JK Rowling accused the left of “campaigning to destroy women’s and girl’s rights” as she welcomed Donald Trump’s protections for sport’s female categories.
Trump also announced he would deny visas to male-born athletes identifying as women at LA 2028, signing off new sweeping rules within sport nationally.
The Harry Potter author joined former athletes Martina Navratilova and Sharron Davies in voicing their approval at Trump’s order while hitting out at the Democrats for failing women.
Congratulations to every single person on the left who's been campaigning to destroy women's and girls' rights. Without you, there'd be no images like this. pic.twitter.com/mzR7l5k1OW
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) February 6, 2025
The “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports” federal order fulfils a pledge he made during the 2024 presidential campaign. “Nobody’s going to be able to do a damn thing about it,” Trump said at an event where he signed an executive order banning transgender girls and women from participating in female sports events in schools and colleges in the US.
Navratilova, the 18-time major tennis champion, echoed Rowling’s sentiments. “I hate that the Democrats totally failed women and girls on this very clear issue of women’s sports being for females only,” she wrote.
Rowling, meanwhile, later added: “The actual victims in this mess have been women and children, especially the most vulnerable, gay people who’ve resisted the movement and paid a horrible price, and regular people working in environments where one misplaced pronoun could see you vilified or constructively dismissed. Do not tell me this is about a tiny minority.”
Wednesday’s order only covers federally funded sports. However, the Department of Homeland Security will be directed to “reject any and all visa applications made by men attempting to fraudulently enter the United States while identifying as women athletes”, Trump announced.
In signing the order, Trump claimed “the war on women’s sports is over”.
Campaigners for protections for women’s sport in the UK welcomed the new directive in the US. “It shouldn’t need an executive order to ensure that sports bodies give fair, safe sporting opportunities to women and girls, but if that is what it takes, then it is welcome,” said Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at Sex Matters.
“Maybe this directive will help them find their backbone and do the right thing. Some sports have already restored a protected female category at world level, and many more in the UK, but there is still a long way to go.”
