Celebrated author J.K.Rowling has long been in the sights of radical transgender activists and their supporters on social networks essentially for not, as a woman, unconditionally and unquestionably – by their standards (and possibly by George Orwell’s “1984” standards) – supporting an extremely intolerant narrative that seeks to enforce itself against the will of other participants in what should be a conversation.
That’s old news – but what’s new is that the aggressive and exclusionary campaign is also spilling over and affecting others who dare speak their mind on this issue.
The climate of blanket censorship online on a number of topics is certainly not discouraging this type of behavior, and now Gillian Philip, an accomplished author in her own right with a strong social media presence, is testifying to what exactly that “canceling” looks like.
As a J.K. Rowling supporter, the day came for Philip to experience backlash and abuse on Twitter by an army of “activists” who reportedly didn’t stop short even of death and sexual violence threats, let alone your run-of-the-mill insults, as their messages suddenly inundated her account.
Although aware that posting the #IStandWithJKRowling hashtag would cause some people to disagree – the Scottish author was not quite prepared for the vitriol or its magnitude on Twitter, and other social platforms.
But this online inconvenience – although serious, especially for those who let it get under their skin – was not the end of it – because this behavior allowed by the social media led to some very damaging real world consequences for Philip.
Publisher HarperCollins – who operates within Rupert Murdoch’s behemoth that has no problem pushing Piers Morgan’s “Wake Up” anti-cancel culture book – decided to cancel her.
“They don’t want you involved in any of the books and don’t want your name on any of the books,” Philip was informed by what she says is her primary publisher, Working Partners (and they are also the ones who technically dismissed this author.)
Neither publishers were in any mood to comment on the development, and Philip was not consulted before her livelihood was endangered in this way – instead they “chose to listen only to an anonymous band of trolls.”
Like any bully, this band will no doubt be happy about the outcome – even though it reeks of narrow-minded witch hunts that used to be the hallmark of authoritarian regimes.
“I know a lot of writers who disagree with the hardest line of trans ideology – that anyone has the right to legally self-identify as whichever gender they please – yet are far too scared to speak out.” Philip writes.
But like any dissident in an authoritarian climate, she was willing to take her chances, for the privilege of “being able to look at herself in the mirror in the morning.”
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