"Irresponsibility of this is off the charts...it's criminal" - Martina Navratilova backs J. K. Rowling's case against gender-transitioning children
Martina Navratilova has backed J. K. Rowling's take on a doctor over his approach to gender-transitioning children. The doctor in question is Dr. Robert Garofalo, a Professor of Pediatrics at Chicago's Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital.
On Monday, May 27, a video surfaced where Garofalo talked about his approach to the process of transitioning children. Upon taking notice of the video, Rowling hit out at the doctor, writing that despite the poor evidence base for transitioning children, Garofalo "boasts about zero psychological evaluation of children".
"The Cass Report has revealed how very poor the evidence base is for transitioning children. We already know autistic, same-sex attracted and trauma-experienced youth are over-represented at gender clinics. Nevertheless, this man boasts about conducting zero psychological evaluation of children, proud that there's no 'battery of tests', explaining that he simply asks the child what their (unprovable, unfalsifiable) 'gender identity' is," Rowling wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The author went on to label the doctor's approach as the "medical scandal of the century".
"The subtext is clear: unlike the worried parents, he's the cool dude who really gets what kids want. How can anyone still believe this won't come to be seen as the medical scandal of the century?"
Navratilova, who has sided with Rowling on social and political issues in the past, once again backed the author and was blatantly critical of the doctor. The 67-year-old slammed Garofalo's approach and described it as "criminal".
"The irresponsibility of this is off the charts. I truly can’t believe how flippant this guy is about it all- no problem- the kid knows better than us so let’s get started on those puberty ASAP, shall we? It’s criminal," Navratilova wrote.
"J. K. Rowling and I are not the problem" - Martina Navratilova's response to user's criticism
An X user did not take Navratilova and Rowling's respective posts on the doctor well and criticized the pair for making transitions "painful" for children.
"These things don't happen without parental support. It's parents who understand and support their children through these challenging times. You two are making these transitions so painful for these innocent folks. Shame on you both," the user wrote.
However, Navratilova firmly defended herself as well as Rowling.
"The parents are following the doctors recommendations. And it happens fast- maybe first do no harm should be considered… we are not the problem…," Navratilova responded.