TThe gloves are off in Taiwan, where government officials and citizens are furiously denouncing JK Rowling following the Harry Potter the author opined on the culture war that overshadows Olympic boxing.
Local politicians and journalists are attacking Rowling, some Harry Potter fans vowed to boycott their products and social media users defended Lin Yu Tingthe 28-year-old female boxer from Chinese Taipei who found herself at the center of a heated debate about biology and sports.
See more information: What to know about gender issues in Olympic boxing
As boxing events begin at the Paris Olympics this week, the eligibility of Lin of Taiwan and Imane Khelif of Algeria has been questioned by critics who claim they are men pretending to be women to gain a competitive advantage. (Both have identified as women since birth and both have competed and lost to women in international boxing events, including previous Olympics.)
Among the most prominent voices calling out unfairness is Rowling, who has achieved enormous renown for her work. Harry Potter series, but in recent years has become known for her frankness on transgender issues – a move that alienated both its fans and the franchise’s biggest stars.
Sharing an article from Guardian on the controversy surrounding Lin and Khelif, Rowling posted in X earlier this week: “What will it take to end this insanity? A boxer was left with life-altering injuries? A dead boxer?
Although Rowling’s previous comments on transgender issues have not left a significant mark on Taiwan, despite the autonomous island being more progressive on LGBTQ rights Than many of its neighbors in Asia, Taiwanese society reacted more forcefully to Rowling’s alleged attack on one of their own.
“It’s one thing to criticize transgender issues, but our Lin Yu Ting is not completely transgender!” read one post on X on Wednesday by the national newspaper O Times of Freedom. “If JK Rowling can’t even tell the difference in this, this publisher suggests she concentrate on writing romance novels!”
It is a article on Wednesday in a Taiwanese newspaper United Daily News described the ongoing debate over Olympic boxing as a “misguided transgender controversy” that “even JK Rowling got wrong.” Similar headlines and TV reports proliferated.
Taiwanese officials, media outlets and members of the public have emphasized that Lin is and has always been considered a woman. Others’ doubts, however, stem from a decision by the International Boxing Association (IBA) last year to disqualify her and Khelif from the World Championships, claiming they failed an unspecified eligibility test that determined they have XY chromosomes. (the pair normally associated with males).
The Russian-led IBA was stripped of its authority over Olympic boxing events due to long-standing concerns about integrity and governance, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has repeatedly stated that Lin and Khelif are eligible to continue competing as women. .
“These two athletes were victims of a sudden and arbitrary decision by the IBA… without any due process,” the IOC said in a statement. declaration On thursday. “Everyone has the right to practice sport without discrimination.”
But critics, including Rowling, have not thrown in the towel on the debate, instead doubling down. opposition to the participation of athletes like Lin and Khelif, and condemning the “brutal injustice” for Italian boxer Angela Carini, who abandoned his preliminary fight against Khelif on Thursday.
Now, Taiwanese Harry Potter fans are denying their love for the creator of their favorite fantasy series. “JK Rowling is suspecting Taiwanese Olympian is competing as transgender, I will boycott all Harry Potter products and films,” said one fan declared on a Harry Potter fan site in a post that received many comments expressing similar disappointment with Rowling’s comments.
“This is so shocking and disappointing to me, and I believe to everyone else in Fairyland,” reads one comment, referencing the name of the fan site. “Rowling is no longer my favorite author,” said more than one commenter. “Even though I love Harry Potter, I don’t like Rowling anymore.”
Taiwanese social media users also pull no punches in Lin’s defense.
“Even JK Rowling is joining the complaints, claiming she is speaking on behalf of women but is actually defaming an innocent person,” said a user from Taipei. posted in X, asking for greater support for Lin, who is “completely female and has a sad story”. (Lin he said when she was in high school, she started boxing at age 13 to try to protect her mother from domestic violence.)
“It’s horrible that JK Rowling, who wields her reputation and always uses crazy tactics, doesn’t completely care that she could be wrong and is desperately defaming our athlete,” says another popular post on X by a doctor with the aim of dispelling doubts about Lin’s sex.
Politicians, many of them from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, also emerged victorious.
“Let’s not even talk about the fact that JK Rowling’s views and stance on transgender issues in recent years have been very controversial. I will only say one thing: identity card number,” said Keelung City Councilor Jiho Tiun. wrote on Facebookreferring to the national identification numbers of Taiwanese citizens that begin with 1 for men and 2 for women and are rarely changed.
“If she was biologically male and changed her gender to get better results in competitions, then her ID card would have started with 1 instead of 2. Because no baby at birth would have planned it that way just to participate in the Olympics 28 years later,” continued Tiun. “This might make sense for a novelist who specializes in writing about magic and witchcraft. But in Taiwan, registering her identity and gender after birth cannot be simpler.”
New Taipei City Councilor Cho Kuan-ting similarly emphasized that Lin was born a woman and urged the public to show their solidarity with her. “Everyone please support our national Olympian Lin Yu Ting,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “What’s worse is the fact that writer JK Rowling, an important opinion leader, is publicly questioning the Taiwanese athlete’s gender.”
Taiwan President’s spokesman Lai Ching-te said Thursday in a post on X that Lin “demonstrated incredible strength, overcoming doubts to compete fairly on the world stage. Her determination inspires the nation!
Meanwhile, former President Tsai Ing-wen expressed her support for Lin on Friday. “Lin Yu Ting will play tonight, seeking to advance, fighting for victory for herself and fighting for honor for Taiwan,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “In the face of the disturbances and the challenge of his opponent outside the ring, I believe that Lin is not afraid.”
Lawmaker Su Chiao-hui, who has known Lin since 2017, also wished Lin good luck for her agenda 57 kg rounds of 16 fight with Sitora Turdibekova of Uzbekistan on Friday, describing Lin as “the pride of Taiwanese boxing”.
“The Yu Ting I know is a kind and strong athlete. I believe the disturbances outside the court will not affect her!” Su wrote on Facebook.
“About Yu Ting’s eligibility for competitions being questioned by a British boxer and writer, I can of course understand that athletes have their opinions about their interests,” said Taiwanese sports administration director-general Cheng Shih-Chung. told reporters on Thursday, in apparent reference to Rowling and other critics who have included some current and former boxers around the world. “But after all, they don’t know the whole story,” he said, adding that criticism of Lin could be a psychological tactic to throw the Taiwanese boxer off.
Lin, for her part, is rolling with the punches, telling reporters in Paris that his emotions were not affected by the controversy. “I can definitely interpret these challenges as if our adversaries are so afraid of our capabilities that they are turning some problems into a problem,” she said. “The more they fear me, the better I will perform in the boxing ring.”
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
