Author JK Rowling returns Kennedy family award after ‘transphobic tweets’ remark
JK Rowling is returning an award from a group linked to the Kennedy family in the US, saying its president “incorrectly implied” that she is “transphobic”.
The Harry Potter author (55) has been at the centre of a row over trans rights.
The president of Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR), a group which previously presented Rowling with an award, was among those who criticised the best-selling writer’s views.
Announcing her decision to hand back the gong, Rowling wrote online that Kerry Kennedy, the organisation’s president and the daughter of the late senator Robert Kennedy, “felt it necessary to publish a statement denouncing my views” on the group’s website.
“The statement incorrectly implied that I was transphobic, and that I am responsible for harm to trans people,” Rowling said.
“As a longstanding donor to
LGBT charities and a supporter of trans people’s right to live free of persecution, I absolutely refute the accusation that I hate trans people or wish them ill, or that standing up for the rights of women is wrong, discriminatory, or incites harm or violence to the trans community.”
She posted: “In solidarity with those who have contacted me but who are struggling to make their voices heard, and because of the very serious conflict of views between myself and RFKHR, I feel I have no option but to return the Ripple of Hope Award bestowed upon me last year. I am deeply saddened that RFKHR has felt compelled to adopt this stance”.
Actors from the Harry Potter universe, including Daniel Radcliffe, have criticised the author.