JK Rowling fires ANOTHER shot at Billy Bragg

JK Rowling has continued her battle of words with Billy Bragg over transgender rights, today accusing him of using “the Holocaust to attack feminists.”

The Harry Potter author and leftist incendiary singer-songwriter have been battling on Twitter for the past 24 hours.

It started last night when Ms Rowling claimed that ‘bearded men’, including Bragg and BBC star Graham Norton, define what a woman is – rather than leaving it to women themselves.

She then said that Bragg was “throwing” [his] support for rape and death threats’.

Last night he replied, “I’m not complaining that you have a view, JK. I complain that you are confusing my opinion with support for rape and death threats. I have never expressed such feelings and if you had any self-respect you would apologize for making such a blatantly inflammatory accusation.”

Today the argument continued and she said, “Self-respect? Of the man who tried to use the Holocaust to attack feminists? Women who stand up for their rights are constantly threatened with sexual violence. Some have lost their jobs and have been attacked in protests. Good to know you and Norton are okay with the culture.”

She was referring to a tweet Bragg sent when he visited Hamburg in May.

He said: ‘In the sidewalks are small brass plaques with the names of Jews who lived in the building opposite the plaque who were murdered by the Nazis. It started with people deciding that they could define someone by their biology alone.”

Her supporters pointed out that the last line could be understood, as Ms. Rowling claims, that he “used the Holocaust to attack feminists.”

A critic tweeted the author last night: “How do you sleep at night knowing you’ve lost an entire audience buying your books?”

Rowling hit back: “I’m reading my most recent royalty checks and find the pain goes away pretty quickly.”

Their Twitter battle started when Bragg, 64, retweeted a video of an interview with Graham Norton at the Cheltenham Literature Festival last weekend, which the musician said was ‘really good’ on cancel culture’ and JK Rowling’ .

In Mr Norton’s interview, the TV presenter criticized those who claim to have been “cancelled” but who still have a large platform, and who write articles or are being interviewed on the matter.

He added that “cancel culture” is “the wrong word” and should instead be replaced with “responsibility” for what people say.

The 57-year-old author then saw the tweet and attacked the singer, saying she’s “enjoyed the recent spate of bearded men confidently stepping on their soapboxes to define what a woman is and throwing their support behind rape and death threats.” .

The interviewer questioned Norton specifically about Miss Rowling in light of his comments.

He declined to comment on her stance on transgender issues, but said, “If I’m asked, I’ll be a part of it.

“My vote adds nothing to that discussion and I’m a little ashamed that I’m getting involved in some way.

‘If people want to shine their light on that, talk to transgender people. Talk to the parents of trans children, talk to doctors, talk to scientists.

“Talk to someone who can alleviate it in some way.”

Bragg shared the interview with his followers, saying: “Norton is really good here about John Cleese, telling him that ‘cancel culture’ is just accountability, and JK Rowling, suggesting that the media talk directly to trans teens and their parents rather than from just amplifying a celebrity’s shooting.”

But Ms Rowling quickly hit back, writing: ‘Very pleased with the recent spate of bearded men stepping confidently on their soapboxes to define what a woman is and support rape and death threats to those who disagree.

“You may mock, but it takes real courage to come out as an Old Testament prophet.”

She also seemed to take a thinly veiled swipe at both Mr. Norton and Mr. Bragg, claiming they were misogynists, adding in a reply, “I like beards. I just don’t like it when they’re attached to misogynists.’

Bragg later replied to her tweet, saying: “It’s hard to think of anything that better illustrates Graham Norton’s point than the sight of someone with 13.9 million followers responding to a call for an honest hearing for trans teenagers and their parents.” by equating it with *checks notes* support for rape and death threats.”

Her comments about misogyny sparked a quick response on social media, with numerous social media users questioning how Mr Norton had engaged in such behavior in his advocacy for people to discuss transgender issues with experts and those involved.

JK Rowling has sparked multiple controversy over her views on trans rights in recent years and says she has received death and rape threats from people who disagree with her.

It comes after another recent high-profile feud in which Mrs Rowling went to war with Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms. Rowling labeled her a “destroyer of women’s rights” – wearing a T-shirt with the motif on it – and today Ms. Sturgeon has stepped up the line by suggesting that the author is not a “true feminist” – and she is.

The author took the action when she lent her support to campaigners who gathered outside the Scottish Parliament to protest the devolved government’s controversial gender reforms enshrined in the Gender Recognition Reform Act (Scotland).

But Mrs Sturgeon snapped back and said, ‘Offending men pose a risk to women – that’s what we need to focus on.

“We should not try to further stigmatize and discriminate against a small, small group in society that is already one of the most stigmatized groups in society.

“There are many, many real threats to women right now, from physical assaults, assaults of sexual violence to the abolition of abortion and reproductive rights to what women in countries in Iran are going through.

“The threat to women in our society today does not come from trans women, but from violent men, from lawmakers who want to take away our rights and that’s what we need to focus on.”