Currently Online 
| RolStoppable said: The open letter to Rowling provided some good counter-arguments, more often than not making a better case. Actually, almost always. Still, Rowling's essay isn't what I would call offensive, but rather sprinkled with some outdated views that aren't meant to be hateful. Both writings complement each other pretty good, so they were worth the read. The biggest takeaway is that stepping away from social media is a huge upgrade for everything, because it allows for nuance and civility. This approach has a much better chance to change someone's mind on individual points than the immediate mudslinging on social media and comment sections that puts all sides into defense mode and results in stalemates. |
I would say the suggestion that transgender peers are going to make other kids transgender, based on incredibly specious evidence, is problematic. Rowling even recognizes just how problematic it is since she goes out of her way to clarify that being gay is an innate trait, although I'm fairly certain we could find the same kind of "evidence" to support the idea that peer groups can transmit the gay (I would imagine gay people are more likely to befriend other gay people, are more likely to come out if their friends do, and that we can find parents who blame their child coming out on gay peers).
Whether it's hateful or not, I don't know. I don't like to ascribe intentions to people, although Rowling's post definitely indicates she was researching with an eye towards her conclusion. Regardless of any intention though, spreading misinformation is harmful and should be called out, especially when it comes from a prominent source who (although she shouldn't) will be taken seriously by a lot of people.
