False allegation stems from JK Rowling challenging claims transgender people were a priority target of the Nazis – JOHN PHILLIPS/GETTY IMAGES
JK Rowling has accused transgender rights activists of sinking to “a new low” by making “baseless and disgusting claims” she is a Holocaust denier.
The Harry Potter author issued a statement on Tuesday pointing to her record of supporting the Jewish community and speaking out against anti-Semitism.
It came after Rivkah Brown, an editor at the Left-wing Novara Media news outlet, apologised to Rowling for accusing her of Holocaust denial, an allegation the journalist admitted had been “false and offensive”.
Hundreds of social media users then repeated the claim that Rowling was a Holocaust denier, after speculating that Brown had only retracted her statement because of the threat of legal action.
The false allegation stems from Rowling challenging claims on X, formerly Twitter, that transgender people were a priority target of the Nazis during the Holocaust.
“While I’m used to the gross distraction techniques used by the more extreme faction of trans activism, the claim that I am a Holocaust denier is baseless and disgusting,” Rowling said.
“I have always been a staunch supporter of the Jewish community and have spoken out consistently and repeatedly against anti-Semitism.”
She added: “I’m familiar with such activists’ assertions that transgender people have been uniquely persecuted and oppressed throughout history, but claims that trans people were ‘the first targets’ of the Nazis – a claim I refuted on X, and which led to these accusations – and that I ‘uphold [Nazi] ideology around gender’ is a new low.”
Rivkah Brown, an editor at the Left-wing Novara Media news outlet, apologised to Rowling – twitter.com/rivkahbrown
Earlier this year, the LGBT news outlet Pink News published an article in which it claimed the “persecution of trans people by the Nazis was devastating” and that it still “echoes down the ages”.
However, the article named just five alleged transgender victims of the Holocaust, only one of whom, who was also persecuted for homosexuality, died in a concentration camp.
Two others survived the war, one committed suicide and the fate of the fifth is unknown.
Rowling had last month questioned a claim made by one social media user who said: “The Nazis burnt books on trans healthcare and research, why are you so desperate to uphold their ideology around gender?”
She replied: “I just… how. How did you type this out and press send without thinking ‘I should maybe check my source for this, because it might’ve just been a fever dream’.”
Trans activists often accuse gender-critical women of being influenced by far-Right ideology or of having links to neo-Nazis.
Thinly veiled parody of Rowling
Police Scotland has faced criticism for inventing a fictional scenario for a hate crime event in which a gender-critical campaigner called “Jo”, whom it was claimed was a thinly veiled parody of Rowling, called for trans people to be sent to gas chambers.
The national force has not denied that the character, who was described as having a large social media following, was modelled on the writer, who is called Jo by her friends.
Women’s groups accused Police Scotland of reinforcing false tropes that gender-critical people wish to kill trans people and backing bizarre claims that trans people are victims of a modern-day “genocide”.
Previously, Rowling had raised the prospect of taking legal action against Brown, telling her she would be “delighted to meet you in court, Rivkah, to discuss Holocaust denial”.
The author has called for those claiming the Nazis specifically targeted trans people, as distinct from gay people, to supply evidence to back up their claims.
Brown, who is a commissioning editor and reporter, said: “On 13 March I tweeted that JK Rowling “is a Holocaust denier”.
“That allegation was false and offensive. I have deleted it and apologise to JK Rowling.”
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