Judy Blume is clarifying her support for the transgender community after sharing in a brand new interview with the Sunday Times that she is “behind” fellow writer J.Ok. Rowling “100%,” which some took as an expression of support for the Harry Potter writer’s controversial views on intercourse and gender.
“I love her,” Blume, whose 1970 ebook Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. has been tailored into a movie being launched on April 28, informed Sunday Times author Hadley Freeman of Rowling. “I am behind her 100% as I watch from afar.” Freeman, who has steadily lined gender-critical feminism, wrote that Blume’s quotes was “referring to the abuse Rowling has received for speaking up in defense of women’s sex-based rights.” But in a brand new assertion, Blume says in any other case.
Taking to social media on Sunday after her quote from the paywalled article went viral, Blume, 85, claimed that her quote about Rowling had been “taken out of context.” According to Blume, she was referring to the vitriol and threats Rowling says she has handled as a consequence of sharing her views, which many have known as transphobic. The Blubber writer harassed her personal support for the trans community.
“I wholly support the trans community,” Blume shared. “My point, which was taken out of context, is that I can empathize with a writer — or person — who has been harassed online. I stand with the trans community and vehemently disagree with anyone who does not fully support equality and acceptance for LGBTQIA+ people. Anything to the contrary is total bulls**t.”
Blume went on to direct her followers to a latest interview she gave to Variety, by which she spoke out towards ebook bans, many of which middle on LGBTQ content material.
“What are you protecting your children from?” she told the outlet. “Protecting your children means educating them and arming them with knowledge, and reading and supporting what they want to read. No child is going to become transgender or gay or lesbian because they read a book. It’s not going to happen. They may say, ‘Oh, this is just like me. This is what I’m feeling and thinking about.’ Or, ‘I’m interested in this because I have friends who may be gay, bi, lesbian.’ They want to know!”
In a speech earlier this month, Blume additionally drew parallels to the censorship makes an attempt she herself encountered as a author who launched younger readers to matters like puberty and sexuality
“With me it was sexuality, and specifically puberty — which to some people was a very dirty word. It wasn’t something the censors wanted to talk about with their kids,” she mentioned throughout Variety‘s Power of Women luncheon in early April. “You know — if they don’t read about it, they won’t know about it, and if they don’t know about it, it will never happen to them … guess what.”
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