Harry Potter author and women's rights advocate J.K. Rowling isn't one to shy away from speaking her mind. She's earned more than a few admirers on the Right (and many enemies on the Left) for her stance on transgender issues and her tireless defense of free speech.
Yesterday, she reminded all of us that words mean things.
If you believe free speech is for you but not your political opponents, you're illiberal.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 11, 2025
If no contrary evidence could change your beliefs, you're a fundamentalist.
If you believe the state should punish those with contrary views, you're a totalitarian.
If you believe…
The last line reads:
If you believe political opponents should be punished with violence or death, you're a terrorist.
She is, of course, correct. And her post resonated with people.
It’s dark here. Not in sunlight but in meaning. I cannot figure out why the death of a perfect stranger who said many things I disagreed with has shaken me. Not sure why the reflections of a complete stranger in Scotland who writes wonderful fiction should matter to me. Not sure…
— Sean Trapani (@SeanTrapani) September 11, 2025
The entire post says:
Not sure why the reflections of a complete stranger in Scotland who writes wonderful fiction should matter to me. Not sure how I am supposed to return to seeking discussion from those who would dance on my grave. I’ve been through terrorist attacks, hurricanes, losses of loved ones, and this shouldn’t bother me as much as it does. But here we are. It’s dark. But thanks for the hug.
In her response, Rowling called said the poster is "empathetic human being:"
You're an empathetic human being who doesn't need to agree with everything another living, breathing human being believed to feel a profound loss when his life is ripped from him by an act of violence.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 11, 2025
That didn't stop her detractors from pouncing on Rowling's perfectly reasonable statement, twisting what Rowling said not only in this post but throughout her fight for women's rights.
An X user quoted Rowling and said, "You want people dead for simply expressing their gender identity, shut the f*** up."
Rowling responded as only she can:
I’m sure you can back up that assertion with a quote of mine, because otherwise it might look like you’re exactly the kind of person I’m describing: fixed beliefs, zero evidence, inventing grievances to justify a desire to silence people who say things you don’t like. pic.twitter.com/RoYQ7kO6XY
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) September 12, 2025
As always, there's no evidence to back up the claim, thus proving Rowling is correct.