When cancel culture comes after you, it never stops. But, neither should its victims. Take the latest development of transgender activists’ spat with J.K. Rowling. She has been verbally attacked and called ungodly names for her position on the transgender movement, but her response is prophetic: don’t back down from the truth, no matter what.
Rowling, who is by all accounts a leftist on most issues, made headlines again last week after she responded to a death threat by standing firmly by her comments about transgenderism. In fact, she doubled down on her remarks.
In June 2020, the Harry Potter author received backlash from personalities all over the world, including actors from her landmark fiction series films, for her words on the effects of transgenderism on women’s rights and how the movement endangers women’s health while violating the truth.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” she wrote. “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.”
Rowling blasted the claim that saying “sex is real” means she hates transgender people. She later posted a lengthy message on her website, which noted her concern at the lack of aid for the increasing number of women who choose to “detransition.”
These words drew disdain from many in Hollywood. Most notably, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) came back with holier-than-thou statements criticizing Rowling. The chaos escalated dramatically last week when Rowling shared a screenshot of a man on Twitter wishing her “a very nice pipe bomb in [your] mailbox” in response to Rowling’s “hate speech” about transgenderism.
Rowling shook off the death threat with a social media smile and an unwavering response. “To be fair, when you can’t get a woman sacked, arrested or dropped by her publisher, and cancelling her only made her book sales go up, there’s really only one place to go,” she said.
To be fair, when you can’t get a woman sacked, arrested or dropped by her publisher, and cancelling her only made her book sales go up, there’s really only one place to go. pic.twitter.com/MsNWXhWlyc
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 19, 2021
Her words are insightful. When radical left ideologies are not heeded, its disciples decide dissidents must be removed. The threat by this unknown person is the logical next step following cancel culture’s censorship. If someone cannot be silenced for her “hatred” through cancellation, then other means are on the table.
Later, in the same thread, a follower asked if Rowling was receiving threats because of her position on the transgender movement. Rowling responded in the affirmative and added, “Yes, but now hundreds of trans activists have threatened to beat, rape, assassinate and bomb me I’ve realised that this movement poses no risk to women whatsoever.”
Yes, but now hundreds of trans activists have threatened to beat, rape, assassinate and bomb me I’ve realised that this movement poses no risk to women whatsoever. pic.twitter.com/qb1RrCFqy0
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 19, 2021
Rowling’s latest response has earned both support and derision, including disavowal from Katherine Waterston, who stars in one of Rowling’s movies.
Fantastic Beasts star Katherine Waterston felt it was "important" that she denounce JK Rowling's transphobic rhetoric. https://t.co/81Rfll2lvr
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) July 29, 2021
.@jk_rowling is standing strong, a rare quality https://t.co/2eBBPAzPBC
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 19, 2021
The abuse of @jk_rowling, & the lack of outrage it seems to generate, is a vile blot on Twitter – & like @alexmassie “I pity those trans people who, rightly noting the difficulties they often face, find themselves saddled with allies so thoroughly in love with sexual violence.”
— Tom Holland (@holland_tom) July 25, 2021
https://twitter.com/JCCWilliams/status/1420167005471133701
Rowling’s attackers violate the truth by neglecting the facts about genital mutilation disguised as “surgery” while also ignoring the harrowing rate of suicide among men and women who alter their genitals (up to 20 times that of their peers). Rowling’s accusers also trample on free speech by not allowing her to argue her opinions in the public square without threats to her life — their own form of true hate speech.
The entire story revolves around her statement over a year ago: “It isn’t hate to speak the truth.” Rowling stands as one of the few examples of the rich and the famous who is willing to put her entire reputation on the line for the truth.
For that we should applaud her, and we should follow her trailblazing lead against cancel culture by vowing to never give up fighting for what is true, right, and just.
