I meant my comment mostly as sarcasm, but yes, I think you are right about why. Based on what I know about unresolved trauma, I think that is a lot of it. One of the most common aspects of unresolved trauma is a loss of imagination. I think the fear you mentioned, and the lack of empathy and curiosity has a lot to do with loss of imagination. I don't think the trauma response is necessarily the answer to all hateful bigotry, but I think it likely is for the ones who, like Rowling, are obsessed and overtly aggressive with their hatred. One of the biggest problems in western cultures, imo, is that, depending on a person's positionality, they are either vilified or excused for destructive words and actions that are motivated by knee-jerk trauma responses. Instead, we need to provide and make accessible treatment for these people, and not allow past trauma to be used as an excuse for current bad behavior, especially when enacted by someone like Rowling. In her case, it seems likely to me that her hatred comes from the abuse she has described, at the hands of men. She is reactive to any perceived vulnerability to that happening again, and she doesn't have the empathy or imagination to believe that anybody could have different motivations than those she has eexperienced. She doesn't experience any dissonance regarding her gender, so she can't believe anyone eelse really does, either. I really wish she'd make use of the immense privilege she has to get some therapy.
What is your basis for assuming Rowling's vicious bigotry is a result of trauma? She expressed many other types of bigotry within her works, including the HP stuff
I could, of course, be wrong, but my sense is that her hostility is related to a fear. She has made comments about having suffered domestic abuse. Her anti-trans rants are very often precipitated by what seems to be her perception of women being victimized by trans women. While her bigotry is not limited to trans women, that is the form of bigotry that she expresses in the most emotionally loaded way: it's not the casual, assumed cultural bigotry she inflicts on other target groups. I'm not an expert by any means, but I do have more knowledge than the average person about how unresolved trauma has the potential to manifest as aggressive hostility towards anyone or anything which reminds the traumatized person in even the vaguest way of the harm they suffered. For many people, the fear of men dressing as women so as to attack women in restrooms is just something whipped up as a trope to excuse or justify their bigotry. With Rowling, it has sort of a hysterical, unhinged quality to it that seems like she truly believes the imagined threat. I don't mean to imply I am making excuses for her, or giving her an out. She is an extraordinarily privileged person, with access to healing resources that would help her resolve any trauma she has suffered, or at least learn to manage how she reacts to triggers. But she chooses instead to do what she does, which is horribly damaging.
Something that truly puzzles me is why TERFs go to so much trouble. If they really feel the need to attack a "socio-polutical construct" because of their concerns about its threat to ⁷ safety and well-being of women, why not just go after organized religion instead? It sure would be easier, because they wouldn't even have to gin up any lies to prove their point.
I do not know with any certainty. I suspect it has much to do with fear. I think it almost always comes down to that, the fear of that which they do not understand. They cannot fathom how anyone for any reason would ever feel compelled to transition, and will invent, or latch onto, the craziest stories and fear and arguments if it means they are able to be right in their position against the thing they do not understand. They fear is to much the refuse to understand. It ends up distilled into hate.
I tend to pity these folks. Imagine the life they live, so afraid of things all the time? Is it not better to be curious, to want to learn and understand and grow as a person? These TERFs? They lack this capacity for growth, for change, for evolution. Not entirely, I mean they can with time and constant exposure (or therapy) - it just does not come naturally to them. It is sad, really.
I get upset at what they say and do, of course. I deplore their actions, call to action, and the violence and harm it causes. But at the end of the day, I pity them more than anything else. I want them to not live in constant fear, but to be able to feel safe, and be brave! To be free of the cage they live in. Well, at least that is my two cents on that thought for right now :)
“That feminism which excludes trans women is no feminism at all.”
In fact every attack on Trans women is also an attack on the possibilities of cis -women. Well-muscled athletic cis women? JKR will call you a bloke. Facial hair - let the transphobes destroy your self worth by calling you a disgusting freak.
These so called feminists police women’s bodies as badly as 00’s gossip magazines, only this time the enemy is masculinity rather than cellulite.
The more obsessed with policing the gender binary they get the measlier and more miserable the portion allowed women becomes. Men are strong, so women must be weak. Men are deep thinkers, women are frivolous. Men are fast so women must be slow. Men are bold so women must be meek.
That’s why trans misogyny is poorly concealed misogyny misogyny. These fake feminists are not on women’s side.
Precisely, and it felt very cathartic and empowering to type the bit you quoted into this essay. It really resonated with me, because I believe that so strongly. I really wanted to call that out, because I believe that feminism and women's rights are not just included in the fight for trans rights, but that they are broader than that - this is why "Trans right are human rights" is such a powerful statement.
I am glad that you commented on it, I really hope this resonates with others who read this as well. Thanks for sharing and drawing attention to this! I hope it is helpful for other as well :)
Thank you for the kind words! I tire of the bad arguments, logical fallacies, and mis/dis information that is spread around, as well as the conspiracy theories that crop up surrounding trans issues. This is my way of being able to punch up to those kicking down. Something I want to encourage all of us to do!
Well said, loved the idea of her sharing an iron maiden in hell with Thatcher.
Like you I find a perverse joy in the fact that despite being richer than several countries, she can never again be happy, she’s always boiling in a seething cauldron of rage knowing somewhere a woman is being trans unmolested.
This is fantastically written, and I love it! I wish I could like this more than once, and I share your feelings and sentiments. Thank you for the kind compliments!
