A British academy who replaced JK Rowling as a house name with Dame Kelly Holmes due to her comments on trans issues has been brutally reminded of the Olympic legend’s own’s views.
Dame Kelly Holmes attending the Pride of Sport Awards 2019 held in London.
Lia Toby
Staff and students at the The Boswells School in Chelmsford, Essex, complained about the Harry Potter author’s comments on transgender people, resulting in the academy dropping her name.
But comments made by Dame Kelly on trans athletes in 2019 were even branded transphobic by a trans cyclist.
She said: “Nothing to do with being transphobic and nothing to do with hatred or stopping people leading their lives as they wish.
“But in sport it’s a different matter for obvious reasons.”
Trans cyclist Rachel McKinnon contacted sponsors of Dame Kelly as a result of her comments, even asking them to take a stand against the “transphobic” athlete.
Seizing on this, Twitter users mocked the school for replacing JK Rowling.
One said: “It’s emerged that Dame Kelly’s trans views are even more controversial. She believes they should have their own separate category or even their own separate games. Couldn’t make it up.”
One wrote: “I guess they didn't see that Kelly thinks men shouldn't be allowed in women's sports so they'd consider her a terf [sic], too.”
Another added that headteacher Stephen Mansell had tied himself in a “woke knot”.
Dame Kelly, who credited JK Rowling as a brilliant author, branded the cyclist’s comments ridiculous, and that she is “far from” transphobic.
She also stated her pride at having Holmes' House named after her.
Boswells School has refused to comment on the renaming of the house.