JK Rowling torched for calling gender reassignment surgery new conversion therapy: 'Really disappointed in you'
JK Rowling, who has been very vocal about her opinion on the trans community, has attracted further controversy by seemingly likening gender reassignment surgery to conversion therapy, a pseudoscience that is increasingly finding itself banned in countries around the world.
Rowling recently embarked on a lengthy rant on Twitter after a social media user accused her of supporting "those who call people who take mental health medication 'lazy.'" That user was referring to a tweet by @manaxium, where she said hormone medication was being overprescribed and that it was "pure laziness for those who would rather medicate than put in the time and effort to heal people's mind."
The 'Harry Potter' author jumped to @manaxium's defense and claimed that "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."
She went on to add that she believes "we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people" who were "being set on a lifelong path of medicalization that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function."
Conversion therapy is the practice of trying to change an individual's sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual by using psychological, physical, or spiritual means. The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims describes conversion therapy as a form of torture. The 54-year-old pointed out that these concerns of unnecessary transitions had even been raised in a recent BBC documentary and highlighted the accounts of people who had detransitioned and said that surgery was seen as the "easy fix to girls who do not conform."
Rowling went on to share the link for a study which said hormone therapy during gender transition may increase the risk for cardiovascular events and said that the side-effects and long-term health risks of cross-sex hormones were "minimized or denied by trans activists."
Her followers weren't too happy at her implying that trans people were being forced into surgery. "Hi JK, big fan of Harry Potter, very disappointed in you. Especially as you try to mask your transphobia as fake 'concern' for homophobia," one wrote. "Please don't use us in your arguments against our trans brothers and sisters. Thanks."
"Conversation therapy ruins people’s lives," another wrote. "I will not stand here and say 'I will support you' bc I don’t. I hate seeing people in pain and you are supporting that."
"Respectfully, I think you're totally wrong here and (are about to) drop in a CT hole," a third tweeted. "Gender identity has nothing to do with sexual attraction, and lifelong medicalization and/or surgery is not 'an easy way out' for the patients or their therapists."
Rowling has regularly spoken out against and belittled trans people, and recently shared an article about "people who menstruate" before quipping, "'People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"
When confronted for being transphobic, she argued she had trans friends. "If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."
