J.K. Rowling criticised following comments about Butlin’s alleged transphobia controversy

15 October, 2024

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling has been criticised for comments she made about the alleged transphobia controversy surrounding Butlin’s in Skegness.

Last week, the Lincolnshire holiday resort issued an apology and launched an internal investigation after allegations of transphobia arose.

The site was hosting the Bang Face Festival, where reports emerged that five transgender women had been removed from the women’s toilets at around midnight.

In a statement shared with Mixmag, an individual named Jae claimed that she entered a bathroom on the site to see a security guard asking a trans woman to leave. The report continued that others in the bathroom were defending the attendee, and the security guard later returned with five other guards as “reinforcements”.

Jae alleged that the guards used force against the trans attendees, saying some women were “slammed against a wall”, while she says she was “lifted from the ground, dragged down a flight of stairs and chucked out the door”.

Now, Rowling has weighed in on the incident, writing on X: “Does Butlins think the desire of cross-dressing men to enter women-only spaces is more important than women’s and girls’ right to privacy and dignity?”

“Hopefully Butlins will explain their policy, so women and families can make an informed choice about where to go on holiday,” she added.

The Harry Potter author has regularly received criticism in recent years for her outspoken views about the transgender community. This year alone, she has dared Scottish police to arrest her for comments about new hate crime legislation, publicly criticised Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson for defending the trans community, and been named in a lawsuit filed by Olympic boxer Imane Khelif.

These comments have prompted a new wave of backlash against Rowling, with one X user writing: “This occurred at an adults-only rave music festival, and the response from the company happened three days ago. But go on Joanne, froth up some rage in your followers.”

“Err JK this is about people being assaulted at an LGBTQ+ inclusive event that hires out butlins for the weekend,” responded the band Crywank. “Although terfs boycotting more and more places can only be a good thing for making spaces safer for trans people and gender non-conforming people so please go ahead.”

In response to the allegations, Butlin’s said that the security personnel involved were “immediately removed from duty” after hearing about the alleged incident.

Similarly, a spokesperson for Butlin’s told Mixmag: “As an inclusive business we’re very concerned to hear about this incident. Much to our disappointment, our third-party security contractor did not follow our processes despite being thoroughly briefed.”

“Once we were made aware they were immediately removed from duty,” they continued. “We are in direct contact with those involved and carrying out an investigation which includes reviewing how we work with contractors.”

Bang Face also shared a comment with Mixmag following the alleged incident. They said they were “greatly saddened to hear of the incident involving Butlin’s third party security company” following what had been an “overwhelmingly positive weekend”.

“We have been working with those involved, friends in the trans community and Butlin’s to assist with positive change,” the statement continued. “Bang Face has always been a safe space for ravers and a place to express individuality and creativity. One day, we hope the rest of the world will catch up with the inclusion that has always been part of the rave scene.”

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