Author J.K. Rowling went viral on Sunday after responding to a transgender activist who attacked her without provocation.
What is the background?
On Sunday, Rowling criticized Scottish politicians for issuing groveling apologies after they participated in a demonstration in which at least one person had a “decapitate TERFs” sign, the Glasgow World reported.
“A strange new form of temporary blindness has broken out among Scottish politicians,” Rowling tweeted. “None of them could read placards calling for violence against women while standing inches away from them, yet they were instantly cured when photos of them posing with the signs hit the press.”
In response, trans activist India Willoughby claimed the “decapitate TERFs” sign did not exist and said that Rowling does not “represent women.” Then Willoughby took a direct shot at Rowling.
“I’m more of a woman than JK Rowling will ever be,” Willoughby claimed.
How did Rowling respond?
Willoughby’s claim — that as a biological male Willoughby is more of a woman than Rowling, who is a biological woman — quickly caught the “Harry Potter” author’s attention.
Rowling responded with just two words.
“Citation needed,” she said.
The response generated nearly 140,000 “likes” and more than 16 million views by Monday afternoon.
Rowling is a regular target for trans activists because she has repeatedly made it clear that she opposes progressive trans ideology on the grounds that it erases the legitimacy of women.
Trans activists accuse Rowling of being a TERF, which stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” Even dictionary.com defines the label negatively, saying that TERF refers to “an advocate of radical feminism who believes that a trans woman’s gender identity is not legitimate and who is hostile to the inclusion of trans people and gender-diverse people in the feminist movement.”
Anything else?
Willoughby later celebrated that Willoughby’s rhetorical attack on Rowling drew the billionaire author’s attention, as well as the attention of comedian Ricky Gervais.
Posting a screenshot of Rowling’s reply, which showed that Gervais had “liked” Rowling’s response, Willoughby wrote, “It’s insane that my existence annoys two people on Twitter who between them have a combined Twitter following of 30 million people! That’s nuts, isn’t it?”
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