How the British Media Legitimized J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia
Preserved like frozen eddies in the whirlwind of a moral panic are the words of a national journalist, days after J.K. Rowling publishes her essay on the threat of the trans rights movement. Shona Craven’s newspaper article “This Is Why
The British media played a role in legitimizing J.K. Rowling's transphobic views, as evidenced by journalist Shona Craven's article and The Scotsman's Deputy Political Editor Gina Davidson's commentary. The EU's Council of Europe had previously warned against "vitriolic media campaigns" that vilify and misrepresent trans women. The US Guardian also protested against the transphobia present in the UK's editorial line.
ILGA-Europe documented how anti-trans rhetoric continued to cause serious damage in the UK in 2021, citing J.K. Rowling's transphobic attacks on social media as a prime example. Despite being a trans woman and a PhD researcher, the reporter found it challenging to voice their concerns and saw no trans-inclusive commentaries during the time.
This personal account of the Rowling furor and the media's transphobia also discusses the relationship between power and voice. The reporter identifies with Andrew Anastasia's concept of the trans voice as a trinity, focusing on expression of agency and collective politicized liberation. The reporter watched Rowling's online behavior from 2017 to 2020, initially shrugging off her "likes" of transphobic tweets, but later understanding their impact.
Rowling's essay in June 2020 distinguished between passively trans individuals and the politically empowered trans rights activist (TRA) movement, which she associated with offering cover to predators. The media coverage of the online backlash, including Craven and Davidson's opinion pieces, reinforced Rowling's views and silenced trans-inclusive voices.
Written by urgent.news from Literary Hub's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
