Famous author JK Rowling is once again embroiled in controversy surrounding the transgender community after it was revealed that the villain in her new book is a male serial killer who dresses as a woman to kill his victims.
Rowling vs. the trans community
Rowling's new book, "Troubled Blood" is written under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book is set to be released on September 15, and it is about a detective named Cormoran Strike, who will work out on what happened to missing GP Margot Bamborough.
Cormoran Strike fears that GP Margot Bamborough fell victim to Dennis Creed, who has been dubbed a "transvestite serial killer" for murdering his victims while wearing female clothing.
The Daily Telegraph did an early review of the 900-page book, in which the critic states that the book's moral seems to be "never trust a man in a dress." This immediately sparked a massive backlash online.
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Furious readers and the LGBT community rushed to Twitter to share their sentiments over the new book, and they made the #RIPJKRowling trend worldwide.
Meanwhile, others defended the author and said that the book is not transphobic at all, and the "over-eager" detractors should read it before jumping into conclusions.
Observer journalist Nick Cohen wrote on Twitter that he had read the latest novel and that the claim that it is anti-trans is not true. He said he couldn't elaborate on it because it may give away the ending, so it is best that people read it themselves.
However, netizens are not taking things lightly, with one user pointing out that if all of the negative stereotyping Rowling has done about trans women are combined, it shows a clear pattern. Some stated that Rowling's book might play into the fears that trans women are CIS males looking to spy on women.
TV anchor Piers Morgan added that the trending hashtag #RIPJKRowling says all that "you kneed to know about the woke brigade," adding that "they're nastier and more viciously intolerant than anyone they preach about."
Anti-trans stance
In June, the "Harry Potter" author hit the headlines after she mocked an online article using the words "people who menstruate" instead of "women," according to Independent.co.
The author was immediately hit by what she described as "relentless attacks" after she wrote on Twitter that "there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"
The acclaimed novelist then wrote a personal essay to address the controversy, revealing that she was sexually assaulted in her 20s and said she still feels the scars of "domestic violence" in her first marriage.
Rowling's remarks sparked a massive backlash from the public and the stars who worked on the "Harry Potter" films such as Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and Eddie Redmayne.
Meanwhile, actor Robbie Coltrane, who played Rubeus Hagrid in the "Harry Potter" film franchise, told the Radio Times that he doesn't think that what the author said was offensive.
Coltrane said he does not know why, but "there's a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended." Rowling has not responded to the resent hashtag under her name.
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