J.K. Rowling is under fire for allegedly attacking individuals she believes aren't "woman enough."
The 59-year-old defended herself from an X (formerly Twitter) user who resurfaced a past post in which the author misgendered Imane Khelif, an athlete assigned female at birth who competed in a women’s boxing match at the 2024 Olympics.
What Does J.K. Rowling Respond to Claims She Attacked Women Over 'Not Being Woman Enough'?
Author J.K. Rowling denied accusations that she targeted those she deems lacking womanly qualities, which triggered a response from an X user who recalled the author’s controversial remarks about boxer Imane Khelif.
On May 27, a user who goes by Mia Moore on X reposted one of Rowling’s previous posts, where the author said:
"I've never attacked any woman for not being 'woman enough.' That's a concept I don't recognise," Rowling replied to a user named Rachel Saunders.
Moore captioned her retweet, "You have the memory of a goldfish," and attached two screenshots to remind the British novelist of her past criticism of Khelif, who won gold at the 2024 Olympics, despite allegations that the Algerian boxer is male and had "transitioned."
In one screenshot, Rowling commented on Khelif’s "smirk" after punching her opponent Angela Carini in the head and took a jab at "misogynists" who, she claimed, defended a boxer allegedly male for hitting a woman.
In another post, Rowling wrote that passing off as a woman in sports was easy, claiming that Khelif only needed "a PR campaign and layers of thick makeup," and argued that a DNA test should have been required for athletes competing in women’s events.
"My memory's excellent. I've never attacked a woman for not being woman enough. Still no lawsuit. Still no cheek swab. Still no release of existing sex test results," Rowling fired back, implying there remains no proof that Khelif was female at birth.
Who Is Imane Khelif and Why Is She Being Criticized for Competing at a Women’s Boxing Event?
Imane Khelif competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and brought pride and honor to Algeria after winning a gold medal in the women’s 66kg boxing event.
She, however, gained worldwide attention not for her athletic performance, but because of rumors suggesting she is a transgender woman who was allowed to compete in a women’s boxing match.
Prior to the Summer Olympics, the professional boxer also attempted to participate in the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championship, only to be denied entry after reportedly failing gender eligibility tests.
The International Boxing Association, however, called this decision "sudden and arbitrary" and criticized the previous organizers at the IBA for disqualifying Khelif "without any due process."
Organizations like GLAAD and interACT have since fact-checked claims about Khelif’s sex and confirmed that she was indeed female at birth. However, reports also stated that Khelif has differences of sexual development, or DSDs.
Despite having high testosterone levels, which are not typical for people born with XX chromosomes, Khelif’s condition is not the same as being transgender.
Khelif endured months of backlash from high-profile individuals, including J.K. Rowling and politicians such as US President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order in February banning trans women from competing in women’s sports. He referenced Khelif’s match at the Paris Olympics as part of his justification.
However, Khelif remained undeterred and shared in an interview with ITV News that she plans to defend her Olympic title at the 2028 Games.
Keep it locked on Epicstream for your best go-to source for film, TV, and celebrity coverage!