First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has criticised JK Rowling over her opposition to Scotland's Gender Recognition Reform Bill, which simplifies the legal process for transgender people to change their legally recognised gender. Rowling was seen wearing a T-shirt branding Sturgeon 'a destroyer of women's rights' during a protest outside the Scottish Parliament.
Sturgeon told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that 'real feminists' should focus on threats such as male violence and the removal of abortion rights, rather than 'stigmatising' trans people. She added: 'The threat to women in our society today is not from trans women, it is from abusive men.'
Rowling has voiced support for For Women Scotland, the group that organised the rally. In a tweet, she said: 'I stand in solidarity with @forwomenscot and all women protesting and speaking outside the Scottish Parliament.' The author has previously faced accusations of transphobia for comments about sex and gender, which she denies.
The Gender Recognition Reform Bill was recommended for approval by a majority of MSPs on the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee. The legislation aims to make it easier for transgender people to obtain a gender recognition certificate without a medical diagnosis.
