Posted on December 19, 2019 at 4:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Author J.K. Rowling has long been unafraid to voice her opinions on Twitter.

A tweet she sent today, though, slightly bucked that trend: rather than rile up conservatives, she struck a nerve with liberals.

The writer of the Harry Potter series and several adult novels (as Robert Galbraith) tweeted her support of a researcher who asserts that there are only two biological sexes.

Maya Forstater was fired from her job at a UK think tank for questioning government plans to allow people to self-identify as another gender, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Forstater unsuccessfully appealed her firing to an unemployment panel, which called public attention to her stance.

Rowling tweeted her objection to the ruling and her support for Forstater, earning her plenty of support but also considerable flack.

Among the prominent critics: the Human Rights Campaign and GLAAD, which shared a statement with the LA Times.

“J.K. Rowling, whose books gave kids hope that they could work together to create a better world, has now aligned herself with an anti-science ideology that denies the basic humanity of people who are transgender,” said Anthony Ramos, GLAAD’s head of talent.

Read more about the reaction to Rowling's tweet in the Times.

Categories: Today in Books