Harry Potter fans contribute to trans groups after JK Rowling's ‘transphobic’ tweets

JK Rowling’s series of controversial tweets on transgenders have prompted netizens to contribute an equivalent of money they spent on Harry Potter merchandise to NGOs working for trans and coloured people. The celebrated author faced a major backlash on the internet for her alleged anti-transgender tweets while sharing an article on equality.

While sharing an opinion piece titled “Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate”, the Harry Potter author said there is a terminology to address such people. Rowling, who has repeatedly been accused of her alleged binary views on sex and gender, apparently wanted to say that people who menstruate are explicitly women.

“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she wrote.

It sparked an immediate backlash and netizens accused her of “anti-trans” and “transphobic” views, saying transgenders, non-binary people and gender-nonconforming people can also menstruate. However, the 54-year-old British author stood her ground and said that sex is real and it can not be erased.

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Netizens call for contribution

Rowling’s “clarification” tweet worked as a threshold for Harry Potter fans’ patience and some of them announced that they will sell the merchandise to contribute towards groups working for trans people. The initiation created a wave on the internet and the donation almost became an online movement. Check out some of the tweets:

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