J.K. Rowling and the Slippery Slope of TERF Bigotry

Written by Katie Manzer

Terms defined:

TERF — “trans-exclusionary radical feminist(s)”; a subsection of feminists who believe womanhood is inherently related to biological sex and are critical of transgender rights activism

AFAB — “assigned female at birth”; a term for a transgender person who was first designated female and who later transitioned to a different gender

AMAB — “assigned male at birth”; a term for a transgender person who was first designated male and who later transitioned to a different gender

In December 2019, prominent feminist author of the Harry Potter saga, J.K. Rowling, came under fire for defending a woman who had been fired from her job for expressing transphobic sentiments. In the summer of 2020, during pride month no less, Rowling became aligned with a group of feminists called “TERFs” through a series of tweets expressing her opinions, followed by a 4000-word essay clarifying exactly the risks that she believes trans identity poses to feminism. Rowling is merely a case study of how easy it is for otherwise respectable people to succumb to transphobic beliefs.

TERF stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist and is a subsection of feminism that believes biological sex determines one’s gender and that trans activism is a danger to “real” womanhood. TERFs believe that the issues faced by cisgender women are unique to their socialization, growing up as a female in a patriarchal society, and that AMAB trans women simply have not experienced enough to classify them as real women. Anti-trans rhetoric as spouted by TERFs has become more and more agreeable among even the most open-minded feminists due to the ideology’s appeal to fear.

In addressing the TERF ideology’s appeal to fear, there is often trauma that accompanies many of the women who agree that trans people should not be included in women-only spaces. Among women who have survived abuse at the hands of men, as J.K. Rowling has unfortunately experienced, the idea of AMAB trans people “infiltrating” women’s spaces can be scary for those who do not wish to be victimized again. As well, in the case of AFAB trans people, TERFs see their wish to transition as a way to escape the burdens of being a woman in a patriarchal society. While this apprehensive response may be a natural one, it is important to note that it is not a rational one, nor is it one that justifies bigotry toward a certain group. For example, one may have had their belongings stolen by a black teen at one point in their lives, but this does not justify vilifying all black teens as evil thieves. Limiting one’s exposure to different types of people ensures that the negative stereotype that has been constructed for a real group of people remains one’s only view.

In the case of trans women, these people may have been raised or socialized as males but, due to the same patriarchal society that oppresses women, trans people often face even more harassment and bullying for not fitting their expected gender norms. As well, trans people — trans women in particular — are the most at-risk for abuse, both physical and sexual, among any group of people (two times more than cisgender females, three times more than cisgender males). By excluding trans women from women’s spaces, their sense of self is being denied, affirming that they are simply “men in dresses,” as TERFs like to refer to them, and limiting their access to safe and dependable support systems.

J.K. Rowling exists as a figure that has been famously sympathetic to movements like feminism, anti-racism, and queer rights, yet her choice to align with a group that stands for bigotry and exclusion shows how easily the TERF ideology can appeal to otherwise socially conscious individuals. By defining gender with such rigid constraints and distrusting anyone with a Y chromosome, we risk losing our empathy for those who suffer from the same ails that affect feminism as a whole. Intersectionality is one of the most important aspects of an influential and stable feminist movement, as we are only stronger together.