the writer JK Rowling, author of the series Harry Potter and the detective novels he signs as Robert Galbraith, he has received a barrage of criticism for writing on Twitter recently, speeches that have been seen as transphobic.
“I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability for many to discuss their lives substantively. It’s not hate to tell the truth,” wrote the 54-year-old Brit.
Rowling has always been seen as a tireless defender of human rights, often using Twitter to express her views – on the left of the political spectrum – and praised for having, in Harry Potter, metaphors about discrimination and prejudice.
Recently, the writer published a long open letter on her official website to explain in detail the views for which she has been so criticized.
In the text, she mentions that she values that cisgender women do not share spaces, such as public bathrooms, with trans women, as she is afraid that this will encourage men to dress like women and rape them. Rowling reinforced in the letter that she sees herself as an ally in the fight against transphobia, and considers that many transgender people live without due protection.
The writing also mentioned that she is a survivor of sexual violence and an abusive relationship – in this case, her first marriage, to Portuguese journalist Jorge Arantes in the 1990s.
“I have been a public figure now for over 20 years and have never spoken publicly about being a survivor of domestic abuse and rape. Not because I'm ashamed of these things that happened to me, but because they are too traumatic to remember,” she wrote.
“I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I don’t want girls and women born this way biologically to have less security.”