![People with Inconvenient Truths about Transphobes [PITT]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_80,h_80,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F704ba0db-3e10-4112-9364-c2f224d0cfae_500x500.png)
![People with Inconvenient Truths about Transphobes [PITT]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F704ba0db-3e10-4112-9364-c2f224d0cfae_500x500.png)
I meant my comment mostly as sarcasm, but yes, I think you are right about why. Based on what I know about unresolved trauma, I think that is a lot of it. One of the most common aspects of unresolved trauma is a loss of imagination. I think the fear you mentioned, and the lack of empathy and curiosity has a lot to do with loss of imagination. I don't think the trauma response is necessarily the answer to all hateful bigotry, but I think it likely is for the ones who, like Rowling, are obsessed and overtly aggressive with their hatred. One of the biggest problems in western cultures, imo, is that, depending on a person's positionality, they are either vilified or excused for destructive words and actions that are motivated by knee-jerk trauma responses. Instead, we need to provide and make accessible treatment for these people, and not allow past trauma to be used as an excuse for current bad behavior, especially when enacted by someone like Rowling. In her case, it seems likely to me that her hatred comes from the abuse she has described, at the hands of men. She is reactive to any perceived vulnerability to that happening again, and she doesn't have the empathy or imagination to believe that anybody could have different motivations than those she has eexperienced. She doesn't experience any dissonance regarding her gender, so she can't believe anyone eelse really does, either. I really wish she'd make use of the immense privilege she has to get some therapy.
What is your basis for assuming Rowling's vicious bigotry is a result of trauma? She expressed many other types of bigotry within her works, including the HP stuff
I could, of course, be wrong, but my sense is that her hostility is related to a fear. She has made comments about having suffered domestic abuse. Her anti-trans rants are very often precipitated by what seems to be her perception of women being victimized by trans women. While her bigotry is not limited to trans women, that is the form of bigotry that she expresses in the most emotionally loaded way: it's not the casual, assumed cultural bigotry she inflicts on other target groups. I'm not an expert by any means, but I do have more knowledge than the average person about how unresolved trauma has the potential to manifest as aggressive hostility towards anyone or anything which reminds the traumatized person in even the vaguest way of the harm they suffered. For many people, the fear of men dressing as women so as to attack women in restrooms is just something whipped up as a trope to excuse or justify their bigotry. With Rowling, it has sort of a hysterical, unhinged quality to it that seems like she truly believes the imagined threat. I don't mean to imply I am making excuses for her, or giving her an out. She is an extraordinarily privileged person, with access to healing resources that would help her resolve any trauma she has suffered, or at least learn to manage how she reacts to triggers. But she chooses instead to do what she does, which is horribly damaging.
Something that truly puzzles me is why TERFs go to so much trouble. If they really feel the need to attack a "socio-polutical construct" because of their concerns about its threat to ⁷ safety and well-being of women, why not just go after organized religion instead? It sure would be easier, because they wouldn't even have to gin up any lies to prove their point.
I do not know with any certainty. I suspect it has much to do with fear. I think it almost always comes down to that, the fear of that which they do not understand. They cannot fathom how anyone for any reason would ever feel compelled to transition, and will invent, or latch onto, the craziest stories and fear and arguments if it means they are able to be right in their position against the thing they do not understand. They fear is to much the refuse to understand. It ends up distilled into hate.
I tend to pity these folks. Imagine the life they live, so afraid of things all the time? Is it not better to be curious, to want to learn and understand and grow as a person? These TERFs? They lack this capacity for growth, for change, for evolution. Not entirely, I mean they can with time and constant exposure (or therapy) - it just does not come naturally to them. It is sad, really.
I get upset at what they say and do, of course. I deplore their actions, call to action, and the violence and harm it causes. But at the end of the day, I pity them more than anything else. I want them to not live in constant fear, but to be able to feel safe, and be brave! To be free of the cage they live in. Well, at least that is my two cents on that thought for right now :)
“That feminism which excludes trans women is no feminism at all.”
In fact every attack on Trans women is also an attack on the possibilities of cis -women. Well-muscled athletic cis women? JKR will call you a bloke. Facial hair - let the transphobes destroy your self worth by calling you a disgusting freak.
These so called feminists police women’s bodies as badly as 00’s gossip magazines, only this time the enemy is masculinity rather than cellulite.
The more obsessed with policing the gender binary they get the measlier and more miserable the portion allowed women becomes. Men are strong, so women must be weak. Men are deep thinkers, women are frivolous. Men are fast so women must be slow. Men are bold so women must be meek.
That’s why trans misogyny is poorly concealed misogyny misogyny. These fake feminists are not on women’s side.
Precisely, and it felt very cathartic and empowering to type the bit you quoted into this essay. It really resonated with me, because I believe that so strongly. I really wanted to call that out, because I believe that feminism and women's rights are not just included in the fight for trans rights, but that they are broader than that - this is why "Trans right are human rights" is such a powerful statement.
I am glad that you commented on it, I really hope this resonates with others who read this as well. Thanks for sharing and drawing attention to this! I hope it is helpful for other as well :)
Fantastic! You’re to be commended on such a thoughtful and intelligent response to a known gaslighter.
Thank you for the kind words! I tire of the bad arguments, logical fallacies, and mis/dis information that is spread around, as well as the conspiracy theories that crop up surrounding trans issues. This is my way of being able to punch up to those kicking down. Something I want to encourage all of us to do!
I love it! I had also completely forgotten it was a thing, so I had a good chuckle, thanks!
Well said, loved the idea of her sharing an iron maiden in hell with Thatcher.
Like you I find a perverse joy in the fact that despite being richer than several countries, she can never again be happy, she’s always boiling in a seething cauldron of rage knowing somewhere a woman is being trans unmolested.
This is fantastically written, and I love it! I wish I could like this more than once, and I share your feelings and sentiments. Thank you for the kind compliments!