'Calling a man a man is not bullying': JK Rowling doubles down after media outcry over her saying trans soccer coach is a man

Celebrated author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling reiterated her stance after outcry over her remarks describing a man — who is identifying as a woman — as a man.

Rowling has placed herself in the middle of a culture war in defense of women against transgender individuals, whom she has described as being "caricatures" of women.

The author made comments in reference to an English women's soccer coach for Sutton United F.C., who goes by the name Lucy Clark.

Clark is a former referee who has been seen wearing wigs but most recently was pictured with dyed pink hair.

Rowling was responding to a since-deleted post from Pride UK that cited Clark as "the world's first openly transgender referee."

Stating that he has "made history by becoming the first trans manager in the top 5 divisions of English women's football. The former referee has taken over at Sutton United. Fabulous!" it read, followed by gay and transgender pride flags.

"When I was young all the football managers were straight, white, middle-aged blokes, so it's fantastic to see how much things have changed," Rowling wrote in response.

"I didn't compare him to one. He IS one."

Rowling doubled down the next day in response to an article from the Daily Mail who said that Rowling was accused of "cruelty" for mocking a "transgender football manager by comparing her to a 'straight, white, middle-aged bloke.'"

In a bare-bones reply, Rowling noted that she wasn't saying he was like a man, but rather that Clark is a man.

"I didn't compare him to one. He IS one," she said on X.

The 58-year-old continued and responded to allegations that she was bullying the soccer coach.

"Calling a man a man is not 'bullying' or 'punching down.' Crossdressing straight men are currently one of the most pandered-to demographics in existence, and women are under no obligation to applaud the people caricaturing us."

A writer for New York magazine named Jonathan Chait told Rowling to "just call people what they want to be called."

"It's basic decency," he claimed.

"Stop telling women what they're allowed to say, Jonathan. It's basic decency," Rowling replied.

Clark spoke to outlet London Football Scene weeks earlier and said at the time that "there was never a transgender referee or manager before" him, "except for two small occasions," and added that the "footballing world" has been great to him since announcing that he believes he's a woman.

Speaking on his appointment to Sutton's managerial role, he said that he "never wanted it to be about" himself and recognized that "it's not personal – it's hatred of the trans community as a whole," he justified.

"Since when was expressing a biological fact mean or considered mocking? Where did all the 'follow the science' crowd go?" English commentator Lewis Brackpool asked.

Brackpool, who grew up less than an hour from Sutton, told Blaze News that while he has "disagreements with Rowling politically," many on the right "can’t help but notice the vitriol against women for recognizing that cross dressers entering female spaces is not acceptable."

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