JK Rowling’s views on transgender are ‘hardly worth a death threat’: Ian McEwan

Atonement author Ian McEwan has spoken in favour his fellow writer JK Rowling, who faced abuse and threats for her views on the trans debate.

According to Independent, the Enduring Love novelist reacted to the abuse Harry Porter author received over her opinions on transgender, describing it as “transphobic”.

Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival over the weekend, McEwan stated, “The culture seems to have forgotten how to disagree, often threatening death against figures like JK Rowling, on issues about which they could be having discussions.”

The writer continued that the viewpoint on transgender rights “have got to be worked out, yes, but are hardly worth a death threat.”

Earlier, Rowling found herself in a gender ideology argument with author Joanne Harris after she alleged that she received death threats over “her views on transgender people”.

However, Rowling took issue and branded TERF, which means a trans-exclusionary radical feminist.

Meanwhile, the author also talked about the backlash and revealed her experiences of surviving alleged domestic abuse and sexual assault.

The essay was slammed by netizens and in response, the charity Mermaids wrote an open letter to Rowling, saying, “your comments are damaging to the trans community”.

“To address the core of your point, trans rights do not come at the expense of women’s rights,” it read.