June 6, 2020

J.K. Rowling quote tweeted an article with the title: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate”,taking issue with this and replying  “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” 

This tweet caused outrage on Twitter, and for good reason. She is taking offense that the article goes out of its way to include those who menstruate considering women are not, and have not, always been the only people to menstruate. She completely ignores the fact that transgender men, nonbinary and genderfluid people, and others on the gender spectrum can also menstruate. She also ignores the fact that not all women menstruate. The ignorance in this tweet is bliss, and she doesn’t even begin to acknowledge that what she said is hurtful to the transgender community and those who look up to her and her novels. 

I do not agree with how she blatantly chooses to ignore these facts to make herself look better in this situation. Instead of educating herself, she just brings up the importance of not erasing the concept of sex as she replies “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.” While she is not completely wrong in this statement, she also fails to see why so many people were hurt by the tweet. Sex and gender are two separate concepts. Sex refers to the biological aspects of a person, while gender refers to the socially constructed and psychological aspects. For example, a transgender woman may be assigned male at birth and have XY chromosomes, but her gender identity is female and therefore she should be treated as a woman. Rowling completely negates the difference between the two and refuses to accept that the comment she made was transphobic.