Fox News Flash top headlines for July 16
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J.K. Rowling is criticizing gender-focused policies that "endanger extremely vulnerable teenage girls."
The "Harry Potter" author earlier this week highlighted a blog post authored by the unnamed parents of a learning-disabled girl who attends a special-needs school that apparently implemented "cross-gender intimate care" instead of "same-sex intimate care."
"I'm so bloody angry my hands are shaking. I'm the daughter of a disabled mother and I've campaigned for the rights of vulnerable children for many years, but I'm still constantly shocked by the cruelty and indifference shown to those who cannot advocate for themselves," Rowling tweeted on Monday. "I urge everyone who feels the same way I do on reading this article to contact their MP, as I will certainly be contacting mine and anyone else I know who can stand up to this horror show."
In the article Rowling shared, the parents of the disabled girl named Helen express "disbelief, followed by outrage, and a determination that this policy change should be reversed," referring to the cross-gender intimate care policy at the school, which was apparently meant to offer inclusivity to those who care for disabled students based on the requirements of the U.K.'s 2010 Equality Act.
J.K. Rowling attends "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" World Premiere at The Royal Festival Hall on March 29, 2022 in London, England. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
"Our simple and surely reasonable wish, that our daughter’s intimate care, including menstrual care, should be provided by staff who were female, like her, was at risk of being dismissed," the parents wrote. "Rights on the basis of sex cannot be honoured unless the sex of all parties involved is known and recorded."
CELEBRITIES REACT TO J.K. ROWLING'S COMMENTS ABOUT TRANSGENDER PEOPLE
The school reportedly decided on the policy "'after seeking advice from our HR Department, the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) and the partner schools we work alongside. We have also used our Local Authority’s template for writing the policy,'" the parents wrote.
The blog post was published on "Transgender Trends," a website purportedly comprised of "an organisation of parents, professionals and academics based in the UK who are concerned about the current trend to diagnose children as transgender, including the unprecedented number of teenage girls suddenly self-identifying as ‘trans’ (Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria or ROGD)."
Rowling said on Twitter that she cannot overstate her "contempt for those supporting policies that endanger extremely vulnerable girls."
"This is a travesty. Have we learned nothing from successive abuse scandals? Do we value the disabled so little?" she wrote.
The best-selling author mentioned her nonprofit organization, Lumos, which aims to transform child care systems globally and help children based in orphanages or "institutions" find families.
J.K. Rowling attends "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" World Premiere at The Royal Festival Hall on March 29, 2022 in London, England. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
"I know from long experience how vulnerable children are in institutions. The statistics on predation are appalling. Disabled women and children are many times more likely to be abused," she tweeted. "Predators go where there is access. Predators love victims who can't fight back or speak out. Successive studies show that 98-99% of sexual abusers are male. This validation of male feelings over disabled girls' protection is abhorrent."
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Rowling has faced criticism from progressive pundits over her stance on transgenderism, particularly as it relates to children and women's opportunities, like sports.
In 2020, Rowling made headlines when she tweeted: "If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."
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