I've still never read a Harry Potter book and never will, but as time goes on, I'm developing some deepening respect for Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. Not only does a woman who enjoys a good cigar with an adult beverage prompt a few admiration points, but I also like her grit. While she's no conservative and never will be, on the subject of women's sports, women's safe spaces (like, say, locker rooms and restrooms) and women's rights in general, she's solid — and unflinching.
Granted, J.K. Rowling, thanks to the wild success of her novels, enjoys having "screw-you" money, but it seems likely she would be just as supportive of women's rights if she were solidly among the British middle class. And she's not afraid to speak up. Recently, two British podcasters, who invited her onto their show to talk about the recent UK Supreme Court decision on women's spaces, learned the hard way about playing with Ms. Rowling's fire.
JK Rowling has accused Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart of being 'exceptionally arrogant' and 'dripping with classism and misogyny'.
The row erupted after For Women Scotland - the activist group behind a landmark Supreme Court victory on the legal definition of women - posted a farewell message from London directed at Mr Campbell that suggested they had hoped to meet him.
Ms Rowling responded to the post by sharing an animated image of cartoon characters Scooby-Doo and Shaggy looking scared alongside the caption: 'Live footage of @campbellclaret and @RoryStewartUK just in.'
Mr Campbell, who co-hosts The Rest Is Politics podcast with Mr Stewart, hit back by revealing that he had invited Ms Rowling onto the show to discuss trans issues.
Mr. Campbell likely would have had reason to regret that. Her reply came swiftly:
But the Harry Potter creator responded by insisting she 'wasn't interested' in being interviewed by them.
'That's because I wasn't interested in being used to boost the viewing figures of a pair of exceptionally arrogant men whose understanding of this issue drips with classism and misogyny, @campbellclaret,' she wrote.
'If you're genuinely interested in a debate, I'm at a loss to understand why you're uninterested in interviewing, who secured the Supreme Court victory and are therefore THE leading voices on this issue.
'But perhaps your charming daughter has adequately represented the entire Campbell family's view, by describing them as "ugly" women, with whom she wouldn't "want to be in a room"?'
And, again, there's that display of grit.
J.K. Rowling has been very vocal on this issue for quite some time now. She is clearly smart enough not to walk into an ambush, which is what it would seem that Campbell and Stewart tried to provoke her into doing; to her credit, Ms. Rowling just wasn't having any. And after her reply, it would not be surprising to see Campbell and Stewart frantically brushing some still-smoldering embers off their clothing.
And, regardless of her opinions on other issues, on this matter, J.K. Rowling is on the mark. Not only is she vocal about keeping women's spaces for women, but her J.K. Rowling Women's Fund is working to make sure that happens. This is a legal fund, as the website puts it, "A legal fighting fund for women protecting their sex-based rights." Here is what they fund:
We fund legal representation for women and organisations who don’t have adequate means to raise or defend legal actions and who:
- Have lost their livelihoods, suffered harm, loss of earnings or been discriminated against because of their expressed beliefs on biological sex being unchangeable;
- Are being forced to comply with unlawful policies, practices or guidance which undermine protected single-sex spaces including in the workplace, activities, associations and services for women and girls;
- Are actively challenging policies, practices or guidance which take away the freedoms, protections or safeguards that women and girls are entitled to under the Equality Act 2010 and other legislation.
That's work worth doing.
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As far as the larger issue goes, J.K. Rowling is getting some support, albeit rather tepid, from some unlikely sources. Case in point:
Actor John Lithgow said much of J.K. Rowling’s views on transgender issues have been "twisted and misrepresented," despite his own disagreements with "much" of what the author has said.
"I do disagree with much of [what she has said]," Lithgow told journalist David Remnick late last month.
"Much of it, I think, has been twisted and misrepresented, and she has sort of doubled down on it at her own cost."
Was John Lithgow trying to thread the needle here? His being cast to appear as a character in an onscreen version of one of Ms. Rowling's novels would seem to be worth a whole big pile of folding cash, and, likely, Mr. Lithgow doesn't want to possibly annoy the author, who could presumably dig in her heels and get him replaced.
In this, as in all such social issues, we take our allies where we find them. Not only is J.K. Rowling in the right on this issue, but she also has considerable resources — and by that I mean "richer than Croesus" — to dedicate to the fight. She's doing great work. We should applaud her in this, and we can and should draw some amusement at her scorching of two British "misogynist and classist" podcasters.
