JK Rowling Wears T-shirt Calling Nicola Sturgeon a ‘Destroyer of Women’s Rights’

The author stands 'in solidarity' with protest against bill allowing gender self-ID

Writer J.K. Rowling poses for the media at the world premiere of the film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" in Paris on Nov. 8, 2018.Christophe Ena/AP Photo

J.K. Rowling on Thursday posted a photo of herself wearing a black t-shirt, which says Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is a “destroyer of women’s rights.”

The Harry Potter author was showing her support for protests over Scotland’s controversial Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which if it becomes law would allow 16-year-olds to legally change their gender without medical diagnosis or evidence.

In the Twitter post, Rowling said she stands “in solidarity with [Campaign group For Women Scotland] and all women protesting and speaking outside the Scottish parliament,” and she included the hashtag “NoToSelfID.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks at a press conference to launch a second independence paper at Bute House in Edinburgh, Scotland, on July 14, 2022. Andrew Milligan - Pool/Getty Images

Earlier on Thursday, a majority of MSPs on the Equalities, Human Rights, and Civil Justice Committee recommended the general principles of the bill should be approved.

Under current law, only adults can legally change their gender by submitting an application to a UK-wide Gender Recognition Panel.

Applicants must prove they have or had gender dysphoria by producing two medical reports. They also have to make a statutory declaration that they have lived in their “acquired gender” throughout the previous two years.

If the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill becomes law, children aged 16 and over can also legally change their gender. Applicants can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) at the Registrar General for Scotland. They will no longer have to submit medical reports or evidence to support their application and the requirement to have lived in their “acquired gender” for two years will be shortened to three months.

The Scottish government said the bill aims to “improve and simplify the application process for that GRC by making it less lengthy and intrusive.”

It also argues single-sex services will be protected as the bill does not change “a number of exceptions [in the 2010 Equality Act] which allow for trans people to be excluded when this is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim.”

For Women Scotland argued the bill “actually removes the process” of GRC application, “opening up GRCs from the less than 1% with an appropriate medical diagnosis to potentially 100% of the population.”

The group said 15,500 individual responses to the government’s consultation on a draft of the legislation were “not published and have been largely unanalysed,” and the government has failed to consult with women’s groups in the process.

PA Media contributed to this report.