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J.K. Rowling Under Fire for Tweet about Reporting Rapes by Transgender Perpetrators

Amanda Casanova

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is gaining attention this week for a tweet she posted about how rapes in Scotland could soon be reported.

“War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman,” Rowling wrote on Twitter.

Rowling also provided a link to a piece in The Times about a proposed law in Scotland that would allow police to record rapes by biological males as being committed by a female if the attacker identifies as a woman. The proposed law could allow the report even if the assailant has not made a legal gender change.

According to Faithwire, some criticized Rowling for posting about the proposal, calling her “transphobic,” but others said Rowling made a legitimate point.

“There are some areas in which biological sex matters, and rape stats are definitely one,” author Milli Hill wrote. “Thank you for continuing to wake people up to these issues.”

Author Susan Dalgety also tweeted in support of Rowling, thanking her.

“Thank you,” she said on Twitter. “You have no idea how important your voice is, or how much it means to women and girls.”

Among the criticism against Rowling were complaints that she singled out transgender persons.

“All the influence you have, and you choose to use it to hurt people who are vulnerable and marginalized. Truly disgusting,” author Majid M Padellan tweeted.

Another wrote: “I’m struggling to understand how someone can create a world where human love can literally save people from death, and then simultaneously embrace this kind of hate.”

This isn’t the first time Rowling has spoken out against transgender issues. Last year, she said there is a “climate of fear” around the transgender debate, but she believes that one’s sex is unchangeable.

“Some of the most heartbreaking letters I’ve received have been from young women who regret the irreversible surgeries they’ve undertaken. These stories need to be told.”

In another tweet in 2020, she wrote, “I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”

Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Jamie McCarthy/Staff

Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.