Celebrity J.K. Rowling Is Facing Backlash After Posting Transphobic Tweets About Menstruation "How can someone who had enough imagination to write one of the best selling fantasy novels have such a narrow mind?" By Alicia Brunker Alicia Brunker Instagram Alicia Brunker is a freelance writer who covers celebrity, royal, and fashion news for InStyle.com. She joined InStyle's digital team in 2017, and previously contributed to ELLE, T: The New York Times Style Magazine, and WWD. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on June 7, 2020 @ 04:38PM Pin Share Tweet Email J.K. Rowling is under fire for several transphobic tweets over the weekend. In response to a story about healthcare inequality, titled "Creating a More Equal Post-COVID-19 World for People Who Menstruate," the author refused to accept that trans men and non-binary individuals have periods. “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she tweeted alongside the article. Rowling doubled down on the prejudiced point of view, writing: "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." Despite backlash, she continued to defend her comments, and claimed that she's still empathetic to the transgender community. "The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense." "I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. 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." Almost immediately, Rowling's comments were met with criticism on Twitter. "How can someone who had enough imagination to write one of the best selling fantasy novels have such a narrow mind?" one person commented, while another replied: "Women are not defined by their periods." I Never Experienced the Wage Gap—Until I Became a Woman Meanwhile, GLAAD responded to her tweets with a list of organizations that support Black transgender people. "If you want to direct your rightful anger over JK Rowling's latest anti-trans comments into something positive, support orgs that help Black trans people like @MPJInstitute, @blacktransusa, @TransJusticeFP, @Genderintell and @ukblackpride." The LGBTQ organization added, "In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people."