J.K. Rowling Claps Back at Hater Who Called Her a 'Tragic, Sad Figure'

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has hit back at a detractor who branded her a "tragic and sad figure" over her stance on transgender issues.

The writerhas fallen from beloved to beleaguered in recent years over her comments regarding transgender women. She has also received much support for her stance, with "#IStandWithJKRowling" trending on Twitter in the past.

Rowling has publicly supported women who question the legitimacy of transgender women's gender identities and has frequently spoken out on the issue on Twitter.

In 2020, she was accused of transphobia when she mocked an op-ed that referred to "people who menstruate" rather than "women." The term is used to refer to people from different gender identities who menstruate, including non-binary, trans men and intersex people.

Amid ongoing divisions over Rowling's stance on the matter, the writer recently took to Twitter to share a screenshot of a disparaging message that appears to have been sent to her on the platform.

"You really have become a rather tragic and sad figure, haven't you?" the detractor wrote. "All that money. All that success, and yet most will remember you for being little more than a vituperative giga-troll and the de facto leader of a global transphobic cult."

Wryly responding to the message, Rowling tweeted: "Used to think I wanted just name and dates on my gravestone, but 'vituperative giga-troll' would really make me stand out in the cemetery."

Weighing in, another Twitter user said: "I pledge allegiance to the cult of 'Wow, would you look at that! Turns out women, kids and gays deserve rights too!'"

In an apparent echo of the messages she has received in the past, Rowling asked the Twitter user how they "even sleep at night," adding: "[Do] you not realise this tweet has quite literally killed millions etc etc etc."

Rowling's post was met with widespread amusement among her followers, a number of whom also singled out the insult "vituperative giga-troll."

Rowling stirred controversy in 2019 when she publicly supported Maya Forstater, a U.K. tax specialist who was fired over tweets that were deemed to be anti-trans.

In an essay published on her personal website in June 2020, Rowling shared some of her views on transgender issues.

She wrote: "When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman—and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones—then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside. That is the simple truth."

Also in June 2020, Rowling reacted to an article that referred to "people who menstruate," tweeting: "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"

While some trans activists branded Rowling a "TERF"—an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist—she stood her ground on the issue.

Rowling tweeted at the time: "If sex isn't real, there's no same-sex attraction. If sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn't hate to speak the truth.

"I respect every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them," she went on. "I'd march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so."

Several actors associated with the Harry Potter franchise have publicly disagreed with her, including stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint.

In July 2021, Rowling stated on Twitter that she had received a "pipebomb" threat amid an onslaught of attacks over her previous statements about trans women.

She has continued to speak out about the way the internet has "canceled" her and tweeted her support of singer Macy Gray, who in July made several controversial comments on the definition of a woman.

Despite the controversy, it was recently found in a survey that Rowling remains popular with millennials—the generation typically defined as people people born between 1981 and 1996.

A YouGov poll tracks the popularity of the book, J. K. Rowling: A Biography, and its most recent results show that it was best known and most popular among millennials. The book is one of many unauthorized biographies written about the famous author.

The book got 48 points in terms of popularity and 66 points for fame in the millennials age bracket, compared to 18 and 50 points for Gen X—people born between 1965 and 1980.

A recent push for the boycott of Hogwarts Legacy because of its association with Rowling's Harry Potter franchise appears to have largely failed, with the video game achieving across-the-board chart-topping sales.