3 weeks Ago By Marcus Wratten
JK Rowling has celebrated the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that the legal definition of a woman excludes transgender women, and confirmed that she donated money to the gender-critical group which brought the case forward.In a post on X/Twitter yesterday (16 April) following the ruling, JK Rowling shared a photo of two glasses together with a celebratory caption that described the day as “TERF VE Day”.“We toasted you, @ForWomenScot.
Neil says it’s TERF VE Day,” she wrote, referencing her husband Neil Murray.VE Day, which takes place on 8 May annually, is celebrated to mark the end of Europe fighting against Nazi Germany during the second World War.In a second post, the author, who is known for her gender-critical views, posed a picture of herself with a cigar and cocktail, writing: “I love it when a plan comes together.
”I love it when a plan comes together.#SupremeCourt #WomensRights pic.twitter.
com/agOkWmhPgb— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025 Rowling also responded to a post asking why mainstream media was not reporting on who had helped fund For Women Scotland’s (FWS) legal case.
“Did they miss the bit around HK Rowling’s funding of this?” asked the original poster, with the Harry Potter author responding: “HK Rowling has never given @ForWomenScot money. JK definitely has.”HK Rowling has never given @ForWomenScot money.
JK definitely has. pic.twitter.
com/6qY9L2bArI— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025 In February 2024, it was reported that Rowling had seemingly donated £70,000 to a crowdfunding campaign run by FWS, with the self-described “grassroots women’s group” raising funds to cover the legal costs of their challenge.
A user identified as “JK” made a donation of £70,000 to the crowdfunder, alongside the comment: “You know how proud I am to know you. Thank you for all your hard work and perseverance. This is truly a historic case.
”At the time, Rowling’s representatives told PinkNews that they would not comment on her personal donations.Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, trans allies have urged people to stop engaging with any Harry Potter-themed content.FWS brought the landmark case forward against the Scottish government as a direct challenge to a previous ruling which had found that sex is not limited to biology.
In December 2022, Supreme Court judge Lady Haldane stated in a ruling that sex is “not limited” to biological sex and declared that the ability of a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) to change a person’s legal sex “does not offend against, or give rise to any conflict with, legislation where it is clear that ‘sex’ means biological sex”.Campaigners outside the UK Supreme Court celebrate the ruling that the legal definition of a woman excludes trans women. (Getty)The December 2022 ruling materialised after a years-long legal battle between FWS and the Scottish government after the latter pledged to add an amendment to the Gender Recognition Act to alter the definition of women to include trans women with and without GRCs.
Yesterday’s ruling saw five Supreme Court justices – Lord Reed, Lord Hodge, Lord Lloyd-Jones, Lady Rose and Lady Simler – decide that the definition of a woman is based on biological sex.“The unanimous decision of this court is that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex,” Lord Hodge, the Supreme Court’s deputy president, said.Lord Hodge urged that trans people will continue to be protected from discrimination by the Equality Act.
However, the ruling could have extensive ramifications for trans and non-binary people across the UK, particularly in terms of whether trans people will be able to access single-sex spaces such as hospital wards, bathrooms, and shelters and refuges.Campaigners have also voiced concerns that the ruling could leave trans people vulnerable to further discrimination and abuse, or set a precedent for further attempts to strip back the community of its rights.LGBTQ+ charities have shared “deep concern at the widespread implications” of the Supreme Court’s ruling, while the Scottish government – which lost the case – said it would be working with the UK government to understand the ruling’s full implications.
High-profile UK trans activists and artists including Munroe Bergdorf, Juno Dawson and Shon Faye have spoken out following the ruling, while cisgender celebrities including The White Lotus star Aimee Lou Wood, Bridgerton’s Charithra Chandran and Little Mix singer Jade Thirwall have voiced their “rage” on behalf of the trans community. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nicola Coughlan (@nicolacoughlan)Doctor Who star Nicola Coughlan announced on her Instagram that she would be matching donations up to £10,000 in support of UK trans charity Not A Phase following the ruling.Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.
The post JK Rowling toasts ‘TERF VE Day’ and confirms donation to group behind Supreme Court case appeared first on PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news..
