JK Rowling has expressed that she won’t reconcile with actors Emma Watson or Daniel Radcliffe due to their stance in support of transgender rights.
Rowling’s remarks follow years of controversy surrounding the author, who has faced accusations of expressing transphobic views in her online posts.
JK Rowling has been accused of transphobia (Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
In June 2020, Rowling seemingly trivialized efforts to promote inclusivity towards the transgender community by sharing a link to an article titled: “Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.”
Alongside the link, Rowling remarked: “‘People who menstruate’. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
Amid the backlash against Rowling, Harry Potter stars Radcliffe and Watson both expressed their support for the transgender community.
Radcliffe apologized for ‘the pain’ Rowling’s comments had caused and penned an essay for LGBTQ+ organization The Trevor Project.
Meanwhile, Watson assured her transgender followers that she and ‘so many other people around the world see you, respect you, and love you for who you are’.
Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe worked with Rowling on Harry Potter (Warner Bros.)
Rowling continued the discourse about the transgender community in a post shared on X yesterday (April 10), where she shared a since-deleted tweet discussing the Cass Review, which scrutinizes gender services for young people in the UK, specifically focusing on the use of puberty blockers.
Rowling referred to paediatrician Dr. Hilary Cass’ report as ‘the most robust review of the medical evidence for transitioning children that’s ever been conducted’.
The author asserted that the findings indicated ‘kids have been irreversibly harmed’, further stating: “Thousands are complicit, not just medics, but the celebrity mouthpieces, unquestioning media, and cynical corporations.”
In response to her post, one user on X told Rowling: “Just waiting for Dan and Emma to give you a very public apology … safe in the knowledge that you will forgive them …”
However, Rowling responded, stating that the two actors she worked with for so many years were not ‘safe’ in that knowledge.
Rowling indicated she would not forgive the actors (Jon Furniss/WireImage)
“I’m sorry, it’s not safe,” she replied. “Celebrities who aligned themselves with a movement aimed at undermining women’s long-fought rights, and who utilized their influence to support the transition of minors, should reserve their apologies for those who have been traumatized by detransitioning and for women who depend on single-sex spaces.”
Rowling has reiterated her stance, stating that she remains steadfast in her refusal to retract her choice to misgender transgender individuals. She affirmed her commitment by stating she wouldn’t remove posts where she referred to a man as a man.
She additionally implied her willingness to endure imprisonment rather than adhere to using preferred pronouns for transgender individuals, stating: “I’ll willingly serve a two-year sentence if it means avoiding compelled speech and the denial of the reality and significance of biological sex.”
