# Is JK Rowling transphobic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 19, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105 "2019-12-19T19:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/421 "2019-12-29T17:24:47Z")
I do want to emphasize - my position does not preclude identifying and condemning clear hate speech and trolling. Some speech is behavior far beyond the pale and should be identified as bullying that is not tolerated. But yes **monstro** we’ll just have to disagree on whether or not making someone defensive and angry is the most productive approach. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/422 "2019-12-29T17:35:40Z")
[Looks like Jon Rosenberg has weighed in…](http://amultiverse.com/comic/2019/12/23/jk-Rowling-and-the-league-of-disappointing-authors) On edit: Whew! Link works! Don’t try this at home, kids! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/423 "2019-12-29T18:19:14Z")
> [@you\_with\_the\_face](#): > > The meaning I infer is that just because one may identify as a woman doesn’t make you a woman. Sex matters when deciding this because “sex is real” in a way that gender is not. I really should stay away from this conversation, but some perverse tendency to self-destruction compels me to request clarification on the consensus definitions here: I would have thought that “sex” would be properly broken down into divisions such as “male” and “female”, while “gender” would encompass terms such as “man”, “woman”, “transgender (or trans)”, “non-binary”, &c., &c., &c. Under this rubric, “Sex is real” strikes me as defensible (devoid of context), but orthogonal to the validity of a comment on whether a trans woman can legitimately call herself a woman. ETA: Or have I got it all backwards? Or is it more likely that there’s no consensus? ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/424 "2019-12-29T18:46:48Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Under this rubric, “Sex is real” strikes me as defensible (devoid of context), but orthogonal to the validity of a comment on whether a trans woman can legitimately call herself a woman. I don’t think trans women _calling_ themselves women is what is being challenged. Are trans women the same as biological women wrt gender? is the question being addressed with Rowling’s “sex is real”. At least that’s my interpretation. > [@](#): > > ETA: Or have I got it all backwards? Or is it more likely that there’s no consensus? The fact you aren’t sure whether you have it backwards or not shows there is no consensus on this. You can believe trans folks have the right to live as their identified gender and refer to themselves as such while still believing biological sex is important (if not essential) to gender identity. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/425 "2019-12-29T18:47:01Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > I really should stay away from this conversation, but some perverse tendency to self-destruction compels me to request clarification on the consensus definitions here: I would have thought that “sex” would be properly broken down into divisions such as “male” and “female”, while “gender” would encompass terms such as “man”, “woman”, “transgender (or trans)”, “non-binary”, &c., &c., &c. > > Under this rubric, “Sex is real” strikes me as defensible (devoid of context), but orthogonal to the validity of a comment on whether a trans woman can legitimately call herself a woman. > > ETA: Or have I got it all backwards? Or is it more likely that there’s no consensus? I have no idea if there’s a consensus. But it is hella confusing to me. When I think of “transwoman”, I think of a person who was born biologically male but who now sees themselves as both _female_ and _woman_. Like, if a transwoman scientist was referred to as a female scientist, I don’t think it would be considered polite to correct that designation, even though technically their biological sex hasn’t changed. I think it is reasonable to ask what constitutes biological femaleness or maleness. Is HRT sufficient to move the needle from one sex to another? Do you have to have surgery? Or is it something that can never be changed, given the importance of developmental history and genes? I think right now, the consensus is that hormones are sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/426 "2019-12-29T18:48:03Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > [Looks like Jon Rosenberg has weighed in…](http://amultiverse.com/comic/2019/12/23/jk-Rowling-and-the-league-of-disappointing-authors) > > On edit: Whew! Link works! Don’t try this at home, kids! I am really at a loss as to why anyone would care about what some random web comic has to say on the subject. Is the author famous in some way? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/427 "2019-12-29T20:30:35Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk JFTR, I’d fire you for that… 😛 😃 ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/428 "2019-12-30T00:24:22Z")
> [@Richard\_Parker](#): > > Some trans people have some of these atypical characteristics. Some don’t. But the point is that for all the talk of “biological women,” it isn’t actually a well-defined category _at the margins_. It is no rebuttal to say we should just set aside those edge cases, because the subject of discussion is the edge cases, i.e., what should we do with sex segregation when it comes to the rare people whose gender identity doesn’t match some criteria for sex. Aside from any trans issues, society already has some of these edge cases to deal with. Men can be anything from from short, skinny, smooth, effeminate, passive and gay to tall, muscular, hairy, aggressive and straight. Yet those distinctions are not generally considered for most kinds of sex-based segregation. All those men use the same bathrooms, locker rooms, shelters, prisons, sports, etc. regardless of their masculinity. And the same for women. There is a huge range of characteristics for women, but they all are lumped together as women regardless of their femininity. Essentially, the only defining characteristic used to separate those two groups is their genitalia. I’m not sure how to frame this to trans issues, but society has had to deal gender-based edge cases. I suppose it hasn’t really dealt with it much other than “If you have a penis, go here. If you have a vagina, go there.” ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/429 "2019-12-30T03:14:38Z")
I just wanted to say that **Monstro and the Edgelords** would be a totally awesome band name. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2019, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/430 "2019-12-30T03:40:25Z")
> [@ann hedonia](#): > > i just wanted to say that **monstro and the edgelords** would be a totally awesome band name. lol! :d ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/431 "2019-12-31T19:52:30Z")
What sort of groupies would they attract??? ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2020, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105/432 "2020-01-02T17:20:53Z")
> [@Aquadementia](#): > > From reading her works I get that to transmogrify into a cat is jolly clever. However, turning into a snake isn’t something proper people should want to do. I see what you did there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jk-rowling-transphobic/845105.md?page=21)