J.K. Rowling posted a photo of herself wearing a T-shirt calling the First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, a “destroyer of women’s rights” for supporting a bill that would help trans people.
Rowling has already been vocal in her objection to the Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which would allow transgender people to update their gender markers on government paperwork.
I stand in solidarity with @ForWomenScot and all women protesting and speaking outside the Scottish parliament. #NoToSelfID pic.twitter.com/5vZNaZu13H
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 6, 2022
Under current Scottish law, transgender people are required to submit a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria to a UK gender recognition panel to be able to legally change their gender. The proposed reform would remove those barriers and lower the age to 16. It would still require applicants to swear their intent to permanently change their legal gender and go through a three-month waiting period.
In March, the famously transphobic Rowling took to Twitter multiple times to object, arguing that allowing transgender women access to women’s facilities will put cisgender women at risk of assault.
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Exactly this. The law @NicolaSturgeon's trying to pass in Scotland will harm the most vulnerable women in society: those seeking help after male violence/rape and incarcerated women. Statistics show that imprisoned women are already far more likely to have been previously abused. https://t.co/LPN8cx1Vf4
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 5, 2022
Multiple women’s groups have presented well-sourced evidence to @NicolaSturgeon’s government about the likely negative consequences of this legislation for women and girls, especially the most vulnerable. All has been ignored. If the legislation is passed 1/2
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 7, 2022
Sturgeon directly responded to Rowling, saying that she “fundamentally disagree[d]” that the bill would harm women.
“This is about an existing process by which people can legally change their gender and it’s about making that process less traumatic and inhumane for trans people – one of the most stigmatized minorities in our society,” she said.
“It doesn’t give trans people any more rights, nor does it take away from women any of the current existing rights under the Equality Act.”
Rowling posted the recent photo of herself wearing the anti-Sturgeon T-shirt as a message of support for a protest against the bill taking place outside the Scottish Parliament.
To the heartbreak of many of her fans, Rowling has long positioned herself as an enemy of the trans community.
She has issued diatribes about transgender people, come out in support of conversion therapy for trans people, and claimed that almost everyone agrees with her, even as famous people that she has worked with condemned her words. She also published a book about a man who wears dresses in order to kill women.
Rowling’s anti-transgender views have even held sway in U.S. politics, with Republicans citing her to attack LGBTQ rights.
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