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15th May 2024
02:27pm BST
Premier League referee Bobby Madley has hit out at J.K. Rowling after the writer misgendered trans football manager Lucy Clark.
In January this year, Clark made history when she was appointed as manager of Sutton United's women's team.
This made her the first trans person to manage in the top five tiers of the women's game in England.
This was after she had become the first trans referee in England when she officiated matches in the women’s third tier.
But recently, Clark has found herself the latest target of J.K. Rowling's transphobia. In recent years, the Harry Potter creator has been vocal in her criticism of the trans community and her belief that trans women are men.
Over the weekend, the author responded to a post from Pride championing Clark for her achievements in football.
Rowling wrote: "When I was young all the football managers were straight, white, middle-aged blokes, so it's fantastic to see how much things have changed."
The next day, she shared a Daily Mail article - which said Rowling had compared Clark to a man - with the caption wrote: "I didn't compare him to one. He IS one."
He described her as a "good, kind person" and then used Rowling's own words against her when he quoted a line from Harry Potter.
Madley wrote: "I’m pleased to say Lucy is a great ambassador, well respected within refereeing and most importantly a good, kind person.
"'It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.' — Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Ironic..."
The initial post from Pride has since been deleted and the organisation issued a statement calling out Rowling, and apologising to Clark for the hate she received as a result of the post.
In response, Clark posted on X: "No drama…post was with good intentions just had a crappy picture from many years ago. A set of pictures I regret being allowed to be taken but it is what it is. We all live and learn and make mistakes….its life. Keep spreading love and joy x."
After Rowling's initial post, Clark said she had suffered "another day of hate-fuelled transphobia" but said she was "living my best life."
She continued: "[I] Wake up everyday with my beautiful family around me. Everyday I laugh and have things to look forward too. Who’s winning at life…the one who’s happy and smiling or those hating?
"So JK and the rest of you out there hating on my community and myself guess what? IDGAF…you keep hating and I will keep on smiling and living my best life. Maybe you should all give it a try eh?"
Rowling made headlines in 2020 when she called out an article’s use of the phrase “people who menstruate” in a tweet, and made clear that she believes trans women are not women.
Since then, Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all distanced themselves from her views, and have voiced their support for the trans community.
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