ugc_banner

JK Rowling compares transgender hormone replacement to gay conversion therapy, draws criticism

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Jul 06, 2020, 04:04 PM IST
main img
File image of JK Rowling. Photograph:(WION Web Team)

Story highlights

In June Rowling faced criticism from the LGBTQ community and supporters for her remarks on an article that many termed as "transphobic."

Weeks after receiving severe criticism for her tone-deaf tweets on 'people who menstruate', author JK Rowling has landed in yet another controversy on Twitter.

On Sunday, Rowling tweeted, "many health professionals are concerned that young people struggling with their mental health are being shunted towards hormones and surgery when this may not be in their best interests." The comment was part of a thread that she tweeted to defend herself after many called her out for liking a tweet that compared hormone prescriptions to anti-depressants, which were overprescribed to teenagers in past and had harmful results.

Rowling in a series of tweets went on to defend her stand and said that her likining the tweet was being moscontrued. The author revealed that she had in the past suffered from

In June Rowling faced criticism from the LGBTQ community and supporters for her remarks on an article that many termed as "transphobic."

Post her tweet on Sunday, a critic wrote, "Who had money on JK Rowling pivoting to supporting thse who call people who take mental health medication “lazy”?”

To which Rowling wrote back, "I’ve ignored fake tweets attributed to me and RTed widely. I’ve ignored porn tweeted at children on a thread about their art. I’ve ignored death and rape threats. I’m not going to ignore this,” she tweeted.

“Many, myself included, believe we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people, who are being set on a lifelong path of medicalisation that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function.” She added, “The long-term health risks of cross-sex hormones have been now been tracked over a lengthy period. These side-effects are often minimised or denied by trans activists.”

Many termed her tweets as homophobic.

In June, her tweets had led to severe backlash and discussion online with most of the 'Harry Potter' cast speaking in favour of the transgender community.  The tweets also led to several of Harry Potter fan clubs distancing themselves from the author.

This is not the first time that the 'Harry Potter' author has gotten embroiled in controversy for her comments on the LGBTQ community. She had received flak for supporting Maya Forstater, a researcher who stated that people cannot change their biological sex.