Vocal about various issues, author J K Rowling is this time being criticised by the transgender community and other activists after tweeting in support of a researcher who lost her job recently. She lost an employment tribunal case for using “offensive and exclusionary” language on Twitter and for stating that one cannot change biological sex.
The Harry Potter series author Rowling spoke out and tweeted about Maya Forstater. She was employed at an international thinktank and was sacked after a series of tweets in which she said: “Men cannot change into women.” Now Rowling is facing widespread criticism for supporting the researcher.
A court ruling upheld the dismissal of Maya Forstater, 45, who lost her job as a visiting fellow at the Centre for Global Development, an anti-poverty thinktank that has offices in London and Washington.
Key Takeaways:
- Famous author JK Rowling is criticized for speaking out in support of a researcher who lost an employment tribunal case for using “offensive and exclusionary” language on Twitter.
- The researcher, Maya Forstater, lost her job for using “offensive and exclusionary” language on Twitter and for stating that one cannot change biological sex.
- “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. “: Rowling tweeted.
Maya Forstater is facing a court ruling on her views of sexual identity were “absolutist,” even if they violate someone’s “dignity and/or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.”
On Thursday morning, the bestselling author Rowling tweeted: “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.”
This did not go down well with the transgender community and other activists. Rowling, who has 14.6 million followers, is now shown valid points and facts about the issue with her tweet.
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The Human Rights Campaign tweeted: “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. CC: JK Rowling.”
Maya, who was accused at the employment tribunal of having retweeted transphobic material, according to Court documents had previously tweeted that “it is unfair and unsafe for trans women to compete in women’s sport.”
Judge described Maya Forstater's beliefs as 'not worthy of respect in a democratic society'.
She was also accused of gendering a non-binary person, Gregor Murray. Forstater responded: “I had simply forgotten that this man demands to be referred to by the plural pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’… In reality Murray is a man … Women and children in particular should not be forced to lie or obfuscate about someone’s sex.”
Rowling was criticised as a transphobe and a 'TERF' - or 'trans exclusionary radical feminist' - over her support for Miss Forstater.
She had previously been criticised for liking a tweet that referred to trans women as “men in dresses.”
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Feature Image Credit: BBC
Read More Stories By Ria Das
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