J.K. Rowling fiercely rebuked John Oliver of HBO for his recent monologue concerning transgender athletes, igniting a fiery debate. The author of the beloved "Harry Potter" series responded to Oliver's fiery speech on "Last Week Tonight," where he vehemently defended the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports, insisting that there was no concrete evidence suggesting biological male transgender athletes held an unfair advantage over their biological female counterparts.
"The Harris campaign fell silent, struggling to formulate a coherent response, even though the answer was straightforward," Oliver remarked on Friday. "The number of transgender girls competing in high schools is minimal, and even if there were more, transgender children, like all children, exhibit varying levels of athletic prowess. Moreover, there is absolutely no proof that they pose any danger to safety or fairness in sports."
Rowling described Oliver's stance as a classic example of "motivated reasoning and confirmation bias," highlighting the contrast between his public persona and his views on this topic.
"This entire situation leaves a sour taste in my mouth. John Oliver kindly devoted his time to support my charity, Lumos, and I held him in high esteem after meeting him. Yet, if you ever seek a vivid illustration of motivated reasoning and confirmation bias, look no further than this video. An undeniably intelligent individual is spouting utter nonsense to uphold a belief he desperately wishes were true, despite the facts," Rowling penned on social media on Sunday.
She referenced a United Nations report released last month, revealing that over 600 biological females missed out on medals in more than 400 competitions across 29 sports due to the inclusion of transgender athletes, amounting to a staggering 890 medals lost. Additionally, Rowling cited the example of Payton McNabb, a university student who suffered a concussion after being hit by a transgender player during a high school volleyball game.
"I've continually encountered individuals who argue precisely as Oliver does, employing the exact same arguments. With a straight face, these 'believe the science' advocates will claim that we lack sufficient data to conclude that men and boys are stronger and faster than women and girls. The 'be kind' advocates remain oblivious to the issue, asking, 'Why are you so concerned? It only affects a tiny minority of females,'" she wrote.
She scathingly criticized Oliver as one of the elite who, to "prove their progressive credentials," would "boldly gaze into a camera and insist that their audience's eyes are blind to the obvious."
"If you wish to declare to the world that you're content to witness females endure injuries, humiliation, and the loss of sporting opportunities to uphold an elitist post-modern ideology embraced by a mere fraction of the globe's population, so be it; you have the right to your opinion. But if you've just informed girls that they don't deserve fair sports, perhaps reconsider using real and pervasive sexual predators targeting young women as a punchline for your 'edgy' closing joke," Rowling stated.
Recently, HBO host Bill Maher also targeted Democrats who defended the notion of transgender athletes participating in girls' sports until the election.
"Talk about doubling down on what got you into trouble in the first place," Maher remarked. "Even the one concession I've heard from some losers, suggesting that liberals should refrain from calling Trump voters stupid, comes with an unspoken undertone: 'We know they're stupid; just don't say it aloud.' I have bad news for you. Stupidity isn't their monopoly."
