Entertainment
JK Rowling challenges transgender charity Mermaids to sue her after trustee quits amid claims of paedophile group links-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
‘This is a charity that’s achieved unprecedented influence in the UK,’ she said.
JK Rowling has engaged in another Twitter spat with a trans broadcaster (Picture: Getty)
JK Rowling has challenged transgender charity Mermaids to sue her in another public spat.
The author as been at the centre of several Twitter storms in recent years, angering many people in the LGBTQ+ community specifically.
Most recently, she blasted celebrities for backing Mermaids – a charity that supports transgender young people and their families – with the likes of Harry Potter star Emma Watson previously showing their support for the organisation.
The writer’s latest comments come after it became public knowledge that a trustee from Mermaids quit their role over revelations he spoke at an ‘academic’ conference hosted by B4U-ACT, an organisation that promotes support for paedophiles.
It was revealed by the Times that Dr Jacob Breslow attended the conference in 2011 as a PhD student. Mermaids says the organisation is ‘completely at odds’ with its values.
While Dr Breslow himself has not commented, the London School of Economics, at which Dr Breslow is an associate professor of gender and sexuality, responded to the reports with a statement: ‘We have been made aware of a presentation given at an external event in 2011 by a then graduate student, now faculty member of LSE. We are looking into these reports.’
The author seemed happy for the matter to be taken to court (Picture: Getty)
Responding to a tweet that suggested ‘so many celebs will be wishing they had steered clear’ of supporting Mermaids, Rowling wrote: ‘We’ve now learned that Mermaids appointed a paedophilia apologist as Trustee and that their online moderator encouraged kids to move onto a platform notorious for sexual exploitation. This is a charity that’s achieved unprecedented influence in the UK.
‘They couldn’t have achieved it without the money and public support of certain corporations and celebrities, who eagerly boosted them even though the red flags have been there for years. Mermaids’ fingers were all over the Tavistock Gender Identity Clinic debacle.’
The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust gender identity clinic for children and young people has been closed by the NHS after it was criticised in an independent review.
Rowling has angered many in the LGBTQ+ community over recent years after voicing her views on trans issues (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Harry Potter actress Emma Watson famously showed her support for Mermaids (Picture: Getty)
Rowling added: ‘They’ve been allowed into classrooms, trained police and had unprecedented influence over health policy, even though by their own admission they aren’t a medical charity. We’ve also found out they’re sending devices to flatten breasts to underage girls w/o parental consent.’
To note, according to The Guardian, the UK’s Charity Commission has opened an investigation into claims Mermaids sent ‘chest binders’ home to children against their parents’ wishes.
During the investigation, which began in September, Mermaids told the outlet that it provided ‘comprehensive safety guidelines to young people from an experienced member of staff’ about binders.
Broadcaster Willoughby said ‘legal action’ needs to be taken against the author (Picture: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)
India Willoughby, a broadcaster who is trans, responded to Rowling’s lengthy Twitter thread, telling her that she is ‘insane.’
‘He’s a therapist who in a professional capacity which had nothing to do with Mermaids worked with paedophiles. Not a pleasant job, but one I guess hundreds of therapists do every single day in Britain. This is pretty close to libel [sic].’
The conversationend didn’t stop there, as the writer and journalist continued to exchange choice words, with Willoughby saying that ‘someone really needs to take legal action against JK Rowling.’
Mermaids said the conference Dr Jacob Breslow attended is ‘completely at odds’ with its values (Picture: Getty)
‘This is off the scale,’ she wrote. ‘The GC (gender critical) tactic seems to be to drown the trans charity Mermaids in a tsunami of innuendo and lies – throw a stack of mud, some of it will stick.’
Appearing to suggest she’s happy for legal action to be taken, Rowling issued a scathing response: ‘India, I swear to God, if you want to start a petition for Mermaids to take me on in court, the first signature will be mine.’
Bringing the public spat to a close, Willoughby boldly stated: ‘Cool. Let’s hope it happens.’
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Rowling has become known for voicing her controversial and divisive opinions on Twitter, but recently said that she doesn’t want to reign it in.
She said she’s given up trying to de-escalate the trolling she receives, claiming she has never ‘threatened’ anyone, and took a social media break during the pandemic.
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