JK Rowling Responds To Ongoing Backlash To Her Anti-Trans Comments

Author J.K. Rowling, best known for writing the Harry Potter book series, responds to the ongoing backlash regarding her anti-trans comments.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has responded to the ongoing backlash she faces as a result of comments she has made that are widely considered to be disparaging to transgender people. Although still best known for writing the beloved Harry Potter novels, which were subsequently made into highly successful films, Rowling has been the subject of numerous headlines in recent years for controversial remarks that have nothing to do with the Wizarding World. Stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Evanna Lynch, and Harry Melling have all spoken out against the author at various points.

Now, Rowling addresses the continued backlash against her in the upcoming podcast, The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, as shared via Variety. Only snippets of the Harry Potter author’s comments are revealed in the podcast’s trailer with more sure to come, but Rowling expresses that she thinks her detractors misunderstand what she’s truly saying in her controversial remarks. Check out Rowling’s comments below:

“What has interested me in recent years, particularly on social media [is when fans say], ‘You’ve ruined your legacy. Oh, you could have been beloved forever, but you chose to say this.’ And I think: ‘You could not have misunderstood me more profoundly.’

“I never set out to upset anyone. However, I was not uncomfortable with getting off my pedestal.”

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J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Controversy Explained

The controversy surrounding Rowling first began when the author tweeted criticism of an opinion piece in June 2020 for its use of the phrase “people who menstruate” instead of saying “women“. The tweet was met with considerable backlash, but the author would later double down on her claims and offer further explanation, writing, “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

Rowling would continue to double down on her previous tweets in subsequent weeks and eventually posted a lengthy essay on her website regarding her opinions. In the essay, she further elaborates upon her support of someone who was fired for tweets that were deemed transphobic. Radcliffe was among the first Harry Potter franchise stars to speak out against the author, stating definitively that he believes “trans women are women.“

While Radcliffe’s sentiment would be echoed by a number of other Harry Potter actors, there were others who defended the author, including Ralph Fiennes, who plays Voldemort, and Helene Bonham Carter, who plays Bellatrix Lestrange. Even those outside the Wizarding World franchise started to weigh in, including Succession star Brian Cox, who also voiced his support for Rowling. While Rowling’s comments continue to generate controversy, the author remains partially in control of the Harry Potter film franchise and will likely remain a controversial public figure as she continues to release books and contribute to inevitable Wizarding World movie and TV projects.

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Source: The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling (via Variety)