Opinion of J.K. Rowling

[afleitch]

If only she wasn't so litigious...

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

The typical English curriculum includes Dante Alighieri? Lol

(which would be less strange than it including J. K. Rowling by the way)

Dante is like Shakespeare and Cervantes. He is not only an Italian medieval author, but a heritage of humanity

Of course.
However I found it a little funny as (to use your examples) I don't remember if we actually read anything by Cervantes in high school in Italian classes, and we basically skipped Shakespeare since we studied him in English classes.

"English class" in American high schools is basically "literature class with a primary but not exclusive focus on American and British lit". This also means that many Americans, even very literate ones like myself, get through their education with a pretty slipshod understanding of the technicalities of English grammar and syntax.

I see.
In Italian high schools "Italian class" means:
1st year there are notions of text analysis, some reading of epic poems and random stuff.
2nd year there are notions of text analysis (and very early Italian literature at the end of the year) + we read The Betrothed.
3rd, 4th and 5th years we study Italian literature (and some snippets of world literature) in chronological order + we read (part of) The Divine Comedy - one cantica per year.
So here too not much grammar and syntax.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Writing Harry Potter = FF

Since writing Harry Potter, she's become pretty weird and annoying, but people overreact to her with such extreme vitriol and hatred that it makes me sympathize with her.

[parochial boy]

I've always kind of felt that the "Trans people are wannabe sexual predators" line is basically a modern day version of the "gays are paedos" one that went around in the 70s/80s. Attacking what is arguably the single most victimised and vulnerable groups of people in society so as to reinforce your own victim status strikes me as pretty sickening, morally speaking; and really sticks in your throat when you think about what the messages in her books actually were.

[Higgins]

You are basically implying that trans persons need a conversion therapy, similar to those therapies aimed at curing homosexualism and bisexualism. Should a trans conversion therapy include electroshock or not? Which medication would be the more appropriate to treat that disease?

I'm not a physician; I do not know what treatment but I am certain some form of medication would help the illness. I do not support electro shock therapy for anyone; it's barbaric. That being said, do we or do we not try to treat Autistic people to make life easier for them?

Do we not help people with Asbergers, or diseases of the brain which involve other motor dysfunctions better adjust to life?

Similarly, do we or do we not treat addicts? Addiction as I was taught in college is a "brain disease." Do we encourage and indulge and celebrate an addict being an addict, or do we encourage treatment and being clean?

Or if you take a look over the galley of the other various mental disorders like Anxiety, Depression, Body Dysmorphia Disosrder...Do we tell someone with Body Dysmorphia that purging and anorexia and bulimia is okay? That they are exactly what they see in the mirror? Do we throw them parades? Or do we try to help them realize that what they see subjectively is not objective fact?

[parochial boy]

You are basically implying that trans persons need a conversion therapy, similar to those therapies aimed at curing homosexualism and bisexualism. Should a trans conversion therapy include electroshock or not? Which medication would be the more appropriate to treat that disease?

I'm not a physician; I do not know what treatment but I am certain some form of medication would help the illness. I do not support electro shock therapy for anyone; it's barbaric. That being said, do we or do we not try to treat Autistic people to make life easier for them?

Do we not help people with Asbergers, or diseases of the brain which involve other motor dysfunctions better adjust to life?

Similarly, do we or do we not treat addicts? Addiction as I was taught in college is a "brain disease." Do we encourage and indulge and celebrate an addict being an addict, or do we encourage treatment and being clean?

Or if you take a look over the galley of the other various mental disorders like Anxiety, Depression, Body Dysmorphia Disosrder...Do we tell someone with Body Dysmorphia that purging and anorexia and bulimia is okay? That they are exactly what they see in the mirror? Do we throw them parades? Or do we try to help them realize that what they see subjectively is not objective fact?

And gender dysphoria is treated by transitioning. There is an actual scientific consensus about this being the best way and having the best outcomes.

I'm sorry that you don't like it, but it's actually the transperson themself who is important. Not your own poorly conceived prejudices.

[Higgins]

You are basically implying that trans persons need a conversion therapy, similar to those therapies aimed at curing homosexualism and bisexualism. Should a trans conversion therapy include electroshock or not? Which medication would be the more appropriate to treat that disease?

I'm not a physician; I do not know what treatment but I am certain some form of medication would help the illness. I do not support electro shock therapy for anyone; it's barbaric. That being said, do we or do we not try to treat Autistic people to make life easier for them?

Do we not help people with Asbergers, or diseases of the brain which involve other motor dysfunctions better adjust to life?

