JK Rowling has hit back at a presenter calling him a « misogynist » after he challenged her views on gender-identity. Albie Amankona – a presenter on GB News – shared a post on social media platform X explaining how he felt « sympathetic » of the author’s views.
But he went on to share a picture of transgender model Munroe Bergdorf, saying: « I suspect like me, most Brits would find calling a trans woman who looks like @munroebergdorf1 ‘him’ to be obtuse & mean-spirited, though not a criminal offence. »
The model faced backlash in January after being given the role of « UK Champion » by UN Women UK. Responding to Albie, the Harry Potter author said: « So if trans-identified men are pretty enough (as judged by you, a man) women ought to agree they’re women?
« Femaleness has no relation whatsoever to how well an individual – man or woman – performs femininity to male standards. This is the very definition of misogyny. »
The presenter has been a member of the LGBT+ Conservatives for several years and joined the Executive in 2023.
The row came after JK Rowling shared a picture of Ms Bergdorf alongside nine other notable transgender women as part of a campaign against the new Scottish hate legislation.
She wrote on X: « Munroe Bergdorf isn’t just a pretty face! Public campaigner for a children’s charity until safeguarding concerns were raised, she was appointed UN Women’s first ever UK champion. ‘What makes a woman a woman has no definitive answer,’ says Munroe. Great choice, UN Women! »
Ms Bergdorf was dropped from the NSPCC days after being selected as Childline’s first LGBT+ campaigner. The safeguarding concerns, as cited by the charity were from statements the model had posted on Twitter which « breached its safeguarding rules. »
The new Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 creates a new crime of « stirring up hatred » relating to age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity or being intersex. The maximum penalty is a prison sentence of seven years.
A person commits an offence if they communicate material, or behave in a manner, « that a reasonable person would consider to be threatening or abusive, » with the intention of stirring up hatred based on the protected characteristics.
JK Rowling – who lives in Edinburgh – has openly condemned the new legislation, saying it gives women « no additional protections, of course ».
She went on to list 10 high profile trans-women, referring to them as « women » before posting: « April Fools! Only kidding. Obviously, the people mentioned in the above tweets aren’t women at all, but men, every last one of them. »
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