For six months everyone has been wondering if J.K. Rowling would double down on her anti trans sentiments or if she would learn, grow, and evolve. Well Gaye fam, we have our answer, and it comes to us during the worst possible time.
COVID-19 and protests against police brutality are global at the moment. This is the very moment Rowling decided to express her disagreement over an article entitled, 'Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.'
She responded, "'People who menstruate.' I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"
Ok, folks education time! Menstruation is a bodily function that some cis women, some trans men, some nonbinary people, and some intersex people have. Emphasis on some for all of these groups. Having a period doesn't mean you automatically default to the woman category. You're still your gender identity regardless of your bodily functions, which is why the term menstruator is preferable because it is all inclusive.
Ms. Rowling, while fighting against perceived erasure, is herself being an erasure. But, trans and intersex folks aren't the only ones being hurt by her rhetoric.
Some cis women, for whatever reason either have never menstruated or no longer do so. Whether this is a disorder they're born with, reproductive issues like PCOS, or they've gone through menopause, menstruation isn't taking place. This lack of a period makes these women no less than other cis women who do get periods.
The author went on to express even more TERF (trans exclusionary radical feminist) argumentation in this series of Tweets:
Matilda actress Mara Wilson, who stood up to Rowling back in December, is once again coming to the defense of the trans community:
Harry Potter actress Katie Leung fought fire with activism in a series of Tweets sharing links to causes that help Black trans people.
Actress Jameela Jamil, who unfollowed Rowling in December, was also quick to clap back.
One Twitter user summed up what we're all probably feeling about this. Side note she meant to say rights, not lights. Got to love technology!
