Nicola Sturgeon has indicated she could debate trans rights issues with JK Rowling, though the former first minister doubts the Harry Potter author would agree to such a discussion. The suggestion came during Sturgeon's appearance on BBC Breakfast to promote her new memoir "Frankly".
Rowling has been a prominent critic of Sturgeon's gender reform policies, once wearing a T-shirt that branded the former Scottish National Party (SNP) leader a "destroyer of women's rights". The controversy stems from legislation Sturgeon championed as first minister that would have allowed transgender people to self-identify their gender, though Westminster ultimately blocked the Scottish Government's reforms.
Claims of weaponisation
Sturgeon maintained that "forces on the far right" have sought to "weaponise" transgender issues to "push back on rights more generally, whether those are gay rights, minority rights, women's rights actually". She acknowledged that "many, many people" disagreed with her position, with "probably the majority" of opponents coming "from a genuine place".
The former first minister revealed she had received "probably the most horrific abuse on this issue" compared to any other topic during her political career. She described some of the criticism as "deeply misogynistic" and noted that "some people in this debate definitely seem to spend a lot more time thinking about me than I spend thinking about them".
Debate challenge
When asked directly about debating Rowling, Sturgeon expressed willingness but scepticism about her critic's participation. "I will debate with many people, but I don't think JK Rowling would be willing to do that," she said, adding "But who knows, maybe she would."
Sturgeon emphasised her track record of public debates, claiming she had "probably done more debates than any other leader in the UK". Rowling responded on X, formerly Twitter, with a sarcastic description of the memoir as being from Scotland's "most persecuted, misunderstood, self-critical, open-to-debate, feminist-to-her-fingertips ex-first minister".
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
