JK Rowling started a fresh row over trans rights in Britain after launching an attack on Glamour UK’s “Women of the Year” feature, celebrating nine transgender women. The Harry Potter author posted on X that she grew up in a time when women’s magazines told girls to be “thinner and prettier” — and now, she claimed, those same outlets tell girls “that men are better women than they are.”Rowling’s remarks accompanied an image of the Glamour feature. The magazine described the group — including model and author Munroe Bergdorf, actor Bel Priestley, and activist Dani St James — as “trans women working across fashion, music, publishing and activism.”
How did Netizens take it?
However, her post divided social media. Many supported her comments, accusing mainstream media of erasing biological women. “We went from telling girls they weren’t good enough to telling them they’re not even girls anymore,” one user wrote. Another added, “From ‘you’re not thin enough’ to ‘you’re not male enough’ — exactly right.” Others accused Rowling of fuelling hostility toward an already marginalised community. “Your nostalgia for 90s beauty standards ignores how today’s recognition of trans women is progress,” one wrote. Another said, “The trans movement isn’t misogynistic — it’s dismantling the same toxic gatekeeping you’re defending.”
Rowling’s ‘gender-war’
The clash is an ongoing consequence of the deepening divide in British public discourse over gender identity. In recent years, Rowling has become a central figure in the so-called “gender war,” frequently clashing with activists and politicians over women’s spaces and trans inclusion. Her supporters view her as a defender of biological sex-based rights; critics accuse her of transphobia and of legitimising anti-trans sentiment in mainstream culture.For Glamour, the feature aimed to spotlight trans women’s resilience amid increasing political hostility and rising hate crimes in the UK. The magazine wrote that “trans people — and especially trans women — are facing a committed attempt from anti-trans groups and politicians to make exclusionary policy the default across British public life.” It said the campaign sought to promote dignity, opportunity, and equality for trans women, particularly in employment and healthcare.The Glamour UK cover is part of the “Protect the Dolls” campaign, which began when designer Conner Ives wore a T-shirt with the slogan during his fashion show earlier this year. He said it was a show of support for his trans friends facing hate in the US. The message quickly spread online, helping raise more than $600,000 for the charity Trans Lifeline and gaining support from stars like Madonna, Pedro Pascal, Troye Sivan, and Mariah Carey.