Similarly, do we or do we not treat addicts? Addiction as I was taught in college is a "brain disease." Do we encourage and indulge and celebrate an addict being an addict, or do we encourage treatment and being clean?

Or if you take a look over the galley of the other various mental disorders like Anxiety, Depression, Body Dysmorphia Disosrder...Do we tell someone with Body Dysmorphia that purging and anorexia and bulimia is okay? That they are exactly what they see in the mirror? Do we throw them parades? Or do we try to help them realize that what they see subjectively is not objective fact?

And gender dysphoria is treated by transitioning. There is an actual scientific consensus about this being the best way and having the best outcomes.

I'm sorry that you don't like it, but it's actually the transperson themself who is important. Not your own poorly conceived prejudices.

Also, again, I don't indulge mental illness. You do, because you have been conditioned by your professors to do so.
Gender dysmorphia isn't treated by transitioning. It is indulged. It's basically saying the best way to treat a heroin addict is to pump them full of heroin. A gambling addict's best bet at recovery is gambling some more. That is the mindset of people like you.
I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's the truth, not your bull--it politicized "science."

[lfromnj]

WE NEED MORE MINORITY REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS/ARTS


NO NOT THE VILLIANS!



Overall don't really care, just enjoying the popcorn

[AGA]

Never read Harry Potter, no opinion.

[Lord Halifax]

I'm a fan of Harry Potter, but...politically I'd now support schools banning Harry Potter books because Rowling is a TERF.

Oh come on. Rowling has some of the most repulsive views of any nominally leftist and feminist public figure in the English-speaking world (Linda Sarsour I guess would be another such example), but when your typical English curriculum includes or might include stuff by a convicted rapist (Thomas Malory), a man most of whose literary corpus revolves around someone he was stalking (Dante), multiple Stalinists (Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett, others whose names I'm forgetting), and someone who supported reestablishing slavery (Charlotte Perkins Gilman), why exactly would this be where you draw the line?

In what way did Dante's literary corpus "revolve around someone he was stalking"?

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

I'm a fan of Harry Potter, but...politically I'd now support schools banning Harry Potter books because Rowling is a TERF.

Oh come on. Rowling has some of the most repulsive views of any nominally leftist and feminist public figure in the English-speaking world (Linda Sarsour I guess would be another such example), but when your typical English curriculum includes or might include stuff by a convicted rapist (Thomas Malory), a man most of whose literary corpus revolves around someone he was stalking (Dante), multiple Stalinists (Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett, others whose names I'm forgetting), and someone who supported reestablishing slavery (Charlotte Perkins Gilman), why exactly would this be where you draw the line?

In what way did Dante's literary corpus "revolve around someone he was stalking"?

Have you ever heard of this girl Beatrice?

[Crane]

I'm a fan of Harry Potter, but...politically I'd now support schools banning Harry Potter books because Rowling is a TERF.

Oh come on. Rowling has some of the most repulsive views of any nominally leftist and feminist public figure in the English-speaking world (Linda Sarsour I guess would be another such example), but when your typical English curriculum includes or might include stuff by a convicted rapist (Thomas Malory), a man most of whose literary corpus revolves around someone he was stalking (Dante), multiple Stalinists (Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett, others whose names I'm forgetting), and someone who supported reestablishing slavery (Charlotte Perkins Gilman), why exactly would this be where you draw the line?

Multiple Stalinists? Outrageous. My children will only be reading Hoxhaist, maybe Luxembergists.

[parochial boy]

You are basically implying that trans persons need a conversion therapy, similar to those therapies aimed at curing homosexualism and bisexualism. Should a trans conversion therapy include electroshock or not? Which medication would be the more appropriate to treat that disease?

I'm not a physician; I do not know what treatment but I am certain some form of medication would help the illness. I do not support electro shock therapy for anyone; it's barbaric. That being said, do we or do we not try to treat Autistic people to make life easier for them?

Do we not help people with Asbergers, or diseases of the brain which involve other motor dysfunctions better adjust to life?

Similarly, do we or do we not treat addicts? Addiction as I was taught in college is a "brain disease." Do we encourage and indulge and celebrate an addict being an addict, or do we encourage treatment and being clean?

Or if you take a look over the galley of the other various mental disorders like Anxiety, Depression, Body Dysmorphia Disosrder...Do we tell someone with Body Dysmorphia that purging and anorexia and bulimia is okay? That they are exactly what they see in the mirror? Do we throw them parades? Or do we try to help them realize that what they see subjectively is not objective fact?

And gender dysphoria is treated by transitioning. There is an actual scientific consensus about this being the best way and having the best outcomes.

I'm sorry that you don't like it, but it's actually the transperson themself who is important. Not your own poorly conceived prejudices.

