Stephen King drawn into J.K. Rowling's transgender controversy
King spoke out against Rowling's past controversial tweets
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stephen King waded into the controversy surrounding fellow author J.K. Rowling by stating his support for the transgender community.
The “It” writer was called out by his fans on Twitter after he retweeted a quote about feminism shared by the “Harry Potter” creator. King’s fans were quick to note Rowling’s recent dustup with the transgender community in which she defended biological gender and was subsequently accused of deriding the transgender community.
King’s involvement came after Rowling shared a Twitter thread criticizing British congressman Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who accused her of using her experience as a domestic violence survivor to further her discrimination of transgender people. In her rebuke of the politician's words, she shared a quote from feminist activist Andrea Dworkin that King retweeted.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}STEPHEN KING PANNED FOR CLAIMING CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE IS 'ALL MALE ... ALL WHITE'
“Men often react to women's words – speaking and writing – as if they were acts of violence; sometimes men react to women's words with violence. It isn't hateful for women speak about their own experiences, nor do they deserve shaming for doing so," the quote reads.
After King retweeted her message, Rowling heaped praise on him for both his work and his support of women.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“I've always revered @StephenKing, but today my love reached—maybe not Annie Wilkes levels—but new heights,” she wrote in a since deleted tweet (via Newsweek). “It's so much easier for men to ignore women's concerns, or to belittle them, but I won't ever forget the men who stood up when they didn't need to. Thank you, Stephen."
Stephen King spoke out in favor of the transgender community after retweeting a post by J.K. Rowling. (AP/Getty Images)
It’s unclear why Rowling deleted the compliment. However, King, who is a frequent Twitter user, quickly noticed his followers asking about Rowling’s latest controversy and whether or not he supports her comments.
CORONAVIRUS: STEPHEN KING IS SORRY PEOPLE FEEL 'LIKE WE'RE LIVING IN A STEPHEN KING STORY'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“You should address the TERF tweet. By telling us constant readers if you believe trans women are women,” one user wrote, referencing the pejorative term that stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist."
King bluntly responded: “Yes. Trans women are women.”
Earlier this month, Rowling posted several tweets criticizing an article regarding “people who menstruate,” joking that the word “woman” used to be used in those situations. Days later, after catching backlash for her stance on transgender people, she shared a lengthy blog post in which she discussed her own life experiences. The author, 54, took the opportunity to reveal that she is a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Prior to the most recent controversy, she caught backlash for supporting Maya Forstater, who was fired from her job after some of her tweets were deemed “transphobic.”