The BBC has defended its nomination of "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling, who offended many with her comments on transgender people. The British public broadcaster said offense is the "price of free speech."
The BBC's annual Russell Prize, named after British writer Bertrand Russell, has attracted public attention this year due to
its nomination list which includes author J.K. Rowling.
The writer behind the
Harry Potter series was in the running for her essay on sex and gender that triggered a public furor when it was first released in June. The essay made controversial statements about trans rights and the classification of trans women as women.
In the essay, Rowling opened up about
her experience of domestic abuse and sexual assault. She said the rise of trans activism would erase the concept of sex that defines the lives of many women.
"I want trans women to be safe. At the same time, I do not want to make natal girls and women less safe. When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman — and, as I've said, gender confirmation certificates may now be granted without any need for surgery or hormones — then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside," she wrote in the essay