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How JK Rowling Went From Beloved Author to Cultural Lightning Rod
JK Rowling: From Beloved Author to Cultural Lightning Rod
If you had suggested a decade ago that JK Rowling, the beloved author of the Harry Potter series, would become a divisive figure among cultural elites, people would have thought you were mad. For years, Rowling was revered for her magical tales that turned a generation onto reading. The only controversy surrounding her came from ultra-religious groups in the U.S., who feared her books promoted witchcraft.
But times have changed. Once embraced by the liberal left — she voted Labour, admired Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and was outspoken about feminism — Rowling now finds herself at the center of a cultural storm. Her views on biological sex, which she believes is immutable, have made her a target of intense criticism from transgender activists.
The controversy began in 2018 when Rowling liked a tweet that described trans women as “men in dresses.” Initially, her spokesperson claimed it was an accident, and at the time, the issue of transgender rights had not yet become a mainstream topic. However, in 2019, Rowling openly supported Maya Forstater, a researcher who lost her job for expressing gender-critical views, by tweeting her support with the hashtag #IStandWithMaya.
