JK Rowling faces backlash for likening transgender hormone replacement to gay conversion therapy

It all started when a Twitter user made a claim that the author had allegedly liked a tweet that compared prescribed hormones to antidepressants.

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Rowling wrote a long tread defending herself. (Photo: JK Rowling/Facebook)

It will probably be a while for JK Rowling to extricate herself from the growing controversy she finds herself embroiled in. Recently, the Harry Potter author faced fresh heat on one of her tweets that suggested transgender hormone therapy is a variant of conversion therapy for young gay people..

It all started when a Twitter user made a claim that the author had allegedly liked a tweet that compared prescribed hormones to antidepressants. Soon, Rowling wrote a long tread defending herself and went to write, “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. When you lie about what I believe about mental health medication and when you misrepresent the views of a trans woman for whom I feel nothing but admiration and solidarity, you cross a line.”

She added, “I’ve written and spoken about my own mental health challenges, which include OCD, depression and anxiety. I did so recently in my essay ‘TERF Wars’. I’ve taken anti-depressants in the past and they helped me. 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. 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.” Adding to this, she shared links to support her tweets, giving instances. “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.”

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. 1/11 pic.twitter.com/hfSaGR2UVa

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

When you lie about what I believe about mental health medication and when you misrepresent the views of a trans woman for whom I feel nothing but admiration and solidarity, you cross a line. 2/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

I’ve written and spoken about my own mental health challenges, which include OCD, depression and anxiety. I did so recently in my essay ‘TERF Wars’. I’ve taken anti-depressants in the past and they helped me. 3/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

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. 4/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

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. 5/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

These concerns were explored by the recent BBC documentary about the Tavistock Clinic. Whistleblowers were talking about transitions driven by homophobia. https://t.co/S0q88PeL65
6/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

As I’ve said many times, transition may be the answer for some. For others, it won’t – witness the accounts of detransitioners.
“The system sees surgery as the easy fix to girls who do not conform.”
https://t.co/cr1Zi4JnWR 7/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

Sophie is a trans woman and a true feminist ally. She was making the point that anti-depressants were over-prescribed to teenagers in the past, with serious consequences. https://t.co/yxuK2Mh49X 8/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

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.https://t.co/fpIxW34AWr
9/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

Carl Henegan, professor of evidence-based medicine at Oxford University, has described the off-label use of puberty blockers on under-18s as an ‘unregulated live experiment on children’. https://t.co/dDAqENLXor
10/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

None of that may trouble you or disturb your belief in your own righteousness. But if so, I can’t pretend I care much about your bad opinion of me. 11/11

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 5, 2020

Soon, people began expressing their anger. “JK Rowling is now openly advocating for conversion therapy for trans kids. As a survivor of an extreme form of homebrew conversion therapy, I say *once again* without reservation that she is a danger to children,” wrote one, while another said: “JK Rowling comparing transitioning to conversion therapy is a great example of how conspiratorial and anti-science the TERF mindset is.”