Fairy-story writer and champion of transphobia J.K. Rowling has responded to singer Boy George’s accusation that she harbours hatred towards men on social media platform X.
It all started with a post celebrating Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal, who has shown support for transgender women, most recently by wearing a Protect the Dolls shirt at the premiere of the film Thunderbolts. Pascal’s sister, Lux, is openly transgender, and one fan added statements such as 'trans women are women' and that Pascal 'doesn't hate women'.
Boy George then chimed in, sharing this conversation to suggest that Rowling’s detractors mistakenly characterise her views as hate toward women, while he argued she actually hates men. He wrote, 'Stop this nonsense that if you don't agree with @jk_rowling you hate women. She hates men. This is where this truth lies. She cannot differentiate between a "trans" woman and a biological male. Which is weird with her imagination?'
Rowling’s response to Boy George was unequivocal. 'I’m married to a man, George. I do not hate men,' she tweeted. She elaborated on her stance by referencing statistical claims about sexual assault, stating, 'I simply live in reality where men – however they identify – commit 98% of sexual assaults, and 88% of victims are female. Trans-identified men are no less likely than other kinds of men to pose a risk to women or girls.' Newsweek notes that they were unable to independently verify these specific figures... maybe because Rowling is making them up, Harry Potter-style.
Women Scotland, the group who pushed this whole matter through the Supreme Court then piped up with a spokesperson - woman, presumably - patronising Boy George with, 'She really doesn't hate men, love. Women can say "no" to men without hating all of the sex class. I realise this is tough conceptually for some of the bros.'
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
8
Notes:
The narrative discusses a current and ongoing public debate around transgender rights, involving recent social media exchanges and a Supreme Court ruling in the UK from earlier this month, indicating freshness. No indications of recycled or outdated news were found. The absence of a press release reduces the highest freshness score here.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
Direct quotes from J.K. Rowling and Boy George on social media were presented. While the earliest specific social media posts were not independently verified online, the quoted tweets and statements match publicly visible current discourse and are likely original statements in the public domain, increasing credibility but slightly limiting full verification.
Source reliability
Score:
7
Notes:
The narrative originates from Newsweek, a well-known mainstream media outlet generally considered reliable. Newsweek notes an inability to independently verify some statistical claims, showing editorial caution. This adds to overall trust but slightly lowers certainty.
Plausability check
Score:
8
Notes:
Claims about public figures’ statements, legal rulings, and social media interactions are plausible and documented in recent public discourse. Statistical claims about sexual assault were flagged by the narrative as unverifiable, so they remain plausible but unconfirmed. The overall story aligns with known recent events in UK transgender rights debates.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative presents a fresh, timely depiction of public exchanges between J.K. Rowling and Boy George concerning transgender rights, supported by publicly known recent UK legal developments. Quotes appear authentic though exact earliest sourcing online was not fully established. The story originates from a reputable outlet with proper caveats on unverifiable statistics. Overall, the narrative is plausible, well-sourced, and current, warranting a high confidence pass.
