J.K Rowling’s support of a British researcher who was fired after expressing anti-transgender comments has sparked backlash online against the author.
The Harry Potter author tweeted her support of Maya Forstater after the researcher lost a court hearing challenging her termination from the Centre for Global Development, where she worked as a fellow.
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”.
Following her tweet, LGBTQ organization GLAAD released a statement revealing it offered to arrange an off-the-record meeting for Rowling to talk to members of the trans community. The organization says a publicist from her team declined the meeting.
Forstater was originally fired after tweeting that “men cannot change into women”. According to The Guardian, Judge James Tayler, an employment judge, ruled Forstater’s termination as valid since her views were “absolutist” and did “not have the protected characteristic of philosophical belief.”
“I conclude from…the totality of the evidence, that [Forstater] is absolutist in her view of sex and it is a core component of her belief that she will refer 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. The approach is not worthy of respect in a democratic society,” the judge wrote.
Fans of Rowling’s books and others online quickly criticised her comments, labelling the author as anti-trans and calling out how harmful her support of Forstater is for her young fans who are trans themselves.
Rowling is yet to comment on the criticism.
