Famed coming-of-age novelist Judy Blume has publicly expressed help of the LGBTQ neighborhood(opens in a brand new tab), in a response to a current Sunday Instances interview(opens in a brand new tab) that appeared to align her with the anti-trans statements of fellow creator J.Ok. Rowling.
The Sunday Instances quoted Blume as saying, “I’m behind her one hundred pc as I watch from afar.” The story’s headline reads, “The bestselling kids’s author has formed the minds of hundreds of thousands, similar to the Harry Potter creator — and she or he’s each bit as controversial.”
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In a assertion posted to Blume’s Twitter account(opens in a brand new tab) on April 16, Blume stated the remark was “taken out of context” and that she was merely expressing empathy with those that have been harassed on-line.
“I wholly help the trans neighborhood… I stand with the trans neighborhood and vehemently disagree with anybody who doesn’t absolutely help equality and acceptance for LGBTQIA+ folks. Something on the contrary is complete bullshit.”
Blume, recognized for her best-selling tales about sexuality, puberty, and different matters as soon as seen as “taboo” for younger kids, is again within the press cycle for the newly launched adaptation of her guide Are You There God? It is Me, Margaret. The guide follows the story of an 11-year-old woman who’s navigating the perils of changing into an grownup, like rising aside from pals, sex-ed courses, menstruation, and even her personal religion.
Following the story’s publication, some Twitter customers got here to Blume’s protection, noting that the article’s creator, Hadley Freeman, has been criticized for her “gender essential(opens in a brand new tab)” stances(opens in a brand new tab) and even beforehand accused of interviewing literary icons to garner help of anti-trans rhetoric. In February 2022, Freeman profiled The Handmaid’s Story creator Margaret Atwood for The Guardian(opens in a brand new tab), questioning whether or not her anti-cancel tradition stance was contradicted by her expression of help for the trans neighborhood(opens in a brand new tab) in response to feedback from Rowling.
Freeman issued a response to Blume on Monday, tweeting(opens in a brand new tab), “I don’t usually reply to nonsense like this as a result of it’s absurd. However listed below are screenshots of Judy Blume’s and my dialog. For the document, my quotes are correct and never disputed. I didn’t ask Blume in regards to the criticisms towards J.Ok. Rowling — she introduced them up herself.”
In gentle of the controversy, Blume additionally posted quotes that reiterated her stance towards book-banning and censorship, particularly noting her ideas on the rise of anti-LGBTQ laws(opens in a brand new tab) whereas talking at Selection’s Energy of Girls luncheon in April(opens in a brand new tab).
“I want to finish this on a candy and constructive observe however the actuality is, we’re proper again the place we have been within the ’80s besides it’s the ’80s on steroids,” Blume stated to occasion attendees. “This time it isn’t the ethical majority or solely the non secular proper. This time it’s coming from our authorities. Lawmakers, drunk with energy, with a necessity to manage every thing. Certain it is nonetheless sexuality, nevertheless it’s gender, it’s LGBTQ+, it is racism, it is historical past itself that is below hearth.”
