‘Times are a-changin...’ JK hails Labour’s new trans stance
JK Rowling said the ‘times are a-changin’ yesterday after Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy backed Wes Streeting’s decision to continue restricting puberty blockers.
The Harry Potter author and women’s rights campaigner waded into the row over the Health Secretary’s call to keep a Tory ban on their use.
Mr Streeting has faced criticism from within his own party over the move, with members of Labour’s LGBT wing writing to him with ‘concerns’ about an indefinite ban.
But he said he was ‘treading cautiously’ because the longterm impact on young people taking the drugs is still unclear. Yesterday Ms Nandy said her colleague was ‘absolutely right to say we’re going to follow the evidence. We’re going to do what we think is in the interests of young people, who deserve far more support.’
Ms Rowling shared a video clip of the Cabinet minister’s comments to TalkTV on X, formerly Twitter, adding: ‘The times they are a-changin’,’ in reference to the 1964 Bob Dylan hit.
She has previously claimed that Ms Nandy is ‘one of the biggest reasons’ why many women don’t trust Labour to ‘defend their rights’.
The writer’s comments came after the Labour MP was asked in 2020 whether violent male sexual offenders who transition should be allowed to serve their sentences in women’s prisons.
Ms Nandy replied: ‘I think trans women are women, I think trans men are men, so I think they should be accommodated in a prison of their choosing.’
Meanwhile, Labour is expected to include a Bill to ban conversion therapy in the King’s Speech tomorrow. The controversial practice attempts to change a person’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
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