the times | Monday April 4 2022 17
News
Twitter has been criticised for ruling
that a transgender rights activist who
said she hoped JK Rowling would “fit in
a hearse” did not breach its guidelines.
Faye Fadem, a drummer, has pro-
duced a video for a “diss track” aimed at
the Harry Potter author. The song
includes the lyrics “I kill Terfs”, an acro-
nym for trans-exclusionary radical
feminist, used as a term of derision. The
chorus to the song is: “JK, I hope you fit
in a hearse. Bitch.”
Last month Fadem tweeted under
the name Trust Fund Ozu: “Glad I final-
ly have a video to share every time JK
Rowling posts transphobic bullshit.”
Rowling replied: “I’m afraid I can’t
give a shout out to everyone promising
to murder me — there are so many and
I’m a busy woman — but this one
deserves a mention for the nineties
rave vibe.”
James Dreyfus, who starred in The
Thin Blue Line and Gimme Gimme Gim-
me, complained to Twitter: “Thousands
of these posted every single day. About
JKR. Thousands and thousands. My-
self and many others have been com-
pletely vilified for condemning this
constant abuse against JKR. By re-
maining silent, this will go on. And on.
And on.” He later posted a response
from Twitter that said Fadem “hasn’t
broken our safety policies”. Dreyfus
said Twitter had “hit rock bottom”.
Rowling has been involved in rowsTwitter allows trans
attack on Rowling
over transgender rights on Twitter
since mocking an article in June 2020
that used the phrase “people who men-
struate” instead of “women”. She de-
fended herself against accusations of
transphobia in an essay and continues
to speak out on sex and gender identity.
Several stars of the Harry Potter
films, including Daniel Radcliffe and
Emma Watson, have distanced them-
selves from her views, and she was
absent from a TV show marking 20
years since the film franchise’s launch.
Yesterday she shared a message of
support for Sharron Davies, the former
Olympic swimmer, who condemned
the abuse female athletes allegedly
receive from “so-called trans activists”.
Davies said the human right to equality
was being stolen.
Rowling was involved in a row about
gender last month after she accused Sir
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, of
failing to defend women’s rights.
He had called for reform of the gen-
der recognition law and said “trans
women are women” according to stat-
ute.
Rowling said that Starmer had mis-
represented the law and indicated “the
Labour Party can no longer be counted
on to defend women’s rights”.
She tweeted that she had been con-
tacted by “innumerable gay people”
who, like women, felt “under attack for
not wishing to be redefined and for
refusing to use ideological language
they find offensive”.Charlie Moloneylittering. North
Devon’s coastline,
along with Cornwall, is
one of the UK’s most
popular surfing areas.
It is only the second
area in Europe to be
given the designation,
joining Ericeira, in
Portugal.
Other recognised
surfing hubs include
the Gold Coast and
Noosa in Queensland,
Australia, Punta de
Lobos in Chile,Huanchaco in Peru
and Guarda do Embau
in Brazil.
The proposal to seek
recognition was led by
Kevin Cook, a local
surfer, to protect the
area’s beaches.
Despite a series of
setbacks, the
campaign by the
North Devon Surfing
Reserve won top spot
last year, with the
designation to come
into force in
September.
Under the scheme,
each reserve has to
create a local
stewardship council to
conserve the coastline
and its waves. The
oversight group
includes beachfront
businesses,
landowners, surf
clubs, campaigners
such as Surfers
Against Sewage and
Plymouth University.
Nik Strong-Cvetich,
of Save The Waves,
said: “We hope this
designation helps give
a greater voice to
surfers in decisions
that will impact the
beautiful coastline in
North Devon.”The waves at beaches
like Saunton have won
world recognition, to the
delight of local surfersinc
bu
lan
clu
su
Ag
Po
sa
de
a g
su
th
be
NoN AND M DROTOGRAPHY; GORDON DRYBURGH