J.K. Rowling has thrown her support behind a petition opposing a proposed NHS trial of puberty blockers, describing it as ‘an unethical experiment on children who can’t give meaningful consent’.
Posting on X, the Harry Potter author wrote: ‘I’ve signed. This is an unethical experiment on children who can’t give meaningful consent.’
The petition, which has so far attracted almost 74,000 signatures, states: ‘The government is aware of the potential irreversible impact (physical and emotional) of puberty blockers, having acknowledged an ‘unacceptable safety risk’ following the Cass Review. Yet, hundreds of children are about to be given puberty blockers under a government-sanctioned trial.’
It says the aim of the trial is to evaluate the risks and benefits of prescribing puberty blockers to children who identify as transgender and who have parental consent.
However, critics have threatened a High Court challenge, arguing that the trial risks subjecting children to experimental treatment that could cause harm.
The Daily Mail revealed that children taking part in the study will be asked to complete a gender identity questionnaire as part of the trial.
The document begins: ‘In this measure, gender identity is defined as someone’s internal sense of self.’
Rowling said in her post that attacks on male politicians might mean lawmakers ‘finally take the violence that’s such a key feature of this totalitarian movement seriously’
Children are then asked ‘what best describes’ their gender identity and given a list of options to tick, including ‘definitely’ a boy or girl, ‘mainly’ a boy or girl, ‘neither a boy or girl’, ‘not sure’ and ‘none of the above’.
Participants aged over 12 will also be asked about ‘gender identity labels’, with options including ‘two spirit’, ‘agender’, ‘genderqueer’ and ‘other’.
The term ‘two spirit’ originates from some Indigenous North American cultures, where it has been used to describe people believed to embody both masculine and feminine spirits, forming a distinct gender role within their communities.
Gender-critical health practitioners have raised concerns about the questionnaire. Dr Louise Irvine said it already demonstrated a bias towards ‘gender affirmatory ideology’.
Dr Irvine, a GP and co-chairman of the Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender, told the Times: ‘It’s absolutely ridiculous. It shows that the whole trial is imbued with gender affirmatory ideology. What this question will do is reinforce the ideology in the eyes of the children.’
She added: ‘It will be confusing and most kids won’t even know what it means.’Questions should also be clear and clearly understood, so the study fails in that respect.’
Sue Evans, a psychotherapist and former clinical nurse specialist at the now-closed Tavistock children’s gender identity clinic, also criticised the use of the term ‘two spirit’, arguing it suggested gender ideology was influencing the study and that a concept rooted in Native American culture had been ‘transferred in an ideological way’.
Militant group Bash Back has said its sights are also set on Wes Streeting – just months after vandalising his constituency office
A transgender activist group is planning a series of attacks on senior politicians’ offices, including the Prime Minister’s
Following a review by paediatrician Dr Hilary Cass, which found weak evidence supporting the use of puberty blockers in children, the NHS stopped routinely prescribing them in March last year. This was followed by an indefinite government ban covering private clinics in December.
The new trial is intended to address the evidence gap identified by Dr Cass and will examine potential health risks associated with puberty blockers, including effects on bone density, brain development and mental health over time.
Rowling has also urged politicians to take threats from trans activists seriously after the Mail on Sunday reported that protesters were planning to target the offices of senior figures.
Sharing the MoS story on X, Rowling described the militant group Bash Back as part of a ‘totalitarian movement’, writing: ‘Who knows, now that trans activists aren’t only stalking, harassing, doxxing, threatening and physically assaulting women, our politicians might finally take the violence that’s such a key feature of this totalitarian movement seriously.’
Bash Back describes itself as a ‘trans-led direct action project focused on total transgender liberation’.
In August, the group claimed responsibility for vandalising Wes Streeting’s Ilford North constituency office after he said he was ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with an NHS puberty blocker trial. Police launched an investigation after windows were smashed and the words ‘child killer’ were sprayed on the building.
Posting an image of the damage online, Bash Back wrote: ‘Don’t want action? Don’t kill kids.’
