A new podcast series defending author J.K. Rowling, who some call transphobic, has received a lukewarm reception. Rowling says she has received death threats.
J.K. Rowling has on several occasions defended the concept of biological sex and questioned gender reassignment treatments received by minors. In addition, the British writer has expressed his concern about the safety of women in facilities intended for women, such as shelters and prisons. Rowling has also, among other things, joked that she remembers that there used to be a word for people who have periods, referring to the word woman.
Rowling’s ideas have appeared to sexual and gender minorities and their supporters as transphobic. Some Harry Potter fans have said they have removed tattoos of Rowling’s characters and have taken to social media to share their disappointment. Along with her speeches, Rowling has been called by the abbreviation *terf* (*trans-exclusionary Radical feminist*), which is an often derogatory term used for a feminist who does not promote the rights of trans people.
– It’s fascinating that fans say I ruined my own legacy, even though I could have chosen differently and lived admired until the end of my life, British writer Rowling says in a new podcast.
The author says that she cannot help but take part in the discussion, because she wants to defend women’s rights. He himself has said that he was a victim of intimate partner violence. She has also said that her ex-husband stalked and threatened her.
Rowling has denied being transphobic and said she respects the right of every trans person to live in a way that feels good to them. This has not convinced all trans people and their supporters, but some have said that Rowling’s comments increase discrimination against trans people.
The person accused of hate speech now says that he himself receives death threats
Many critics of Rowling have accused her of making the status of trans people difficult and ruining her literary legacy. Rowling says she even received death threats.
– I have received direct threats of violence, and people have also come to my home, where I live with my children, Rowling says in the podcast.
Rowling’s home address has been shared online. However, not everyone has seen the harassment experienced by the author as serious, says Rowling.
– I often hear that you’re rich and you can afford security measures, that you haven’t been silenced. This is all true, but that is not the point. Attempts at intimidation to silence me are a warning to other like-minded women who would like to participate in this conversation.
The podcast has been received with caution in the US and British media. It has been seen as an attempt by the author to burnish his reputation.
The creator of the podcast is a former hate speech filter
The now 37-year-old Phelps-Roper was born into the ultra-conservative Westboro Baptist Church founded by his grandfather.
– I was a blue-eyed, round-cheeked little girl when I went with my family to a protest for the first time, Phelps-Roper said in a Ted Talk.
– We were standing on a street corner in oppressively humid Kansas weather, me and twenty of my relatives. I was holding a sign in my small hands that I couldn’t read myself yet. It read \”gays should die\”.
Phelps-Roper left the congregation formed by his family in 2012 after throwing himself into arguments on Twitter, where he first vehemently defended the values \u200b\u200bof the Westboro Baptist Church. The people who patiently communicated with him made Phelps-Roper first challenge his worldview and eventually leave the sect.
Former fans say they will boycott the upcoming series
To date, the works of the *Harry Potter* book series have sold more than 600 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 85 languages. Movies based on novels have also been hits, and wizard stories have been made into several video and console games. Currently, J.K. Rowling’s fortune is estimated to be close to a billion dollars.
The criticism Rowling has received has not stopped the money taps of financiers. This spring saw the release of the long-awaited *Hogwarts Legacy video game*, which sold 12 million copies in a couple of months.
In addition, the American entertainment giant HBO recently announced that it will make a completely new *Harry Potter* series. It covers seven Potter novels and the production stretches over ten years.
Rowling is one of the producers of the new series. Because of this, some *Harry Potter* fans have announced that they will boycott the entire series.
The author, who is active on Twitter, reacts quickly. “Activists are again trying to organize a boycott against me, this time targeting the *Harry Potter* TV series. Forewarned, I bought champagne in the box store,\” Rowling wrote.
There is hardly anything new and wonderful in the series, as HBO promises \”faithful adaptations of the novels\”. It must be about launching wizard stories for new generations.
Daniel Radcliffe was only 11 years old when he was cast in the first *Harry Potter* movie to play the bespectacled boy wizard. The first generation of fans grew up side by side with him. Daniel Radcliffe, now in his thirties, is estimated to have earned a total of close to 100 million dollars from the eight *Harry Potter* films.
In the new series, new young actors will be chosen to play the students of the wizarding school.
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