J.K. Rowling's Upcoming Book Blasted For Transphobic Storyline

The first review for J.K. Rowling's new book is in, and it describes a troubling transphobic storyline. 

Under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, Rowling has penned Troubled Blood, the fifth novel in her Cormoran Strike series that The Telegraph describes as a "book whose moral seems to be: never trust a man in a dress."

The storyline is a subplot in its investigation into the cold case of Margot Bamborough, a woman who disappeared in 1974 and was "thought to have been a victim of Dennis Creed, a transvestite serial killer." According to reviewer Jake Kerridge, the book presents troubling images of murderous men dressed up as women, and he "wonders what critics of Rowling’s stance on trans issues will make of [the] book."

This comes after months of Rowling openly spewing transphobic talking points and rhetoric on her social media platforms. PinkNews also notes past books in the series have depicted trans people as unstable and aggressive citing a character named Pippa who stalked Rowling's main character Strike and at their confrontation, Strike reveals her trans identity, deadnames her, Rowling provides a description of Pippa’s Adam’s apple and hands, and Stike warns her that prison "won’t be fun for you...not pre-op."

Outrage around Troubled Blood has become so intense that #RIPJKRowling is trending globally.