JK Rowling's agency refuses to bow to pressure over her stand on transgender rights

JK Rowling's agency has refused demands to issue a public statement in support of transgenderism after recent comments on the issue by the Harry Potter author.

Authors Fox Fisher, Drew Davies and Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir, also known as Owl Fisher, have now quit the Blair Partnership, which represents Rowling. 

They said in a joint statement on Medium that they had reached out to the agency "with an invitation to reaffirm their stance to transgender rights and equality".

"After our talks with them, we felt that they were unable to commit to any action that we thought was appropriate and meaningful," they said.

"Freedom of speech can only be upheld if the structural inequalities that hinder equal opportunities for underrepresented groups are challenged and changed." 

A spokeswoman for Blair Partnership told the Guardian that the agency was not prepared to have staff "re-educated" over Rowling's comments.

Despite a fierce backlash, Rowling has stood by her comments, which were made in response to an article that referred to "people who menstruate".

"I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" she said on Twitter. 

She later defended her views in an essay on her website in which she said that many women are "justifiably terrified" of trans activists.

"I know this because so many have got in touch with me to tell their stories. They're afraid of doxxing, of losing their jobs or their livelihoods, and of violence," Rowling said.

"But endlessly unpleasant as its constant targeting of me has been, I refuse to bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode 'woman' as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it.

News
Faith in the festive chaos: how you can sustain your family’s faith this Christmas
Faith in the festive chaos: how you can sustain your family’s faith this Christmas

Anna Hawken, Parenting for Faith from BRF Ministries, has some helpful tips for families to connect with God in the midst of the "December tornado".

Half of Armenian archbishops have been thrown in jail
Half of Armenian archbishops have been thrown in jail

The Armenian government has been in conflict with the church for a number of years now.

Catholics in Mozambique caring for survivors of Jihadist violence
Catholics in Mozambique caring for survivors of Jihadist violence

International attention on Mozambique is scarce.

New study uncovers why some people leave their childhood faith and others stay
New study uncovers why some people leave their childhood faith and others stay

A new analysis from the Pew Research Center suggests that decisions about faith are often made early in life — and once made, they tend to last.