The Woke Agenda Plaguing The EU Undermines Its Institutional Purpose

Instead of focusing on real, strategic issues like energy security and defense capabilities, Brussels wastes time moralizing member states.

Book festival cancels 'Harry Potter' event over J.K. Rowling's transgender comments



A "Harry Potter" event at a New Zealand book festival was canceled over comments regarding gender and transgender made by J.K. Rowling.

Organizers of the Featherston Booktown Karukatea Festival decided to cancel a "Harry Potter" interactive quiz, which "had been extremely popular at previous events," according to Stuff. Organizers felt a need to not hold a quiz about the fantasy world of wizards because previous comments by Rowling could offend someone.

Festival board chairman Peter Biggs said the decision to cancel the "Harry Potter" quiz was difficult, and ultimately axed the book event after consulting with members of the literary sector and the LGBTQ community.

"The overwhelming response was there was a risk around causing distress to particular members of the community and that was the last thing we wanted to do," Biggs said. "We always thought Booktown should be an inclusive, welcoming place for everyone, so we took the decision not to go with 'Harry Potter.'"

Featherston resident and feminist activist Jenny Whyte said she wasn't shocked that the event was canceled.

"I think they might be trying to capitalize on the current fad of cancel culture," Whyte told Stuff. "Featherston Booktown has a session selling tickets to a panel discussing cancel culture, so there's an irony certainly."

Rowling is no stranger to cancel culture.

The bestselling British writer angered the outrage mob in 2019 when Rowling supported a researcher who lost her job after tweeting that men and women can't electively change their biological sex.

Then in June 2020, Rowling was accused of spreading transphobia for saying that there are biological genders, despite also proclaiming that she "respects every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them."

A month later, Rowling drew the ire of the internet for proclaiming that hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgeries are often over-prescribed to teens.

By December, Rowling was fed up with cancel culture and online bullying. The 55-year-old author called for an end to the "climate of fear" regarding the heated debate about transgender individuals.

"Many are afraid to speak up because they fear for their jobs and even for their personal safety," Rowling said in an interview with Good Housekeeping magazine. "This climate of fear serves nobody well, least of all trans people."

"I believe everybody should be free to live a life that is authentic to them, and that they should be safe to do so," Rowling stated. "I also believe that we need a more nuanced conversation around women's rights and around the huge increase in numbers of girls and young women who are seeking to transition."

NYU 'anti-racist' survey asks students to identify as one or more of at least 30 genders



New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development asked students to identify as one of at least 30 genders in a survey to "help build a more affirming environment."

The survey was created by Steinhard's Office of Equity, Belonging, and Community Action and sent to students in February in order to "inform the School's policies, promote anti-racist practice, and help build a more affirming School environment for all," according to an email obtained by TheBlaze.

"This survey was designed by my office to understand everyone's experiences and sense of belonging at the school," said Director of Equity Initiatives Maria Ramirez in a Feb. 3 Facebook video. "The survey is completely confidential, and we'll be using the data to inform our equity work in hopes of making Steinhardt a better place for everyone, especially our more vulnerable peers."


Screenshots from the survey depicting a question asking students "with which gender(s) do you identify?" was first shared by David Reaboi on Twitter and later obtained by TheBlaze. The question has at least 30 responses ranging from "agender" to "polygender" and asks students to "select all that apply."

NYU asks, "With which gender(s) do you identify? Select all that apply." What if you "identify" with none? https://t.co/LVoCVKK45G
— David Reaboi (@David Reaboi)1613748558.0

Other questions ask students to rate how they feel about statements like, "Senior leadership shows a visible commitment to fair racial/social representation," with responses ranging from "Strongly Do Not Believe" to "Strongly Believe" or "Unsure/Do Not Know." Students were asked if within the last three or six months they've "heard/witnessed an NYU Steinhardt community member use a slur, epithet, or other disparaging statement" and how often.

Students were also asked to identify which "equity issues" are predominant in the NYU Steinhardt community, including hunger/food insecurity, mental health, racial bias/racism, childcare and parental leave, privilege, ability bias, economic disadvantage, religious intolerance, cliques/favoritism, linguistic discrimination, and homophobia.

The survey has a note on pronouns, clarifying that "When we say 'I, me, my' we refer to you and all of the identities you hold such as your gender identity/expression, race/ethnicity, skin color, sexuality, citizenship status, education level, age, and position on campus."

"The Office of Equity, Belonging, and Community Action designed the survey in response to your requests for greater community transparency and collective goal setting, and with the purpose of understanding our community's experiences and assessing our members' sense of belonging," the survey states at the beginning.

"All responses will be kept strictly confidential. We will use responses to inform our School's equity agenda, shift policy and promote anti-racist practice, and help build a warmer and more affirming School environment for everyone, especially for more vulnerable community members."


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