry Potter fan equated Rowling with Dolores Umbridge, one of the most hated evil characters from her book series. "As a former fan of yours, someone who has been long inspired to pursue writing as a result of your work, I cannot put into words how disappointing it is that you've chosen to make hatred your main goal in life now. Congrats, Ms. Rowling - you've become Umbridge," the fan tweeted. 

Host Akilah Hughes noted, "I’m just not sure why you keep talking about it. Your entire point now is hating a community of people? We don’t need to hear from you and your little stories anymore. Enough."

Non-binary journalist Amanda Jette Knox tweeted, "I know it shouldn’t by now, but it never ceases to disappoint me to see what you’ve become. You’ll argue you’re just speaking common sense or defending women, but what you’re actually doing is using those ideas as excuses to hate on and attack a marginalized community. It’s sad."

Another user stated, "right, so 436 trans women PERPETRATED a rape out of… how many thousands? whereas an estimated 64 percent of trans women have been a VICTIM of rape, so how many thousands? which one is more pressing, milli? that’s the hill you’re going to die on?"