Author J.K. Rowling did not hold back on her response to a broadcaster calling for her to be sued.
India Willoughby, known as Britain’s first transgender national television newsreader, responded to a tweet from Rowling about a children’s charity called Mermaids that supports “transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children.”
“We’ve now learned that Mermaids appointed a paedophilia apologist as Trustee and that their online moderator encouraged kids to move onto a platform notorious for sexual exploitation. This is a charity that’s achieved unprecedented influence in the UK,” Rowling tweeted.
Willoughby replied, “Someone really needs to take legal action against JK Rowling. This is off the scale. The GC tactic seems to be to drown the trans charity Mermaids in a tsunami of innuendo and lies – throw a stack of mud, some of it will stick.”
The newsreader added, “The replies on here after JKR got triggered are a really good representation of the GC movement. Keep posting – let the world see.”
The replies on here after JKR got triggered are a really good representation of the GC movement. Keep posting – let the world see 👍
— India Willoughby (@IndiaWilloughby) October 5, 2022
Rowling fired back, “India, I swear to God, if you want to start a petition for Mermaids to take me on in court, the first signature will be mine.”
For the legions of the blocked. pic.twitter.com/cEwOG8h43u
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 5, 2022
The Daily Mail noted Rowling also took aim at Emma Watson and other celebrities who supported the charity after a “trustee quit over revelations he spoke at an ‘academic’ conference hosted by an organisation that promotes services to paedophiles.”
According to the outlet, Dr. Jacob Breslow presented research at an event in Baltimore in 2011 that appeared to criticize the understanding society has of pedophiles.
The presentation was titled, “Critiquing Sexual Orientation, The Pedophile, and the DSM V, appears to criticise societal understanding of paedophiles.”
The Daily Mail reported the research vows “major revisions on how paedophilia is defined, diagnosed and understood’ and says it will approach the topic through ‘queer and feminist lenses.”
Additionally, his presentation uses the phrase “minor attracted persons,” which has proven to be controversial.
