In recent years, J.K. Rowling’s opinions on transgender people have made her an exceedingly divisive figure.
The 58-year-old writer has repeatedly voiced controversial views in recent weeks and months, previously suggesting that the transgender community was full of sexual predators in what seemed to be an effort to protect women’s rights.
Her relationship with the actors who brought her beloved Harry Potter books to life appears to be severely strained at the moment.
The author made the suggestion on Twitter on Wednesday (10 April) that she would never “forgive” Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe for speaking out against transgender rights.
The First Waves of Discontentment – 2019
After the author faced criticism for her allegedly transphobic comments, Rowling first expressed gender-sensitive opinions in 2019.
However, it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 that Rowling made her views on the subject explicit, retweeting an article about “people who menstruate” – taking issue with the inclusive choice to use the term “people”.
She wrote: “‘People who menstruate.’ There was, undoubtedly, a term for those individuals. Somebody please help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud”?
The author further argued that gender identities do not exist on a spectrum.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” she wrote.
“I know and love transgender 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.”
Trans campaigners, Harry Potter fans, and many of the actors who starred in the blockbuster franchise between 2001 and 2011 were outraged by this.
Rowling Condemned – 2020
Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter, was the first cast member to speak out against Rowling’s stance on trans issues.
“Transgender women are women,” he said in a 2020 statement released by The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention charity for young LGBT+ individuals.
“Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional healthcare associations, who have much more expertise on this subject matter than Jo [Rowling] or I.”
He was quickly supported by Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), who echoed similar sentiments.
On Twitter, she wrote: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”
“I want my trans followers to know that I and so many others around the world respect and love you for who you are,” she added.
Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) also expressed support for the trans community, affirming, like Radcliffe, that trans women are women.
“I firmly stand with the transgender community and agree with the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men,” Grint told the Sunday Times.
“We should all be entitled to live with love and without fear.”
Other Harry Potter cast members voiced support for the trans community in similar ways.
Emma Watson also made a statement at the Baftas in 2022, expressing her support for “all the witches” when she took the stage to present an award.
However, Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy, stated in 2022 that he “was not about to leap on [JK Rowling] from the front – or the back”.
“There are a lot of things about Jo. I play complex characters, I’m interested in difficult characters. I don’t want to get dragged into the trans issues, talking about them, because it’s such an extraordinary minefield,” Isaacs said.
The Hate Crime Act – 2021
With the introduction of the new Hate Crime Act in Scotland this year, Rowling’s reported defense of women’s rights seemed to become louder.
The Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, which came into effect on 1 April, makes it a criminal offense to “stir up hatred” based on protected characteristics including age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, transgender identity, or being intersex.
The author criticized Scottish police for their approach to policing gender identity and, in some cases, portraying her comments as a result of this.
She commented that “British lawmakers seem to place more value on the feelings of men who claim to be women, whether they do so misogynistically or opportunistically,” rather than the rights and freedoms of biological women and girls.
Rowling argued that without the ability to accurately describe or address the reality of crimes and sexual abuses committed against women and girls, freedom of speech and thought in Scotland is at an end.
She followed this with a list of transgender individuals, whom she predominantly referred to as males, and then cited their alleged misdeeds.
Among the listed individuals were transgender activists and prominent figures, as well as convicted rapists Amy George and Isla Bryson, who abducted and assaulted a woman.
Rowling once said, “I’m out of the country at the moment, but if what I’ve written here qualifies as an offense under the terms of the new Act, I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment.”
The author challenged British police to arrest her over her comments earlier this month.
She continued, “I hope this news will reassure every woman in Scotland who wants to speak up about the reality and importance of biological sex, and I firmly believe that all women, regardless of their gender or economic status, will be treated equally under the law.”
“I’m reposting the thoughts of others so that they can charge us both at once if they go after anyone for simply calling a man a man.”
The Cass Report– 2024
Rowling claimed that she felt more validated in her advocacy for women’s rights by the Cass Report, released on Wednesday (10 April). Rowling praised the newly-released Cass Report, which examines children’s gender services.
The report asserts that there is “remarkably weak evidence” for providing gender-affirming treatment such as puberty blockers to children and young people. It also provides recommendations for improvements.
The report highlights the lack of robust evidence regarding the long-term effects of gender-related distress, according to Cass.
“It’s unusual for us to treat young people with potentially life-altering interventions without knowing what happens to them in adulthood, and that’s a problem because we haven’t had the follow-up into adulthood to know what the outcomes of this are,” said Dr. Cass.
Rowling responded, suggesting that those who advocate for gender-affirming treatments may want to reconsider their position based on this report.
“Even if you don’t feel ashamed of cheering for what now looks like severe medical malpractice, even if you don’t want to accept that you might have been wrong, where’s your sense of self-preservation?” she wrote.
“The bandwagon you jumped on is veering off a cliff,” she added.
A Twitter user named FarRightHooligan then suggested that they were anticipating a public apology from Radcliffe and Watson.
“I’m afraid not safe,” Rowling replied. “Celebrities who supported a movement that seeks to diminish women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms
to support the transition of minors may keep their apologies for traumatized detransitioners and vulnerable women who rely on single-sex spaces.”
The Independent reached out to representatives for Rowling, Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint for comment.
