J.K. Rowling Facing Backlash After Defending Researcher Who Was Fired For Saying Men Can’t Change Into Women

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is facing backlash after expressing her support for Maya Forstater, a researcher who was fired after tweeting that a person can’t change their biological sex. Rowling tweeted:

“Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?
#IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill”

Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019

This prompted the Human Rights Campaign, a major LGBTQ advocacy group, to reply to Rowling:

“Trans women are women.
Trans men are men.
Non-binary people are non-binary.

CC: JK Rowling.”

Trans women are women.
Trans men are men.
Non-binary people are non-binary.

CC: JK Rowling.

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) December 19, 2019

Forstater’s original tweet staid: “What I am so surprised at is that smart people who I admire, who are absolutely pro-science in other areas, and champion human rights & womens rights are tying themselves in knots to avoid saying the truth that men cannot change into women (because that might hurt mens feelings)”

What I am so surprised at is that smart people who I admire, who are absolutely pro-science in other areas, and champion human rights & womens rights are tying themselves in knots to avoid saying the truth that men cannot change into women (because that might hurt mens feelings)

— Maya Forstater (@MForstater) September 30, 2018

Forstater was a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development and recently lost a court challenge against her firing. The Judge in the case ruled that her firing was valid since her “absolutist” beliefs regarding biological sex includes referring to a person “by the sex she considered appropriate even if it violates their dignity and/or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.”

h/t Variety