JK Rowling slams John Oliver over transgender athletes in female sports
Photo: AFP/Reuters
JK Rowling has publicly criticized comedian John Oliver for his comments supporting transgender participation in female sports.
On his satirical show, Oliver argued there is no proven safety threat posed by transgender athletes to women. Rowling, while expressing initial fondness for Oliver, accused him of motivated reasoning and confirmation bias.
Referencing a UN report, Rowling claimed nearly 900 medals have been lost to "trans-identified men competing in women’s categories," although she provided no direct evidence to support her statements. She also expressed concerns over girls being displaced from teams in favor of male athletes.
Nothing about this feels good, because John Oliver generously gave his time for my charity Lumos and I liked him very much when I met him, but God knows, if you ever need an example of motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, this video's for you. An undoubtedly intelligent… https://t.co/3IS4onzXq0
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) November 17, 2024
This debate adds to Rowling’s ongoing controversial remarks, which have drawn criticism from LGBTQ+ communities. Earlier this year, she faced backlash for denying claims that Nazis burned books on transgender healthcare, responding to allegations that her ideology aligns with regressive gender policies.