J.K. Rowling has suggested hormone replacements prescribed to transgender people are a “new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people”.
The ‘Harry Potter’ author has come under fire in recent weeks for posting comments to Twitter that have been deemed transphobic, and she has now claimed that some young people who are prescribed “hormones and surgery” by doctors may not be transgender.
J.K. made her claims after a Twitter user suggested she had “liked” a tweet that claimed people on “mental health medication” were “lazy”.
She wrote on the micro-blogging platform: “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. 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 antidepressants in the past and they helped me.”
The author went on to state that what she actually meant was that people who wrongly undergo hormone replacement or full surgery may face “long-term health risks”.
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She added: “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 medicalization that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function.
“As I’ve said many times, a transition may be the answer for some. For others, it won’t–witness the accounts of detransitioners. The long-term health risks of cross-sex hormones have been now been tracked over a lengthy period. These side-effects are often minimized or denied by trans activists.
“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. (sic)”
J.K., 54, originally sparked controversy with her comments when she took to Twitter last month to slam an article for using the phrase “people who menstruate” rather than “women”.
She later posted a lengthy blog post in which she expressed the “deep concerns” she has about the impact transgender activism could have on the “education and safeguarding” of children.
Since making her claims, many stars of the ‘Harry Potter’ film franchise – including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson – have spoken out in defense of transgender people.
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