Also, again, I don't indulge mental illness. You do, because you have been conditioned by your professors to do so.
Gender dysmorphia isn't treated by transitioning. It is indulged. It's basically saying the best way to treat a heroin addict is to pump them full of heroin. A gambling addict's best bet at recovery is gambling some more. That is the mindset of people like you.
I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's the truth, not your bull--it politicized "science."

This isn't a debate - if you don't like the wealth of evidence that exists, it is because of your own weird complexes, not anyone else's. I'm really sorry that you need to construct a fictional world because the real one contradicts your own prejudices, but it is what it is. Either you deal with the world as it really is, or you do what you do and hide behind the stories and the comforting lies that you have to tell yourself in order to not have to deal with things not being the way you want.

[Alben Barkley]

I'm a fan of Harry Potter, but...politically I'd now support schools banning Harry Potter books because Rowling is a TERF.

That’s idiotic. Banning books for political/ideological reasons is always wrong. Especially when it doesn’t even have anything to do with the content of the book, rather that you just think the author should be “canceled” because she has some views you don’t like.

This is what people mean when they say the left today is like the Christian right of yesteryear. Banning Harry Potter books from schools? You literally can’t make this s—t up. You are supporting EXACTLY what they did! Horseshoe theory in action yet again.

[Alben Barkley]

Writing Harry Potter = FF

Since writing Harry Potter, she's become pretty weird and annoying, but people overreact to her with such extreme vitriol and hatred that it makes me sympathize with her.

This is basically my take on it. I don’t really know what to make of all the online Twitter wars and s—t she’s gotten into. Some of what she has said seems reasonable to me, some a little more out there. But I don’t really care. Not even close to the most eccentric or offensive artist out there. Yet you wouldn’t know it by the insane overreactions people have to every word she says. Makes absolutely no sense to me, and does make me feel a little bad for her because it seems totally unwarranted.

As for the latest controversy, I really just don’t get that either. Isn’t this character supposed to explicitly be a cis man? Not actually trans? So how then can it be transphobic? I don’t see how it’s any worse than Silence of the Lambs, anyway, and don’t think anyone would make a big deal of it if they weren’t already predisposed to think Rowling is some kind of anti-trans bigot based on her tweets. Which last I saw amounted to “Hey I support trans people but also biological sex is real and affects women everywhere so we shouldn’t just pretend it doesn’t exist.” Which again seems totally reasonable to me.

[John Dule]

I will never understand this thinking. If a person was of the sincere belief that they were the reincarnation of so and so, and ought to be treated such and such, would we indulge them, or medicate them? If someone went around saying they fully in their heart believed they were not a human, but an animal, and behaved as an animal would, would they end up in therapy or not? Trans people are not "imposters", but they are mentally unwell all the same. It is an abberation of the brain for there to be such a disconnect between mind and body in the same way that there is an abberation of the brain in Autistic child - and we use therapy to treat those with Autism and make life easier for them. It doesn't mean Trans people should be mistreated, but it also doesn't mean their delusions should be indulged, either. If Jack feesls he is Jane, let him or her, but why should the public foot the bill for his transition? Why does he or she deserve a parade for cutting their penis off, you know?

You are basically implying that trans persons need a conversion therapy, similar to those therapies aimed at curing homosexualism and bisexualism. Should a trans conversion therapy include electroshock or not? Which medication would be the more appropriate to treat that disease?

The typical English curriculum includes Dante Alighieri? Lol

(which would be less strange than it including J. K. Rowling by the way)

Dante is like Shakespeare and Cervantes. He is not only an Italian medieval author, but a heritage of humanity

That's not what he said. For example, I have every right to put a Ferrari logo on my 1998 Ford Taurus and tell people that I drive a $250,000 supercar, but I don't have the right to scream at them when they point out that the prancing horse badge is affixed with duct tape. Pointing out obvious truths should never be taboo.

[Former President tack50]

I'm a fan of Harry Potter, but...politically I'd now support schools banning Harry Potter books because Rowling is a TERF.

Oh come on. Rowling has some of the most repulsive views of any nominally leftist and feminist public figure in the English-speaking world (Linda Sarsour I guess would be another such example), but when your typical English curriculum includes or might include stuff by a convicted rapist (Thomas Malory), a man most of whose literary corpus revolves around someone he was stalking (Dante), multiple Stalinists (Lillian Hellman, Dashiell Hammett, others whose names I'm forgetting), and someone who supported reestablishing slavery (Charlotte Perkins Gilman), why exactly would this be where you draw the line?

