Woman gets eviscerated after defending JK Rowling and claiming trans women can’t be women because of ‘biology’
Publishing staff are upset at J.K. Rowling’s anti-trans tirade. (Getty)
A woman who called LBC host James O’Brien to defend J.K. Rowling had her argument that biology defines womanhood pulled apart live on air.
“Women have been very kind we are we are saying trans women are women – okay, that’s fine – but we have to draw the line and biology is the line,” the caller said.
“I’m so glad J.K. Rowling has helped us draw that line, because we’re oppressed because of our biology. Women around the world are oppressed, because they are biologically women.”
The woman was referring to J.K. Rowling’s recent tweet in support of a woman who sought to have her “gender-critical views” protected under the UK Equalities Act.
After a judge ruled that Maya Forstater’s anti-trans views were “absolutist,” Rowling tweeted: “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?”
LBC caller says trans women ‘aren’t raped like women are.’
As the caller underlined the idea of a “biological woman”, O’Brien asked what differences she was referring to.
“Trans women don’t suffer from female genital mutilations, that is suffered by females,” she replied.
“Trans women aren’t raped like women are, trans women aren’t murdered twice a week by their partners.”
On international Trans Day of Remembrance, it was reported that 331 trans people had been murdered in the year between October 1, 2018 and September 20, 2019.
The caller continued to make the argument that trans women could not be women because they don’t produce eggs, which quickly fell apart under inspection.
“Do you cease to be woman if you have no ovaries or you don’t menstruate?” O’Brien asked.
The caller argued that the distinction is whether “your body was built to be able to produce” eggs, which O’Brien pointed out “sounds a little bit complicated.”
I think the argument would be, well, the dice did roll very differently for me, and I can’t do that, but I am a woman.
“So how do we define biological womenhood?” he asked, before summarising the argument.
“It means you were built in a way that allows you to produce eggs and give birth except hundreds of thousands of women can’t. But they’re still women, because maybe if the dice rolled differently they could have done.”
With no trans woman in the room, he succinctly laid out what he thought would be the trans point of view.
“I think the argument would be, well, the dice did roll very differently for me, and I can’t do that, but I am a woman,” he said.
Before hanging up, he added: “It’s not helpful when you laugh at people who are trying to understand things that they find really complicated, especially if your explanations are nowhere near as clear as you think they are.”
J.K. Rowling’s tweet has provoked a fierce debate on Twitter, with a number of celebrities coming out against the Harry Potter author.
One woman who tried to make a similar argument about biology was put in her place beautifully by an evolutionary biologist who is intersex.
hi, I’m an evolutionary biologist & an #intersex person! ?? sex is not binary in a TON of species, inc. vertebrates, mammals, & us. some ppl like me don’t make eggs or sperm. & intersex =/= disorder, just another biological way of being. sex variation in humans is substantial! https://t.co/q7rTUSbgY3
— Claudia #TeamTooth Astorino ✨?✨ (@claudistics) December 19, 2019
