British journalist Paris Lees invited JK Rowling to lunch to meet trans youth after the author’s disparaging comments about the community.
Rowling recently wrote an anti-trans essay in which she equated being transgender with a mental illness and compared it to eating disorders.
In response, Paris Lees tweeted to Rowling that they should have lunch when lockdown is over in the UK. She said: “I’ve met with 100s of media professionals via @AllAboutTrans and would be very happy to introduce her to some young trans people and their families in a friendly, supportive, empathic setting.”
I'm going to bed but would like to invite @jk_rowling for lunch when lockdown is over.
I've met with 100s of media professionals via @AllAboutTrans and would be very happy to introduce her to some young trans people and their families in a friendly, supportive, empathic setting.
— Paris Lees (@parislees) June 11, 2020
All About Trans is an organisation which seeks to raise awareness and understanding of transgender people in the British media.
“We’ve been organising meetings like this for years and have tried and tested processes in place to make sure that everyone involved feels prepared, safe and respected. It’s essentially the opposite of social media,” Lee said.
Along with working for All About Trans, Lees is also a columnist for British Vogue and a brand ambassador for Pantene.
Lees was praised by Derry Girls’s actor Nicola Coughlan for what she said. “That is really kind of you Paris and amazing to offer that opportunity, you’re brilliant x,” Coughlan replied to her tweet.
However, Lees is not the only one to have spoken out in response to Rowling’s recent comments. Yesterday, several Irish LGBT+ organisations signed an open letter in solidarity with the trans community.
“We stand with our trans siblings, both here in Ireland and around the world when we say that trans, non-binary and intersex people are part of our community and it is community that makes us strong,” it stated.
BeLonG To, Black Pride Ireland, the Dublin Lesbian Line, TENI and This Is Me were among some of the signatories. Noah Halpin, founder of This Is Me, recently wrote a response to Rowling’s anti-trans essay. This Is Me is a grassroots campaign which seeks to improve transgender healthcare by introducing the informed consent model.
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