JK Rowling takes her gender fight to census form

JK Rowling has admitted she was among nearly 3,000 people who declared themselves to be a ‘believer in biology’ in the national census.

The questionnaires were spoiled in protest at a decision to allow Scots to self-identify in the survey.

The National Records of Scotland logged 2,883 people who wrote the entry in the religion part of the 2022 census in protest at the controversial self-identification policy.

And yesterday the Harry Potter author, who is one of the globe’s most prominent gender critics, proudly declared: ‘I was one of those people.’

Campaigners had criticised official guidance for the survey which allowed people to self-select their sex, and insisted that biological sex should instead be used.

Women’s groups called for a mass campaign of coordinated response amid the row, which they feared would result in a loss of vital statistics about biological sex used for planning services.

Susan Smith, of For Women Scotland, yesterday (THURS) said: ‘We are absolutely thrilled that our census action made such an impact: Knowing history will record that JK Rowling was one of those 3,000 has been the icing on the cake.

‘It’s now time for government and other agencies to listen, to stop messing around with critical data and record facts, not fiction.

‘Anything else renders the census unfit for purpose’

And Professor Sarah Pendersen, professor of communication and media at Robert Gordon University, said: ‘Just as the suffragettes did in 1911, these women used the opportunity to send a message to the Government.’

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More than 100 years ago the suffragettes took part in a mass census boycott - with many writing messages of protest on the forms issued.

Gender critical campaigners in Scotland asked protestors to order a paper version of the form to disrupt help smooth running of the survey - and help make sure their stand was preserved on the historical record like the suffragettes before them.

In the 2022 census every Scot was asked: ‘What religion, religious denomination or body do you belong to?’

While there were a number of tick boxes, including none, Church of Scotland, Roman Catholic, people were also invited to write their own response in.

People were urged to write in ‘Believer in Biology’, prompting thousands of people to take part in the protest.

And to further frustrate the process, For Women Scotland suggested other ways of using the paper form and envelope to disrupt the smooth running of the census.

Many respondents decorated the form with stickers and ribbons in the suffragette colours of white, purple and green.

And others responding to the question about how they travelled to work, wrote they went on a ‘broomstick’ in reference to gender critical women often being referred to as witches.

Maya Forstater, chief executive of Sex Matters, said the scale of the protest was ‘further proof that sex and gender is not a fringe issue to be dismissed’.

She said: ‘This action is a direct reflection of deep dissatisfaction that the Scottish census did not ask clearly and simply for biological sex.

‘Of course biology is not just a belief, it is a material reality.

‘It matters that the government collects clear sex-based data, otherwise it cannot understand and meet women’s needs.’

In February 2022, before the census, campaign group Fair Play for Women lost its appeal at the Court of Session against guidance which said the answer given to the sex question could be different to a birth certificate and that a Gender Recognition Certificate was not needed.

Meanwhile in the survey, the new data revealed the vast majority of people said they had no religion with 2.78 million selecting this option.

Of those 5,409 said they were a ‘Jedi Knight’, 45 said they were ‘Heavy Metal’ and 10 said they were ‘secularist’.

Of those who believed, 1.11m said they were Church of Scotland, 723,322 Roman Catholic, and 119,872 Muslims.