"Competition Contestant on 'Drag Race' Humorously Criticizes J.K. Rowling's Transphobic Views with One Scathing Comment"
J.K. Rowling, the renowned author behind the Harry Potter series, has chosen to use the pen name Robert Galbraith for her ongoing Cormoran Strike detective series. In an interview with CNN in 2017, Rowling revealed that her decision to use a pseudonym was not her publisher's idea but her own[1].
Rowling explained that she wanted to create a separate literary persona for her crime writing, keeping her detective novels distinct from her previous work and her well-known persona as the author of the Harry Potter series[1][2][3]. The choice of a male pen name was partly influenced by her publisher’s suggestion to mask her gender to avoid preconceived notions affecting the reception of the books[3].
The Cormoran Strike series, which includes titles like The Cuckoo’s Calling, The Silkworm, and others, was published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith[4]. Rowling has expressed that she felt grateful to be published under any name initially, and later grew to appreciate the distinct identity created through the pseudonym[3].
Rowling stated that another reason for making Robert Galbraith a military man working in the civilian security industry was to give him a solid excuse not to appear in public or provide a photograph[5]. She explained that Robert Galbraith's bio includes military experience to make it plausible for him to know how the Special Investigation Branch operates[6].
In 2019, Rowling has been open about her transphobic views and has been campaigning them publicly[7]. This has led to criticism and discussions online, with some praising a performance by Jinkx Monsoon, a winner of RuPaul Drag Race, who impersonated Judy Garland during Ziwe Fumudoh's podcast and used the conversation to criticize Rowling's views[8]. Jinkx Monsoon's impersonation was met with praise on Twitter by user @mattxiv[9].
It is important to note that Rowling has publicly denied any connection between her pseudonym Robert Galbraith and Robert Galbraith Heath, an anti-LGBTQ+ gay conversion therapist[4].
In summary, J.K. Rowling adopted the pen name Robert Galbraith for her detective series both to create a separate literary persona and to disguise her gender initially, thereby allowing her crime novels to be judged independently from her fame as J.K. Rowling[1][2][3][4].
In the Cormoran Strike series, the author, concealed under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, aims to separate the detective novels from their creator's renowned persona and the Harry Potter series, thereby maintaining a distinct identity. This pseudonym is also used to keep the author's gender and personal life away from preconceived notions that could affect the reception of the books, given their focus on the pop-culture domain of celebrities and entertainment.
