After weeks of controversy surrounding her views on trans issues, JK Rowling and 150 other writers, academics and activists have signed an open letter warning that free speech is under threat due to ‘cancel culture’.
The letter ‘on Justice and Open Debate’ states that “powerful protests for racial and social justice” are overdue and a “needed reckoning” but they have “also intensified a new set of moral attitudes and political commitments that tend to weaken our norms of open debate and toleration of differences in favour of ideological conformity.”
The letter labels “an intolerance of opposing views” as a “vogue for public shaming and ostracism” that “hurts those who lack power and makes everyone less capable of democratic participation.”
“We need to preserve the possibility of good-faith disagreement without dire professional consequences,” it states.
The letter, which has been signed by everyone from “the father of modern linguistics” Noam Chomsky, feminist Gloria Steineim, Russian chess icon Garry Kasparov, author Malcolm Gladwell, and of course – JK Rowling, has sparked a heated social media debate.
After the letter was published, some public figures withdrew their support upon seeing who else had endorsed it. According to BBC, multiple signatories have had works banned in some countries, and others have lived in hiding and received death threats in the past.
Some social media users have labelled the open letter as supporting anti-trans rhetoric, particularly with the support of JK Rowling.
The open letter has also led people to begin debating about ‘cancel culture’ itself, what it is, and whether it even exists.
In the case of JK Rowling, it’s no surprise her open letter signature is receiving mixed opinions. Last month, the Harry Potter author released a 3,600-word essay defending her right to speak about trans issues without fear of abuse.
While Rowling has her supporters, she continues to face major backlash for her anti-trans views – with many high profile celebrities and members of the LGBTQIA+ community speaking out against her, and explaining how harmful her views are to a young audience of fans. Hear about that below:
By the sounds of it, the debate around free speech and ‘cancel culture’ won’t come to a close anytime soon – in fact, this is just the start of it.
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