JK Rowling ‘likes’ tweet by far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ Libs of TikTok
JK Rowling. (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty)
JK Rowling is facing criticism after she “liked” a tweet by the infamous anti-LGBTQ+ account Libs of TikTok.
Since it was set up in 2020, Libs of TikTok has fuelled the anti-LGBTQ+ “groomers” slur and spread lies about providers of gender-affirming care.
The far-right Twitter account has been blamed for the harassment of children’s hospitals that offer gender-affirming care, including a bomb hoax made against a hospital targeted by its anti-LGBTQ+ campaign
It’s why Rowling has been criticised for “liking” a tweet by Libs of TikTok – a screenshot of an exchange in which Washington Post opinions editor Karen Attiah referred to Kanye West as a “white supremacist”.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) November 20, 2022
We can confirm that JK Rowling is now liking tweets by Libs of TikTok – a far right, racist, homophobic, transphobic account which frequently targets and harasses marginalised communities.
This instance relates specifically to Kanye's antisemitic comments. pic.twitter.com/fGnGWiQfPw— Trans Safety Network (@trans_safety) November 21, 2022
HOLY SHIT!!!…
JK Rowling is now liking tweets from the anti-LGBT right-wing hate platform – ‘Libs Of TikTok – that specifically targets LGBT and trans people – marking them for violent attacks by gun-toting far-right militia! ????#StochasticTerrorism pic.twitter.com/W4iKFdI29z— Helen?️⚧️✊?? [email protected] (@mimmymum) November 21, 2022
LATEST:
JK Rowling is now liking tweets by Libs of TikTok – a far right, racist, homophobic, transphobic account which frequently targets and harasses marginalised communities.@trans_safety has more information… https://t.co/dkSeChN48t— LGBWithTheT (@LGBwiththeT) November 22, 2022
The author has previously found herself in hot water over her Twitter likes – in 2018 her representatives blamed a “clumsy and middle-aged moment” after she liked a tweet that referred to trans women as ‘men in dresses’.
Since then she has become notorious for her campaigning against trans rights. Though she denies she is transphobic, Rowling has become one of the most prominent voices in the UK’s ‘gender-critical’ movement.
PinkNews contacted JK Rowling’s representatives and gave her the opportunity to distance herself from Libs of TikTok. They declined to comment, and almost 24 hours later, at the time of publishing, the tweet remained in Rowling’s “likes”.
Libs of TikTok has targeted children’s hospitals
Over the last two years, Libs of TikTok has become widely known for its anti-LGBTQ+ content and for spreading misinformation.
The account was set up in 2020 by former real-estate agent Chaya Raichik to mock content posted on TikTok by left-leaning people.
Since then, Libs of TikTok has targeted children’s hospitals, doctors and educators with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
In September, a children’s hospital in Chicago was forced to increase security after its gender development program was targeted by Libs of TikTok. The hospital also moved a trans youth support group to online meetings in response to the post.
In August, the account attracted widespread media attention after it wrongly claimed that minors were being given hysterectomies as a form of gender-affirming care in Boston Children’s Hospital and at the Children’s National Hospital in Washington DC.
Police were called to Boston Children’s on two occassions in August and September following bomb threats, made after a lengthy campaign by Libs of TikTok, with the FBI stating that over a dozen such threats had been made.
Most recently, Libs of TikTok hit out at an organisation that provides a safe stage for children and teenagers aged from eight to 18 who are aspiring drag performers.
Libs of TikTok’s attack on Dragutante came just hours after the mass shooting in Club Q, a Colorado Springs-based LGBTQ+ venue.
In August, Libs of TikTok’s Facebook page was suspended for not following the platform’s “community standards”. It has been suspended by Twitter on multiple occasions.
