Rowling hands back equality award over trans accusations

JK ROWLING has handed back an award to a charity associated with the US Kennedy family after its president accused her of “deeply troubling transphobic” comments.

The Harry Potter author was given the Ripple of Hope Award by the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights (RFKHR) organisation last year for her work on advancing equality.

But earlier this month, Kerry Kennedy, its president and the daughter of Robert Kennedy, said views expressed by Rowling online “diminished the identity” of transgender people.

Rowling has become increasingly vocal on the subject of transgender rights over the past year.

In a statement on the organisation’s website, Ms Kennedy wrote: “Over the course of June 2020 – LGBTQ Pride Month – and much to my dismay, JK Rowling posted deeply troubling transphobic tweets and statements.

She continued: “I have spoken with JK Rowling to express my profound disappointment that she has chosen to use her remarkable gifts to create a narrative that diminishes the identity of trans and nonbinary people, undermining the validity and integrity of the entire transgender community.”

The author responded to Ms Kennedy’s accusations, saying she “absolutely refutes the accusation that I hate trans people or wish them ill”.

She added: “RFKHR has stated that there is no conflict between the current radical trans rights movement and the rights of women.

“The thousands of women who’ve got in touch with me disagree, and, like me, believe this clash of rights can only be resolved if more nuance is permitted in the debate.

“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 award.

“No award or honour, no matter my admiration for the person for whom it was named, means so much to me that I would forfeit the right to follow the dictates of my own conscience.”