AUTHOR J.K. Rowling has come out in support of Edinburgh Women’s Aid’s recent decision to ban transgender women from their services.
The Harry Potter writer has continually expressed her gender-critical views on transgender people, causing rifts with former actors in the franchise such as Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid recently released a statement saying that they will now “lawfully exclude transgender women and males who have transitioned to non-binary” from their services and employment.
This decision came under fire from trans rights groups, and is a U-turn on their former LGBT-friendly stance.
Edinburgh Women’s Aid recently released a position statement saying that whilst they “recognise the rights of women to hold and express differing beliefs in society”, they will be banning transgender women from their domestic abuse services.
The charity supports women and children going through domestic abuse by providing them with groupwork, refuge, and advice – none of which will be available to transgender women from now on.
This is in contrast to the stance of their umbrella company, Scottish Women’s Aid, who are “inclusive” of trans women but acknowledge that local women’s aid groups are “autonomous organisations” whose positions can differ.
Broadcaster India Willoughby, who was Britain’s first transgender newsreader on national television, spoke out against the decision by Edinburgh Women’s Aid yesterday, saying: “This is called bigotry and prejudice.
“J.K. Rowling’s domestic abuse service bans women who are trans – even those fully transitioned with a [gender recognition certificate] and no criminal record – from working at or using the service.
“The reason for the ban? Just being trans.”
Though J.K. Rowling does not have any known affiliation with the charity, she created a “women only” sexual assault support centre in Edinburgh three years ago, called Beira’s Place.
Beira’s Place states that: “If you contact us, the first person you speak to will be a woman, any support you receive will be from a woman and you can be guaranteed that when you visit our centre everyone in the building will be women.”
This follows 59-year-old Rowling’s view that transgender women are not real women, which has been criticised by many former Harry Potter actors including Daniel Radcliffe who has said: “Transgender women are women.
“Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
Rowling responded to Willoughby today, saying: “Flattered though I am by your assumption that I’m behind every women’s crisis centre in Scotland, I don’t run Edinburgh Women’s Aid.
“I do applaud their decision to keep their service woman-only, though, so your frothing at the mouth wasn’t entirely pointless.”
The pair have been at loggerheads previously, when Rowling deliberately misgendered Willoughby last year, saying that the Loose Women presenter was “a misogynistic male fantasy of what a woman is”.
Rowling again misgendered Willoughby online following yesterday’s post, saying: “It’s been going on for years.
“When he’s not asking me to make TV programmes with him, which in one case would have included getting manicures/massages together, he sends me endless abuse.
“It’s all very odd.”