I don't know much about English language literature; but unlike those authors I can't see JK Rowling becoming part of a school curriculum; certainly not until at least 50 years from now.

I can't talk for English literature classes; but there is a reason why in my Spanish classes the books I tended to read were not modern ones but instead books written hundreds of years ago; or at least in well into the 20th century.

The oldest stuff you tend to read is stuff like Cantar del Mio Cid (circa 1200), Lazarillo de Tormes (1554), La Celestina (circa 1500) and of course, Don Quijote de la Mancha (1605)

But even for the modern stuff you don't tend to get into 21st century works at all. The most modern authors I remember reading in high school were the works of Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa; like Crónica de una Muerte Anunciada (1981) or the small tale of Los cachorros (1967). I definitely did not see anything that was from the 21st century, or even written in the 90s.

[Former President tack50]

The typical English curriculum includes Dante Alighieri? Lol

(which would be less strange than it including J. K. Rowling by the way)

Dante is like Shakespeare and Cervantes. He is not only an Italian medieval author, but a heritage of humanity

I mean I can't speak about what you were taught in school, but at least I was barely taught anything that wasn't Spanish authors. There were a couple of Catalan/Basque/Galician language authors taught to us (most notably Rosalía de Castro) as well as a selection of Latin American authors, normally 20th century ones (Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa for example)

But a good 90% of the curriculum is Spanish literature obviously.

I remember reading a Shakespeare translated play in school at some point but that's about it.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

The typical English curriculum includes Dante Alighieri? Lol

(which would be less strange than it including J. K. Rowling by the way)

Dante is like Shakespeare and Cervantes. He is not only an Italian medieval author, but a heritage of humanity

I mean I can't speak about what you were taught in school, but at least I was barely taught anything that wasn't Spanish authors. There were a couple of Catalan/Basque/Galician language authors taught to us (most notably Rosalía de Castro) as well as a small selection of Latin American authors, normally 20th ones (Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa)

But a good 90% of the curriculum is Spanish literature obviously.

I remember reading a Shakespeare translated play in school at some point but that's about it.

Did you read Shakespeare in English classes at least?

[Velasco]

You are basically implying that trans persons need a conversion therapy, similar to those therapies aimed at curing homosexualism and bisexualism. Should a trans conversion therapy include electroshock or not? Which medication would be the more appropriate to treat that disease?

I'm not a physician; I do not know what treatment but I am certain some form of medication would help the illness. I do not support electro shock therapy for anyone; it's barbaric. That being said, do we or do we not try to treat Autistic people to make life easier for them?

Do we not help people with Asbergers, or diseases of the brain which involve other motor dysfunctions better adjust to life?

Similarly, do we or do we not treat addicts? Addiction as I was taught in college is a "brain disease." Do we encourage and indulge and celebrate an addict being an addict, or do we encourage treatment and being clean?

Or if you take a look over the galley of the other various mental disorders like Anxiety, Depression, Body Dysmorphia Disosrder...Do we tell someone with Body Dysmorphia that purging and anorexia and bulimia is okay? That they are exactly what they see in the mirror? Do we throw them parades? Or do we try to help them realize that what they see subjectively is not objective fact?

And gender dysphoria is treated by transitioning. There is an actual scientific consensus about this being the best way and having the best outcomes.

I'm sorry that you don't like it, but it's actually the transperson themself who is important. Not your own poorly conceived prejudices.

Also, again, I don't indulge mental illness. You do, because you have been conditioned by your professors to do so.
Gender dysmorphia isn't treated by transitioning. It is indulged. It's basically saying the best way to treat a heroin addict is to pump them full of heroin. A gambling addict's best bet at recovery is gambling some more. That is the mindset of people like you.
I'm sorry you don't like it, but it's the truth, not your bull--it politicized "science."

It's obvious that you are not a "physician", let alone an expert. Thankfully for the people involved, gender dysphoria is no longer regarded a disease by medical organizations.

The American Psychiatric Association gives the following  definition of "gender dysphoria"

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/gender-dysphoria/what-is-gender-dysphoria

Gender dysphoria involves a conflict between a person's physical or assigned gender and the gender with which he/she/they identify. People with gender dysphoria may be very uncomfortable with the gender they were assigned, sometimes described as being uncomfortable with their body (particularly developments during puberty) or being uncomfortable with the expected roles of their assigned gender.

People with gender dysphoria may often experience significant distress and/or problems functioning associated with this conflict between the way they feel and think of themselves (referred to as experienced or expressed gender) and their physical or assigned gender (...)

