JK Rowling goes off on hormone therapy, gender surgery

Author J.K. Rowling took heavy criticism after supporting the notion that hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgeries are often over-prescribed to questioning teens in today's society.

What are the details?

In a series of Sunday tweets, the "Harry Potter" creator took a social media thrashing after "liking" a tweet that said hormone therapy pills were similar to antidepressants: in some cases, grossly overprescribed.

The tweet said, "Hormone prescriptions are the new anti depressants. Yes they are sometimes necessary and lifesaving, but they should be a last resort. Pure laziness for those who would rather medicate than put in the time and effort to heal people's minds."

Naturally, many people on social media castigated Rowling for her support of the apparently controversial tweet, and some even called into question her support of antidepressants for people with mental health issues.

In response to the harsh criticism, the award-winning writer fired back, "I've ignored fake tweets attributed to me and RTed widely. I've ignored porn tweeted at children on a thread about their art. I've ignored death and rape threats. I'm not going to ignore this."

Rowling said that many social media users crossed a line with their questioning of her motives and continued, writing, "When you lie about what I believe about mental health medication and when you misrepresent the views of a trans woman for whom I feel nothing but admiration and solidarity, you cross a line."

The "Harry Potter" author added that she's never been shy about her own personal struggle with mental health and doesn't think there's anything wrong with taking necessary medications.

"I've written and spoken about my own mental health challenges, which include OCD, depression and anxiety," she added. "I did so recently in my essay 'TERF Wars.' I've taken anti-depressants in the past and they helped me."

The author added that it's not always in a young person's best interest to receive hormone therapy treatment or gender reassignment surgery.

"Many health professionals are concerned that young people struggling with their mental health are being shunted towards hormones and surgery when this may not be in their best interests," she reasoned.

She added, "Many, myself included, believe we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people, who are being set on a lifelong path of medicalisation that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or sexual function."

Rowling argued that while transitioning from one gender to the other may be the better option for some people, it isn't the most viable option for all cases.

She wrote, "As I've said many times, transition may be the answer for some. For others, it won't — witness the accounts of detransitioners. 'The system sees surgery as the easy fix to girls who do not conform.'"

She continued, "The long-term health risks of cross-sex hormones have now been tracked over a lengthy period. These side-effects are often minimised or denied by trans activists."

She concluded, "None of that may trouble you or disturb your belief in your own righteousness. But if so, I can't pretend I care much about your bad opinion of me."