What kind?

Alex Massie has a fine blast of rage at the bullying of JKR:

Today, like yesterday and like tomorrow too, the most famous person living in Scotland will probably receive at least one death threat and all but certainly be the lucky recipient of plenty of other promises of violence. And today, like yesterday and probably like tomorrow too, very few people will bother to be concerned about this. There will be no vigil, no statements of support or solidarity, no suggestion this is a monstrous state of affairs to be deplored by all decent people, no indication at all, in fact, that there is anything to see here at all. It will be just another day in the life of JK Rowling.

Even if the Scottish parliament were sitting, no politician would draw attention to the abuse heaped upon Rowling for the crime (sic) of thinking women’s rights and those of trans people may sometimes conflict. Scottish PEN will remain silent and so will the actors and other artists whose fame and fortunes have in large part been made as a result of Rowling’s work. That may be their right, but it is craven nonetheless.

All this is because they declare she is transphobic. No need to establish that she really is; it’s enough to say it.

Last week, drawing attention to one threat made against her, Rowling acidly observed, “Now that 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”. It is important to note that these threats are not confined to the fetid swamps of social media. At a Trans Pride march in London last month, activists carried signs emblazoned with the messages “Rot in Hell Rowling” and “Kill JK Rowling”.

Progressive yeah?

Nor is there any way of avoiding the obvious truth that Rowling’s thought crimes are exacerbated by her sex. She not only dares to say what she thinks, she has the audacity to do so as a woman. The level of hatred directed towards her is sex-based too. It cannot be explained away by her wealth or celebrity; it is of a type and an obsession that is wearily familiar to many women. To put it simply: there are plenty of men who hate women and it is always a mistake to forget this.

I used to think the hatred had gone underground a little.

Ha.

Many of the loudest voices in the so-called trans-rights movement are not those of trans people themselves but, rather, of men whose self-professed alliance with trans people often seems like a convenient cloak for rampant misogyny. Any woman who dares note this can count on receiving a vastly greater measure of abuse than a man making the same argument might. This has always seemed telling.

The relish with which Rowling’s haters assail her is also revealing. The violence wished upon her may often be a lurid fantasy but such fantasies are themselves acts of male violence. Some men get their kicks in truly miserable fashion.

No no they’re Being Kind.

11 Responses to “What kind?”