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J.K. Rowling Addresses Her Critics

As more people burned her books over the weekend, the author confronts the idea that she is ‘dangerous’ and ‘transphobic.’

By The Free Press

March 28, 2023

The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling has sparked a conversation all over the world about moral panics, the toxicity surrounding the subject of sex and gender, and more. It’s a story that’s still unfolding—and it’s one that goes well beyond the confines of a single podcast. 

In Chapter 7: What If You’re Wrong?, released this morning, Megan Phelps-Roper asks J.K. Rowling to respond directly to the most incisive accusations lodged by her critics. Among those criticisms: that the Harry Potter author is engaging in bigotry; that she is blind to her transphobia; and that her words are creating an environment that is dangerous to trans people.

The two also discuss the difficulty of discernment—why it can be so hard to know if you are standing up for what’s right—and the difference between what Rowling says she believes and what her critics claim she does.

No matter where you stand on this heated debate, we think you’ll find her answers well worth your time.

You can listen now on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Or press play right here:

And if you haven’t had a chance to listen to the show yet, get started now on Chapter One: Plotted in Darkness

We’ll be back with an epilogue in just a few weeks.

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