Renowned horror novelist Stephen King has once again made waves on social media, this time for a tweet that sheds light on the motivations behind the Republican Party's recent efforts to curtail transgender rights.
King's tweet, which went viral, serves as a succinct explanation for the GOP's focus on this issue, linking it to the conservative-leaning Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
King's tweet suggests that the Republican Party may be leveraging the controversy surrounding transgender rights to divert attention from the Supreme Court's decision on abortion rights, a move that sparked considerable debate and activism.
Responding to a fellow Twitter user who criticized GOP propaganda surrounding "transgender related" surgeries on minors and infringement on parental rights, King offered a concise explanation for the Republican Party's emphasis on transgender issues.
He stated:
"This whole transgender and sex change thing is classic bait-and-switch. An effort to get the Republican base spun up so they'll forget the conservative-leaning Supreme Court took away a woman's right to choose."
You can see King's tweet below.
@StephenKing/Twitter; @SweetFnLucifer/Twitter
Even while expressing their frustrations, many praised King for succinctly summing up the current iteration of the culture wars.
\u201c@StephenKing @irene_genX Absolutely, and they have given their nasty base the ability to project their sick thoughts onto the gay community. Everyone knows grooming when they see it and it isn\u2019t drag queens doing it.\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
\u201c@StephenKing @cmclymer Yea, but what\u2019s worse is the \u201cattack-small-marginalized-group-de jour\u201d seems to have impact. :(\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
\u201c@StephenKing ~Most Republicans don\u2019t even know what the word \u2018Republican\u2019 entails. I\u2019ve little hope any will grasp what \u2018transgender\u2019 is , Or means anytime soon.\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
\u201c@StephenKing @costumesgal \ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\ud83d\udcaf\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
\u201c@StephenKing Republicans are the masters of bait and switch. Right now the power base (the ones who get all the $) are trying hard to bait and switch de'trojanhorse into the white house as an alternate to trump. Trump brings peace. Desantis will be george biden part 2.\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
\u201c@StephenKing You\u2019re right. Abortion and guns have long been their standard and now that they\u2019ve made a mess of tht they\u2019re into their next bs talking point\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
\u201c@StephenKing Well put, Master King!\ud83d\udc95\u201d— Stephen King (@Stephen King) 1685496174
King's support for transgender rights is not an isolated stance within the literary world.
In 2020, alongside other celebrated authors such as Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, and Angie Thomas, King signed an open letter affirming the rights of transgender and non-binary individuals.
The letter, which has garnered support from over 1,200 members of the American literary community, emphasizes the importance of inclusive language, recognizing non-binary people, and affirming transgender identities.
\u201cStephen King, Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood declare support for trans and non-binary people https://t.co/LoLpyvXloZ\u201d— The Independent (@The Independent) 1602259578
The signatories, comprising writers, editors, journalists, agents, and publishing professionals, pledged to use their platform and words to shape a more just and fair society.
They wrote that they "believe in the power of words" and "want to do our part to help shape the curve of history toward justice and fairness," stressing that "trans rights are human rights."