Just as quickly as Judy Blume was added to the ever-growing list of anti-LGBTQ+ authors, she was taken off of it. The novelist was the target of much criticism yesterday after an interview with The Sunday Times went viral, in which Blume appeared to show support for J.K. Rowling‘s controversial stances on trans rights.
Now, Blume has taken to social media to claim that her quotes from the interview were taken out of context, explaining that she only meant to show empathy for someone who has been harassed online (whether or not Rowling deserved everything that came her way is a whole other story.) Additionally, Blume made sure to clear up any confusion regarding her opinions on trans rights, claiming to “support the trans community.”
Blume’s explanation has been met with relief from the LGBTQ+ community, and fans have now turned their criticisms to The Sunday Times, particularly Hadley Freeman, the reporter that conducted the aforementioned interview. Folks claim the publication tried to “frame” Blume as a Rowling supporter, which would in turn make her just as much of a Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist as the Harry Potter author.
Meanwhile, Blume’s explicit support for basic human rights has ruffled some feathers among the TERF community. Some outspoken Rowling supporters are now claiming that the criticism Blume received for the interview is to blame for her explicit stand against TERF narratives.
Following Blume’s statement, Freeman took to Twitter to comment on the situation, defending themselves by posting transcripts of their conversation with the author. “My quotes are accurate and not disputed,” they claimed.
In a time when trans rights are constantly being put at risk by right-wing politicians, Blume’s show of support is much appreciated by fans of her books.