An LGBT group claims that believing men are male and women are female is an “anti-science ideology”.
GLAAD – a US LGBT group that boasts it has been “at the forefront of cultural change” for 30 years – made the comments in reference to author JK Rowling.
She defended a woman who lost at an employment tribunal because of her belief that sex cannot be changed.
Forced
JK Rowling tweeted on Thursday with a strong statement in favour of LGB rights, but questioned ‘forcing women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real’.
She added #IStandWithMaya in reference to Maya Forstater, the woman at the centre of the tribunal case.
GLAAD said Rowling’s public relations team had declined its approach for an “off-the-record discussion” about the issue.
‘TERF’
In response, GLAAD said the author “has now aligned herself with an anti-science ideology”.
“Trans men, trans women and non-binary people are not a threat, and to imply otherwise puts trans people at risk”, it added.
Twitter users were quick to label Rowling as a “TERF” – a slur meaning Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist. Others threatened violence, but over 150,000 expressed support.
‘Abuse’
Following the backlash, feminist author Julie Bindel wrote that she had been suffering a similar fate since she first spoke out in 2004.
“I faced horrendous abuse from trans activists. I had death and rape threats.
“I was harassed and hounded in public, labelled a Nazi, a bigot, and accused of causing the suicide of young transgender people.”
She added: “Women should have the right to voice their opinions without fear of losing their jobs, their livelihood, or their sanity.”
‘Basic facts’
Speaking after the ruling, Forstater said she was shocked and was considering an appeal.
“There are two sexes. Men are male. Women are female. It is impossible to change sex.
“These were until very recently understood as basic facts of life”.