Margaret Atwood has vocalised her support for the trans community in a series of tweets, in which she urged people to “rejoice in nature’s infinite variety”.

The Handmaid’s Tale author shared an article in Scientific American titled, “The New Science of Sex and Gender”, which asserts that biology does not determine gender. In a caption accompanying the article, Atwood wrote: “Biology doesn’t deal in sealed either/or compartments. We’re all part of a flowing bell curve. Respect that! Rejoice in nature’s infinite variety!”

Replying to someone who declared, “When it comes to sex, it all falls into female or male”, Atwood said: “What the piece is talking about is that sex and gender don’t always go together and are not experienced by all people in the same way. That appears to be undeniable.”

The writer also rebutted someone who said it was “sad” to see Atwood “capitulate to this nonsense” given her books show that she understands “that women have been and still are oppressed because of their biology”. Atwood replied: “Of course they have been and are oppressed! That’s covered in this Scientific American collection, as well. Nobody is saying that men and women are the same in all respects. Please read the actual pieces.”

Atwood’s tweets came just one day before her name appeared on an open letter against cancel culture, which was also signed by JK Rowling, who has been vocal in her assault on trans women’s rights. 

It appears Atwood is keen to distance herself from Rowling’s views, however, as she responded to a tweet quoting her support for trans rights with a link to a YouTube channel which hosts a video “addressing what was said by JK Rowling in her essay”. Though Atwood denounced a claim that she was “better” than Rowling, writing: “Different people are good at different things. One must try to understand other people’s fears.”