JK Rowling weighs in on trans sporting debate

Harry Potter author JK Rowling says that British former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies is an "inspiration" for her continued opposition to trans athletes competing against biologically-born women. 

Both Rowling and Davies have been prominent critics in the ongoing debate about the fairness and efficacy of having trans athletes competing directly against cis women, citing prominent cases such as those involving American swimmer Lia Thomas and New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard as examples of sporting inequality, after both were successful in competition against women despite being born male.

Davies has been particularly vocal in her crusade to establish what she sees as being a level playing field for female athletes as more and more instances of trans athletes make headlines across the globe – but she has also hit out at what she claims is 'harassment' from trans activists.

“So predictable the disgusting misogynistic trans activists are targeting young sports women’s incomes for suggesting they want fair sport, saying they are transphobic & how dare companies employ them!” Davies wrote on Twitter. “This is direct harassment. This is how they work! It’s not right.”

“Please show your love 4 the athletes, especially the female athletes breaking cover,” she added.

“The male abuse they receive from so called trans activists is extraordinary but this is 2big a loss for women to stay silent over. This is a human right to equality we are having stolen from us.”

Davies' criticism comes amid recent scrutiny placed upon Thomas which saw an anonymous letter from a teammate of Thomas' at the University of Pennsylvania released online in which she blasted the inequality of allowing Thomas to compete against women.

“Imagine if there was this kind of inequality in men's sports? Or someone found out about doping in a men's sport. It would be fixed in a blink of an eye. Everyone would be all over it. But because it's women, they don't care,” the letter said in part. 

And Rowling, the Harry Potter author who has landed herself in the crosshairs after comments which were perceived by some as being anti-trans, has backed the outspoken Davies online.

“Love to you and all the female athletes standing up, Sharron. You're an inspiration,” wrote Rowling, who was disinvited from a recent Harry Potter anniversary show due to the the notoriety of her past comments on the issue.

On Monday, Twitter announced that it was removing from its platform a music video by trans activist Faye Fadem which appeared to call for the assassination of Rowling due to her opposition to trans athletes.

The song contained the lyrics “As I kill (Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists)" and “JK I hope you fit in a hearse.”

Rowling referenced the issue with a tweet of her own: “I'm afraid I can't give a shout out to everyone promising to murder me – there are so many of you, and I'm a busy woman – but this one deserves a mention for the nineties rave vibe.”