J. K. Rowling Tweets Support for Activist Embroiled in Nazi Controversy

Kellie-Jay Keen has been the center of controversy over the Nazi presence at her Australian rallies for several days. Today, author J. K. Rowling showed her support for the embattled Keen.

by Evan Urquhart

Anti-trans activism’s Nazi problem has long bubbled under the surface, despite attempts to paint gender critical anti-trans activism as wholly separate from the queer-bashing street violence of the far right. But this undercurrent of extremist ties became international news this past week when photos and videos of an Australian tour by the anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull (who posts on Twitter as Kellie-Jay Keen and has also gone by the alias Posie Parker) showed Nazi fans of Keen-Minshull marching in support of her cause in Melbourne on March 18. Keen-Minshull, who once used an image of a barbie doll in a Nazi uniform to represent herself online, has denied having ties to Nazi groups, speculating that the National Socialists giving Nazi salutes at her rally were trans activists in disguise.

The backlash to the anti-trans movement’s extremist ties has promoted defensive responses from many who had previously represented themselves as being on the left, including J. K. Rowling herself. The author took to Twitter to show her wholehearted support for Keen-Minshull, regardless of questions about the activist’s Nazi base of support. All told, the author retweeted Keen-Minshull twice, tweeted her personal support for Keen-Minshull three times, and tweeted or retweeted anti-trans messages a further 9 times in a 24-hour period, including a thread where the author referred to trans women as “trans identified males” and amplified false claims about their propensity to commit crimes. (As of this writing, Rowling has tweeted an even dozen times.)

Rowling herself has consistently held the entire trans rights movement responsible for harsh online criticism she has recieved, maintaining that allowing such behavior among supporters of trans rights represents a threat to freedom of speech.

Let’s break down those tweets:

Rowling commenced her big day of anti-trans tweeting with a double negative and a three-tweet thread, writing “There is zero evidence that trans-identified males don't retain male patterns of criminality.”

After this, Rowling commenced retweeting expressions of support for Keen-Minshull, starting with the sentiments of an anti-trans activist, Dennis Noel Kavanagh, who believes that the gay rights movement would be better off with the support of people like Keen-Minshull.

Rowling followed up by retweeting an account critical of Australians (or possibly New Zealanders) demonstrating in outrage that Nazis were openly marching on the streets of Melbourne.

The next retweet was in a similar vein, condeming protesters outraged by the Nazi demonstration, who some have claimed threatened the safety of Keen-Minshull.

At this point Rowling retweeted Keen-Minshull herself for the first time. The anti-trans activist known to be supported by Nazis praised, “the bravery of the New Zealand women and men who came to speak the truth.”

Rowling then tweeted her support of Keen-Minshull in her own words, making it clear that she considered Keen-Minshull to be the victim without addressing Keen-Minshull’s support among National Socialists.

Rowling followed this by retweeting Keen-Minshull again, saying she was “so sorry [she] couldn’t do more.” (Presumably she did not mean she wished could have done even more to foment Nazi marches in the streets of foreign capitals.)

The next retweet from Rowling was of a poster who objects to a version of the Pride flag that includes trans colors as well as black and brown stripes, representing a commitment to queer people who have traditionally been marginalized within the LGBTQ+ community itself. The retweet included imagery of the black, brown, and trans colors being erased and the message “Get Your Shit Off Our Flag.”

Rowling then retweeted a thread again echoing the sentiment that gender critical feminists had been the real victim after Australians and New Zealanders rallied in outrage at Nazis having marched in the streets in support of the anti-trans cause.

The 10th tweet in Rowling’s tear expressed her belief that all women who don’t agree with her position on trans rights are traitors who only support trans rights to win male approval.

Rowling’s 11th tweet continued the theme that the real victims are gender critical feminists. It came from a user who had changed their username to “Women’sSafetyIsNotNazism.”

As this post was being prepared, Rowling continued in much the same way, tweeting once and retweeting once again.

Assigned does not plan to continue to update this post if Rowling continues to tweet more in this vein as the day continues, but we will be sure to update this post if Rowling makes any statements condeming Nazism, or otherwise acknowledging or seeks to distance herself from the Australian Nazi supporters of Kellie-Jay Keen Minshull.