Amnesty founder's granddaughter refuses to donate to woke charity after blacklisting JK Rowling's women-only organisation

Amnesty International UK published a report accusing dozens of women's organisations of being "anti-rights", including JK Rowling's charity, Beira's Place.

The charity described 50 gender-critical organisations, including Beira's Place, as a "growing threat".

Ms White said her grandfather would be "appalled" by the charity's current position, saying it contradicted everything Mr MacBride stood for, The Times reports.

She insisted his life's work centred on protecting people who spoke out from genuine conscience, arguing groups like Ms Rowling's charity and For Women Scotland were acting from principled positions, not malicious ones.

For Women Scotland are the activist group who were behind the legal action which resulted in the Supreme Court ruling the definition of a woman relates to biological sex.

Ms White also pointed to an incident six years ago when Amnesty International Ireland signed a letter from the Transgender Equality Network of Ireland calling for the media and politicians to stop giving platforms to those it branded as holding "bigoted beliefs".

Iseult White said her grandfather would be 'appalled' at the direction of Amnesty International

ISEULT WHITE

She said this was troubling behaviour from a charity originally built to defend prisoners of conscience.

Amnesty International UK is now being investigated by the Charity Commission over the report.

The report was removed from the charity's website after threats of legal action from some of the groups named.

However, an earlier report entitled "Like a snowball: the growth and impact of the gender-critical movement in the UK" which made similar claims about Beira's Place remains published online.

Sean MacBride was the founder of Amnesty International

GETTY

Ms Rowling has issued a fresh legal threat demanding the report also be taken down.

Previously serving as a charity trustee, Ms White said she doubted Amnesty could defend its claims against all 50 organisations in court.

She said: "In the UK, the law – on what constitutes a woman in equality legislation – is really clear.

"The fact that Amnesty felt they could come out with these reports after the Supreme Court delivered its verdict astounds me.

"How can you have any faith about any statements they put out about human rights, around the world, when they are completely misrepresenting the situation in the UK and Ireland?"

She suggested the charity may have avoided consequences had it targeted only small groups without the resources to fight back.

However, with Ms Rowling's financial backing, whose net worth is almost £1billion, the gender-critical organisations can take on the charity.

Ms White added she "would not donate a single penny to Amnesty at this stage".

"I am very sad to say it, but I would not donate a single penny to Amnesty at this stage," she said.

"I really am horrified by what they have done in Ireland and in the UK. How can you trust what they say now? The damage they have done to their reputation is enormous."

Ms Rowling herself criticised Amnesty earlier this week, accusing the organisation of abandoning its founding principles.

She said: "It no longer champions freedom of speech and belief. It has become the tyrant that persecutes those who don’t espouse what it decrees acceptable beliefs."

Beira's Place was founded in 2022, partly in response to backlash faced by Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.

Its former chief executive had suggested survivors should "reframe" objections to being counselled by transgender staff.

Beira's Place operates as a women-only service.

Amnesty International UK has since said the report should not have been published without proper internal review.

It said the report's language did not reflect the charity's official position. And it remains committed to defending the rights of both women and trans people, insisting no community should be singled out for unfair treatment.

The Charity Commission confirmed it has opened a regulatory compliance case and is gathering further information from Amnesty's trustees.