J.K. Rowling Doesn't Like Being Called Joanne

By Nate Parker | Celebrity | May 13, 2024 |

By Nate Parker | Celebrity | May 13, 2024 |

J.K. Rowling has spent years as the transphobic gender-critical movement’s spokesperson. She’s been disowned by the main Harry Potter cast, sidelined by HBO (now Max), and so focused on trans women that even Elon Musk suggested she post “interesting and positive content” for a change. It worked as well as every other time a man told a woman to calm down, and she spent this past weekend bickering on Twitter about how transgender identity is the same as Blackface and her irritation at being called by her birth name (shared directly from the site because primary sources are important):

Does this apply to any other demographic, Landon? Do I get to be black if I like Motown and fancy myself in cornrows? What if I claim the authentic me has always been black and that you're being racist to me? Would that be OK, or would you find it ludicrous and deeply offensive?

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 12, 2024

Joanne, Joanne, Joanne, let me explain, Joanne, what your books mean, Joanne, because, Joanne, here’s a Joanne quote that means men, Joanne, can be women, Joanne, and I hope, Joanne, you realise, Joanne, how very Joanne wrong, Joanne, you are, Joanne, and also Jo.

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) May 11, 2024

There are people better qualified to speak about the inaccurate and offensive comparison of blackface and gender identity. This in-depth article does a fantastic job. I can say that only an author racially oblivious enough to name their only Chinese-Scottish character Cho Chang would compare inherent gender identity to liking Motown and cornrows.

J.K., born Joanne and occasionally writing under the pseudonym Richard Galbraith, is the titular head of a movement that delights in deadnaming trans people. She often shares posts that do so and is contemptuous of people whose preferred name doesn’t match their biology. It seems fair to question how she squares that with her dislike for being called by her given name. It’s also not a great idea to draw attention to things that annoy you unless you want more of the same. But since she thrives on the high she gets fighting on Twitter, I suppose it works out for her either way. For a better, more positive use of your energy, here again is the list of organizations Chris put together who deserve more of our attention.

(This article has been updated to remove a tweet that was mischaracterized)