Culture News

The Particular Strangeness of J.K. Rowling's Anti-Trans Agenda

Has the world's most powerful TERF finally murdered her career?

J. K. Rowling

Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock

J.K. Rowling's anti-trans agenda has been well-documented.

Her bigoted statements have provoked waves of #IStandWithJKRowling hashtags—as well a backlash of #RIPJKRowling satirizing the death of her career. Then there's the recent announcement of Rowling's latest book:


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Culture News

It's Harry Potter's 40th Birthday and J.K. Rowling Still Sucks

We can celebrate the Boy Who Lived while still advocating for transgender rights.

via Warner Bros

Today, July 31, 2020, is Harry Potter's 40th birthday.

Harry Potter might be one of the most successful franchises of all time, but Harry's birthday this year comes coded with some recent statements made by J.K. Rowling. The author's xenophobic tweets have made her, arguably, one of the most powerful TERFsor trans-exclusionary radical feminists—in pop culture today.

Rowling has been known to make some unusual remarks before—remember that time she said Dumbledore was gay, despite having never depicted his sexuality in the books?—but her TERF shenanigans are by far her most infuriating. Last December, Rowling received a wave of backlash after tweeting in support of Maya Forstater, an English woman who lost her job after posting a series of tweets questioning government plans to let people declare their own gender.

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Film Lists

6 Cisgender Actors Who Should've Been Like Halle Berry and Turned Down Trans Roles

After Halle Berry walked back her consideration of playing a transgender character, we look back at how Hollywood has repeatedly fumbled trans representation.

THE DANISH GIRL - Official Trailer - In Theaters November 2015

Halle Berry has made headlines this week after turning down a role in which, had she gone through with production, would have represented a transgender man.

Berry, an Academy Award-winning actress known for roles in films like Monster's Ball, Catwoman, and Gothika, took to Twitter Monday night to apologize for considering the role. "Over the weekend I had the opportunity to discuss my consideration of an upcoming role as a transgender man, and I"d like to apologize for those remarks," Berry wrote. "As a cisgender woman, I now understand that I should not have considered this role, and that the transgender community should undeniably have the opportunity to tell their own stories."

The post continued: "I am grateful for the guidance and critical conversation over the past few days and I will continue to listen, educate and learn from this mistake. I vow to be an ally in using my voice to promote better representation on-screen, both in front of and behind the camera."

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Culture Feature

Let Trans Characters Be Trans: The "Trap" Trope Is Still a Slur

Breaking down the difference between a problematic anime trope and a slur.

Lily Hoshikawa, a trans anime icon

MAPPA

One of my very first articles as an entertainment critic ended up being my most controversial thus far.

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