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JK Rowling hails MSP ‘a heroine’ for quitting Scottish Government over transgender row-Lucy Norris-Entertainment – Metro
JK Rowling supports MSP walk out amid trans row.
JK Rowling supports MSP walk out (Pictures: REX/Shutterstock)
Ash Regan has been praised by Harry Potter author JK Rowling for her stance on self-identification for transgender people after the MSP quit the Scottish Government.
The SNP MSP stood down from her role as Community Safety Minister following a row over the introduction of self-identification for transgender people in Scotland.
Rowling – who has caused controversy for her vocal critique on reforms surrounding rights for the transgender community, but has previously denied she is transphobic – commended the politician’s decision, urging: ‘This is what a principled politician looks like.’
Previously tweeting a picture of herself wearing a T-shirt that called out Scotland’s First Minister a ‘destroyer of women’s rights’, it didn’t take her long to share her views on the news of a resignation.
The writer’s opinions landed on Twitter after Ms Regan announced she was leaving her post in the Scottish Government.
She wrote: ‘@AshtenRegan will rightly be seen as a heroine when future generations of Scottish women look back at the profoundly misogynistic legislation currently being pushed through by the Sturgeon government.’
JK Rowling deems Ash Regan a ‘heroine’ (Picture: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)
Ash Regan stood down from her role as Community Safety Minister (Picture: Ken Jack/Getty Images)
Giving reasons for her impromptu departure, the MSP explained that her conscience would not allow her to vote for the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.
The legislation passed its first Holyrood vote by 88 to 33 last week and included proposals that will remove the requirement for someone to obtain a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before they can seek a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
The proposals also promised to reduce the minimum age for obtaining a certificate to 16 and the amount of time someone must live in their acquired gender from two years to three months.
This amended time limit will come with an attachment of an additional three-month reflection period.
Rowling has come under fire for her views on transgender rights (Picture: PA)
Following its announcement, groups representing women and girls have raised concerns over safety if the Bill is passed in its current form.
Ms Regan was met with support after leaving the Government behind and tweeted her thanks to the ‘hundreds of constituents and others across Scotland’ who had contacted her with praise for her stance.
She added: ‘This is an issue of a deep concern to many and I am touched that some have shared their experiences of trauma with me and their need for safe spaces.’
Scottish Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison stood in favour of the Bill and told Holyrood that the changes would make the process of obtaining a gender recognition certificate ‘simpler, more streamlined, and more respectful of the privacy and dignity of trans men and women.’
JK Rowling has come under fire numerous times for her strong views on this issue, prompting stars from the Potter franchise such as Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Eddie Redmayne to speak out in support of trans rights.
Numerous members of the Harry Potter franchise have spoken out against her views (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage)
Her stance was thrown into the spotlight in 2020 when she shared an op-ed discussing why ‘people who menstruate’ and took issue with the fact the story didn’t feature the word ‘women’.
The author retweeted the article with the caption: ‘”People who menstruate.” I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’
After receiving backlash for her comments, Rowling said: ‘I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them.
‘I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.
‘At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.’
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