The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to prohibit transgender women from participating in women’s events at the Olympic Games has garnered expected support from “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who has faced criticism since 2017 for her anti-trans comments on social media.
“The IOC’s ruling today signals a return to fair competition for women and girls, but I will never forget the Paris 2024 scandal, where self-proclaimed virtuous and progressive individuals applauded men hitting women,” Rowling shared on X, in reference to the IOC’s decision to permit Algeria’s Imane Khelif to compete in the women’s boxing event at the Paris 2024 Summer Games.
Rowling criticized the 2024 Olympics for allowing Khelif to fight against female opponents. Khelif was previously disqualified from the Women’s World Championships due to failing a gender eligibility test, which revealed elevated testosterone levels.
During the 2024 Olympics, Rowling commented on X, sharing an image of Italy’s Angela Carini in tears as Khelif attempted to console her after winning the match in 46 seconds, with Carini withdrawing. “Could any image better represent the new men’s rights movement?” Rowling wrote. “The expression of a male protected by a misogynistic sporting system, relishing the anguish of a woman he just struck in the head, and whose lifelong dream he has just destroyed.”
The Olympics maintained its decision to allow Khelif, who was born female, to compete in the women’s boxing category, stating: “All participants in the women’s category are adhering to the competition eligibility criteria. They are recognized as female in their passports, and it is confirmed that they are female.”
On March 26, the IOC announced that transgender women would no longer be allowed to compete in future Olympic events. The organization stated (via AP): “Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females.”
Rowling has frequently used X to criticize transgender women competing in women’s sports. She notably clashed on social media with HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver over the matter, labeling him an “undoubtedly intelligent person” who “spouts absolute nonsense” after he argued that “there is no evidence [transgender athletes] pose any threat to safety or fairness.”
Rowling’s endorsement of the IOC’s decision to exclude transgender athletes coincided with her praise for HBO’s “Harry Potter” reboot series, whose first trailer was released a day before the Olympic news. Rowling played a role in the series’ development and collaborated with studio executives during its creation.
“It’s going to be incredible. I’m so happy with it,” Rowling replied to a fan, about 20 minutes after applauding the Olympic ban.
