J.K. Rowling: 'I've Never Said There Are Only Two Genders'
© AP Photo / Joel C Ryan
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The world famous author is currently under fire for her controversial views on trans rights, with many people, including actors from the Harry Potter movie saga, claiming that her statements are "transphobic".
J.K. Rowling took to Twitter to deny that she had ever claimed there are only two genders when responding to a Rasmussen poll that showed a majority of Americans agree with her on that point.
"Small but important point: I’ve never said there are only two genders", Rowling clarified in a series of tweets. "There are innumerable gender identities".
She referred to earlier essays, pointing out that she used phrases like "trans lives matter" and "trans rights are human rights".
"Using the words ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ interchangeably obscures the central issue of this debate", she noted.
The question at the heart of this debate is whether sex or gender identity should form the basis of decisions on safeguarding, provision of services, sporting categories and other areas where women and girls currently have legal rights and protections. 2/3
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 29, 2021
The poll she was responding to indicated that "75% of American adults agree with Rowling that there are only two genders". In 2020, Rowling addressed the issue of sex and gender, saying that "if sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased".
"I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth", she said in her 2020 essay on gender identity.
Recently, Rowling commented on the decision of Police Scotland to allow logging male rapists as women if they identify as such. Responding to the move, the author paraphrased George Orwell's novel "1984", saying "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman".
The debate around Rowling and whether her views are "transphobic" or not has been ongoing since 2020, when the author mocked an article for using the words "people who menstruate" instead of "women". Since then, Rowling has faced massive criticism, and it continues to revolve around her as she does not seem to be willing to give up on her views and has repeatedly addressed the topic.
