JK Rowling purposefully misgendered Loose Women star India Willoughby in yet another Twitter spat about trans rights.
The controversial Harry Potter author has been a divisive figure in recent years due to her strong views on sex and gender, in particular her thoughts regarding proposed gender recognition bills that would make it easier for transgender individuals to have their preferred gender legally recognised.
She has expressed many anti-transgender views that have led to her being dubbed a TERF (Trans exclusionary radical feminist) by critics. Rowling even recently said she would 'happily' spend time in prison rather than refer to a trans person by their preferred pronouns.
In her latest offensive rants, Rowling said India was "cosplaying a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is". Rowling took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to rant about trans women using female locker rooms. She said on Sunday: "When men – all men, however they identify – are banned from women's spaces, those who disregard the ban can be challenged, inside the space and out.”
A social media user then sent her a video of India and questioned her: "Hi Joanne, so you are saying this lady should use the men’s locker room then?!" In response, Rowling said: “You’ve sent me the wrong video. There isn’t a lady in this one, just a man revelling in his misogynistic performance of what he thinks ‘woman’ means: narcissistic, shallow and exhibitionist.”
The Sims launches gender affirming character updates including top surgery scarsThe person hit back: "If India Willoughby is a ‘misogynist’ why did she become a woman? Think." Doubling down on her views, Rowling posted: "India didn't become a woman. India is cosplaying a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is." Presenter India is Britain's first trans newsreader and first trans co-panellist on Loose Women.
India caught wind of the vile rant and tweeted: "Genuinely disgusted by this. Grotesque transphobia, which is upsetting. I am every bit as much a woman as JK Rowling. Recognised in law, and by everyone I interact with every day. The debate about whether JK Rowling is a transphobe is over."
She later tweeted: "If I ever get murdered, you know who to blame. #StochasticTerrorism," which refers to when political or media figures publicly demonize a person or group in such a way that it inspires supporters of the figures to commit a violent act against the target of the speech.
Many people rushed to support India amid the vile comments. In the year ending March 2023, 4,732 hate crimes against transgender people were recorded - which was a rise of 11% from the previous year.