Top horror author who signed letter decrying NYT trans coverage tweets death threat to JK Rowling

A renowned transgender horror author who signed a letter last week condemning The New York Times’s coverage of trans issues has tweeted that she wants to slit J.K. Rowling‘s throat.

Gretchen Felker-Martin named a series of writers she accused of transphobia – including Rowling – in a tweet sent on February 12. She added: ‘If they all had one throat, man.’

She had earlier decried the murder of British transgender teenager Brianna Ghey 16, and suggested Rowling and her ilk had stoked violence which led to the killing. Cops have yet to share a possible motive for the murder, which has seen two 15 year-olds arrested. 

Another writer she railed against, journalist Jesse Singal, condemned Felker-Martin for making the death threat, and said she has a long history of making threats of violence.

In Felker-Martin’s debut novel, Manhunt, published in February 2022, Rowling is murdered by being burned alive. 

The book is promoted as ‘an explosive post-apocalyptic novel that follows trans women and trans men on a grotesque journey of survival.’

Gretchen Felker-Martin has been criticized for tweeting a death threat against J.K. Rowling

Rowling, seen with her husband watching the Laver Cup tennis in September, has become a target for militant transgender activists

Felker-Martin’s tweet – which she has now deleted – came shortly before she joined 180 activists in signing a letter to the Times attacking their recent coverage of transgender issues, which has seen the paper examine whether young children should be given puberty blockers, or gender reassignment surgery.

Rowling has shared similar views, and also questioned whether trans women should be allowed access to some female-only spaces such as prisons, domestic abuse shelters, or sporting contests.  

Felker-Martin’s novel sees J.K. Rowling being murdered

Singal, one of the authors Felker-Martin singled out in her death threat tweet, said he was appalled at her rhetoric, and warned it could translate to real world violence.

Singal found himself on the ‘hit list’ of aggressive transgender activists after he wrote a story in The Atlantic in 2018 discussing gender reassignment therapy for children.

The story – headlined: ‘When Children Say They Are Trans: Hormones? Surgery? The choices are fraught—and there are no easy answers’ – has made him, like Rowling, a figure of hate for the activists.

‘I’m baffled that Gretchen Felker-Martin still has a Twitter account,’ Singal told DailyMail.com. 

‘That she does is simply the latest proof that Twitter doesn’t actually care about violent threats. How many people do you have to threaten to kill before Twitter takes your account away?’

Twitter is yet to respond to DailyMail.com’s question as to why Felker-Martin is allowed to tweet death threats.

Felker-Martin is a prolific tweeter, discussing culture and trans issues with her 28,000 followers

The New York Times published an op-ed in defense of J.K. Rowling’s trans views a day after two open letters, signed by celebrities, campaign groups and hundreds of the paper’s own writers, accused the paper of bias in its reporting of trans issues

According to their March 2019 policy statement: ‘You may not threaten violence against an individual or a group of people. We also prohibit the glorification of violence.’

Twitter adds: ‘Healthy conversation is only possible when people feel safe from abuse and don’t resort to using violent language. For this reason, we have a policy against threatening violence on Twitter. 

Jesse Singal said he was disturbed that Felker-Martin was allowed to make death threats openly on Twitter

‘We define violent threats as statements of an intent to kill or inflict serious physical harm on a specific person or group of people.’

Singal said he was not alone in being targeted by the Massachusetts-based author, and criticized the LGBTQ+ community for staying silent amid her rhetoric.

‘It’s telling that no one in Felker-Martin’s world will speak out about her behavior,’ he said. 

‘Then they’ll turn around and complain about all the violent and eliminationist rhetoric coming from the other side. 

‘There’s no principle here. Death threats should be seen as bad no matter who is making them, and it’s crazy I even have to point that out.’

He added: ‘Her intention is for one of her followers to go after me, because that’s the only possible reason to tweet this sort of vile, eliminationist rhetoric about someone over and over. 

‘And all it takes is one person to follow through on it for things to get genuinely menacing.’

Rowling’s publishing company, Pottermore Publishing, is yet to respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment. Felker-Martin’s publisher, Tor, also declined to comment. 

The Times ran a column further defending Rowling the day after the letter was delivered, further inflaming activists.

A paper spokesman defended the title’s coverage of trans issues – and also warned staff not to get involved with activist groups currently gunning for the title.

The Times’ stance is a marked departure from June 2020, when the paper’s opinion editor James Bennet was forced to stand down following a Twitter outcry.

He’d published an op-ed from Republican Senator Tom Cotton calling for the military to be deployed to tamp down riots triggered by George Floyd’s murder a fortnight earlier. 

Bennet’s departure saw the Times condemned for kotowing to woke anger.