Italian runner Valentina Petrillo responded with words of hope, calling on the world to treat trans people better.

J.K. Rowling went after visually impaired, transgender Italian Paralympian Valentina Petrillo by claiming that the mere existence of a trans athlete in sports is “cheating,” even though the athlete followed all the rules set by the competition. Petrillo, in response to the backlash against her inclusion in women’s sports, called for people to treat trans people better.

“Why all the anger about the inspirational Petrillo? The cheat community has never had this kind of visibility! Out and proud cheats like Petrillo prove the era of cheat-shaming is over. What a role model! I say we give Lance Armstrong his medals back and move on,” said Rowling on X.

This 2024 Olympics database includes profiles of the 144 out gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer and nonbinary Olympians.

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Rowling was questioned for her response when someone stated that she was unfairly conflating trans people with cheaters just by existing in sports and that she was stereotyping trans people as a whole.

In response, Rowling wrote, “Stereotypes are simplistic/prejudiced blanket assumptions about a demographic that don’t correlate with the facts. I know all trans people aren’t cheats. However, knowing you have an unfair advantage and exploiting it anyway is pretty much the textbook definition of cheating.” She then continued to reply by misgendering Petrillo, who is a woman.

Petrillo, who is the first out trans person to compete in the Paralympics, had failed to qualify for the finals in the women’s T12 400m and instead finished third in the semi-finals. She achieved a time of 57.58 seconds, topping her personal best.

She said to the press after the race, “I pushed… I tried my best. They are stronger than me, I had to go down too much, to do a 56 [­seconds]. With 57.50, I have to be happy even if I’m a little down.”

“But I hope my son is proud of me,” Petrillo said while crying. “That’s important to me because I’m a trans dad, it’s not everyone’s dream dad. But I hope he will be proud of me.”

“I hope he will always stand by me, I hope that he loves me even if I am like this. I can’t help it if I’m like this, I’m sorry. Don’t treat trans people badly. We suffer. It’s not fair. We don’t hurt anybody,” she said to the New York Times.

She continued by pushing back against discrimination against trans people. “It’s September 2, 2024 right? Let’s mark this down as a historic day. From this day forth I don’t want to hear any more talk about discrimination or prejudice for trans people.”

“There are so many people who die for the mere fact of being trans people, who kill themselves for the mere fact of being trans – because they lose their job, because the sport doesn’t include them – and now I’ve made it. So, we can all make it if I’ve made it, I’ve done my little bit and we can all make it,” she continued.

She also talked about the beauty of the Paralympics and her time there.

“It’s all so beautiful (at the Paralympics). Afterwards how will it be out there? It’s not beautiful like this. It’s not all purple out there,” she said, in reference to her favorite color.