JK Rowling offers legal funding to groups called ‘anti-rights’ by Amnesty International UK
JK Rowling. (Getty)
JK Rowling has offered groups branded “anti-rights” by Amnesty International UK legal funding should they choose to take action against the human rights organisation.
The row centres on an Amnesty International UK report published last week on what it called the “rise of an anti-rights movement targeting the rights of women and LGBT+ people in the UK”, which added 51 groups to a list of “anti-rights” organisations.
Among them were For Women Scotland, the LGB Alliance, and Beira’s Place, a “women-only” sexual abuse support service founded by Rowling in 2022 that does not provide services to trans women.
Amnesty International UK said the groups “visibly oppose the rights” of LGBT+ people.
Following response from Rowling and other campaigners, the report was removed due to what Amnesty International UK described as an “internal review”.
Rowling has now offered funding to groups who may want to pursue legal action. Writing on X, she said: “Should any of the women’s organisations targeted by @AmnestyUK’s recent ‘anti-rights’ blacklist wish to take legal action, applications can be made to the JK Rowling Women’s Fund.”
She added that “gay men’s organisations named on the list” were welcome to contact her directly, and that while the fund was set up to support women, she was “more than happy to donate” to their legal costs.
The offer came in response to the group Trans Widows’ Voices, which said mainstream coverage had focused on Rowling and Beira’s Place at the expense of “smaller groups listed who do not have the same power or influence to defend ourselves”.
Amnesty International UK’s response
Amnesty International UK said in a statement: “We regret that this briefing was uploaded to our website without going through the established internal review processes that are in place to ensure consistency, accuracy and alignment with Amnesty International UK’s positions.
“Its use of language does not reflect the position of Amnesty International UK which is why it was promptly removed.
“We remain committed to defending human rights, including both the rights of women and the rights of trans people.”
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