Definitions in official sites mention "conflict", "discomfort" and "distress", but there are no mentions to "mental disorder". According to the same source, the treatment options are:

treatment options for gender dysphoria include counseling, cross-sex hormones, puberty suppression and gender reassignment surgery. Some adults may have a strong desire to be of a different gender and to be treated as a different gender without seeking medical treatment or altering their body. They may only want support to feel comfortable in their gender identity. Others may want more extensive treatment including hormone treatment and gender reassignment surgery leading to a transition to the opposite sex. Some may choose hormone treatment or surgery alone.

Individual Therapy can help a person understand and explore his/her/their feelings and cope with the distress and conflict. Couples therapy or family therapy may be helpful to improve understanding and to create a supportive environment. Parents of children with gender dysphoria may also benefit from counseling. Peer support groups for adolescents and adults and parent/family support groups can also be helpful (...)  

"Counselling", "hormones", "explore feelings", "cope with the distress and conflict"... I see no mentions to medication to cure a mental disorder.

Possibly psychiatric associations all around the world are indulging themselves, because I think gender dysphoria was regarded a disorder or disease years or decades ago. Gays, lesbians and bisexuals were also regarded mentally ill in the past. It happens that concepts attached to a certain (patriarchal) mentality evolve over time, even though people suffering discrimination may think the evolution of mentalities is too slow. Sadly there's still people associating transsexualism and homosexuality with abhorrent practices like paedophilia and other sexual predatory behaviours.

In what concerns JK Rowling, I feel no pity if she's lambasted for her opinions of trans people. I would never ban her books, though. She's by no means as good as Dante, but that's not reason to banish her to the depths of hell...

[Former President tack50]

The typical English curriculum includes Dante Alighieri? Lol

(which would be less strange than it including J. K. Rowling by the way)

Dante is like Shakespeare and Cervantes. He is not only an Italian medieval author, but a heritage of humanity

I mean I can't speak about what you were taught in school, but at least I was barely taught anything that wasn't Spanish authors. There were a couple of Catalan/Basque/Galician language authors taught to us (most notably Rosalía de Castro) as well as a small selection of Latin American authors, normally 20th ones (Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa)

But a good 90% of the curriculum is Spanish literature obviously.

I remember reading a Shakespeare translated play in school at some point but that's about it.

Did you read Shakespeare in English classes at least?

Actually no, that Shakespeare play was in Spanish classes for some bizarre reason. I do remember reading a couple English novels in English class though; most notably Animal Farm and Alice in Wonderland.

Though the amount of English novels we read in English classes was much smaller than Spanish novels in Spanish classes for obvious reasons.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

The typical English curriculum includes Dante Alighieri? Lol

(which would be less strange than it including J. K. Rowling by the way)

Dante is like Shakespeare and Cervantes. He is not only an Italian medieval author, but a heritage of humanity

I mean I can't speak about what you were taught in school, but at least I was barely taught anything that wasn't Spanish authors. There were a couple of Catalan/Basque/Galician language authors taught to us (most notably Rosalía de Castro) as well as a small selection of Latin American authors, normally 20th ones (Pablo Neruda, Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa)

But a good 90% of the curriculum is Spanish literature obviously.

I remember reading a Shakespeare translated play in school at some point but that's about it.

Did you read Shakespeare in English classes at least?

Actually no, that Shakespeare play was in Spanish classes for some bizarre reason. I do remember reading a couple English novels in English class though; most notably Animal Farm and Alice in Wonderland.

Though the amount of English novels we read in English classes was much smaller than Spanish novels in Spanish classes for obvious reasons.

Lmao

And I thought my English teacher was bad.

[afleitch]

Higgins, your posts suggests a degree of both paranoia and sociopathy and I'd image you require much more psychiatric intervention than any trans individual does.

[President of the great nation of 🏳️‍⚧️]

Maybe I'm just some radical tranny, a mentally ill degenerate, or even just a triggered lib, but I find it weird how Higgins floats "some form of medication" to treat gender dysphoria, but when some form of medication is used to treat gender dysphoria, it's "indulging" my "delusions". And I'm not even unpacking the whole implications behind claiming being trans is a delusion.

[parochial boy]

My views are my views. You deal with it. When Trump wins again, maybe he'll do something about it. See, I really don't care about it one way or another beyond about sticking it to people like you, that's about it. Really, at this point, my political views boil down to anything that upsets or causes a Communist pain or sadness is a good thing; The enemy of my enemy is my friend, basically. I watch the fireworks and eat my proverbial popcorn as the tears roll.

Higgins, mate, really suggest you try calling the Samaritans or something right about now. Engaging in these kinds of sinister threats against people on the internet isn't a good sign. Maybe just talking to someone willing to open an ear might put you on the right sort of path to getting the help you need.