Redeem now

• J.K. Rowling tweeted problematic statements about trans people over the weekend, and some celebrities were not amused. 
• Stars like Jonathan Van Ness, Jameela Jamil, and Sarah Paulson took to social media to express their outrage and frustration with Rowling's tweets. 
• And musicians, like Halsey and indie rock duo Tegan & Sara, also denounced Rowling on Twitter. 
• Many of the celebrities took issue with the fact that trans people, especially trans people of color, are facing unprecedented challenges right now, as protests against police brutality grow across the US. 
• Rowling has since attempted to clarify her tweets, but that only caused more backlash on social media. 
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Celebrities like Jonathan Van Ness, Jameela Jamil, and Halsey called out J.K. Rowling after she tweeted problematic statements about trans people on Saturday. 

The "Harry Potter" author tweeted out a link to an article about creating a more equal world for people who menstruate and included a controversial opinion about the phrasing.

"'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" Rowling said. 

—J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020

Numerous users called out the post for being transphobic, pointing out that trans men can menstruate, as can gender non-conforming and non-binary people.

They also pointed out that it erased the lived experiences of women who don't menstruate, which can be the result of things like menopause or health conditions like endometriosis.

—🌈 BLM // ACAB 🌈 (@royallyqueer) June 6, 2020—Ruairí (@morningruairi) June 7, 2020—syd (@sydneydito) June 6, 2020—Aleen 🚀 (@Aleen) June 6, 2020

 

The "Harry Potter" author then defended her opinion on sex and gender identity, and told followers that she "respect[s] every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them." 

—J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020—J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020

Many people, including a number of celebrities, were disturbed and disappointed by Rowling's remarks, feeling that all of her tweets served to "invalidate trans people."

Sarah Paulson, Anthony Rapp, Whitney Cummings, and Jameela Jamil were among the stars who called out the author on Twitter, telling her to "shut up" and encouraging their followers to donate to charities benefiting trans people. 

—Sarah Paulson (@MsSarahPaulson) June 7, 2020—Anthony Rapp @🏡 (@albinokid) June 6, 2020—Whitney Cummings (@WhitneyCummings) June 6, 2020—Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) June 7, 2020

Musicians like Halsey and indie rock duo Tegan & Sara also shared their feelings about the matter. 

"Imagine writing a generation defining series about a youth uprisal that defeats a tyrannical monster motivated by the preservation of 'pure blood' and looking at THIS time in the world and going 'hmm...yep. I'm gonna invalidate trans people,'" Halsey tweeted.

Tegan & Sara simply told any "TERFs" (a popular acronym that stands for "trans-exclusionary radical feminist") following them to "f--- off and unfollow us." 

—h (@halsey) June 7, 2020—Tegan and Sara (@teganandsara) June 6, 2020

And "Queer Eye" star Jonathan Van Ness had a succinct response to Rowling's statements as well.

"Trans women are women. Trans Black people & trans non-Black people are discriminated against every single day. They're dying. We're fighting for Black people & trans people and you're doing this?" he tweeted. 

—Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) June 7, 2020

 

This isn't the first time Rowling has come under fire for her comments about transgender people. In December, the author was criticized for defending a UK woman named Maya Forstater who was fired from her job after making transphobic statements. 

• Read more:
• J.K. Rowling is under fire for defending a woman who lost her job after saying trans women aren't real women
• J.K. Rowling went on a Twitter rant about how transgender activism can hurt women and lesbians. Her 'TERF' stance is unpopular.
• The actress who played 'Cho Chang' in 'Harry Potter' responded after J.K. Rowling was called out for the character's name

Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Subscribe to push notifications

Watch: J.K. Rowling, who denies being a billionaire, made $54 million last year. Here's how the famous 'Harry Potter' author makes and spends her fortune.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyrt4yrprCkmaO0bq%2FEpZybqpmpxm6%2BxKynqKajmsBuwNGapayomKSvqq2Mm5ico5yWwKl507CcnqyjYn9xfo9mbQ%3D%3D