J.K. Rowling, the world-renowned author of the Harry Potter book series, is being accused of transphobia after tweeting on Thursday in support of Maya Forstater, a U.K. tax expert who was fired this week after stating that “men cannot change into women.” The Central London Employment Tribunal backed the decision to oust Forstater because her view is “incompatible with human dignity and fundamental rights of others,” according to The Independent. Rowling on Twitter stood by Forstater, who said after her termination that “this judgment removes women’s rights and the right to freedom of belief and speech.” The author, who has sold more than 500 million copies of her books worldwide and built a $25 billion franchise, wrote a list of rights in her tweet such as dressing “however you please” and calling “yourself whatever you like,” and then said, “But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?”
Her tweet sparked outrage, with readers who identify as transgender, parents of transgender children, and LGBTQ allies blasting her take. Rowling’s statements led to her own trending word on Twitter: “JK Rowling is a TERF,” which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. One woman replied to her tweet, “My daughter, who is trans, is a big fan of yours. It breaks my heart to see you post something indicating that discrimination against her is perfectly fine behaviour for an employee.”
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