The Harry Potter author is hitting a milestone birthday as she turns 60, but she’s often remembered for her controversial comments more than her fantasy fiction creations
As British author JK Rowling approaches her milestone 60th birthday, the creator of Harry Potter is often more recently discussed for her ongoing controversy.
Rowling, who created Harry Potter and is also involved in the forthcoming HBO series dedicated to the fantasy book saga, has become well known and widely discussed for her outspoken comments online. Her comments on transgender community have caused a backlash and have continued over the past five years.
Rowling’s anti-trans comments have also seen her alienated by some of the cast of the Harry Potter films, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, and seen her criticised for publicly supporting anti-trans legislation. Here’s a look back at some of her biggest controversial comments to date…
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JK Rowling dismissed transgender identity
Writing on X in June 2020, the Harry Potter author wrote, “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate.”
The post sparked a backlash, but rather than retracting what she said, Rowling doubled down as she continued with her comments. She shared on X, “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.
“The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women—i.e., to male violence—‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences—is a nonsense.”
In another comment she continued, ““I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
JK Rowling and ‘TERF wars’
A few days after the initial backlash, the Harry Potter author sparked another debate and controversy over the use of ‘TERF’. She posted a lengthy blog on her website titled “TERF Wars”, using the acronym that stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
In it, she wrote, “This isn’t an easy piece to write, for reasons that will shortly become clear, but I know it’s time to explain myself on an issue surrounded by toxicity. I write this without any desire to add to that toxicity.
“For people who don’t know: last December I tweeted my support for Maya Forstater, a tax specialist who’d lost her job for what were deemed ‘transphobic’ tweets. She took her case to an employment tribunal, asking the judge to rule on whether a philosophical belief that sex is determined by biology is protected in law. Judge Tayler ruled that it wasn’t.”
She also added that she became interested in trans issues while researching a character she’s writing, before she then outlined “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism.”
Fans and celebrity reactions
Since Rowling’s initial comments and in the years since, fan reactions have been huge, with many Harry Potter fans outraged that their favorite author could voice such opinions.
One of the biggest reactions that drew attention was from actor Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter throughout the film series. In a statement via The Trevor Project, he addressed the comments, writing, “I realize that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and me, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now.
“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations, who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
He continued, “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished. I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you…. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that.”
Similar statements from other stars from the films, including Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, followed.
Rowling rants again
Whilst the backlash continued, Rowling ranted again on social media in July 2020, but this time taking on a Twitter user who called her out for liking a tweet that compared hormone therapy to antidepressants. She wrote, “I’ve ignored fake tweets attributed to me and RTed widely. I’ve ignored porn tweeted at children on a thread about their art. I’ve ignored death and rape threats. I’m not going to ignore this.
“When you lie about what I believe about insane health medication and when you misrepresent the views of a trans woman for whom I feel nothing but admiration and solidarity, you cross a line.”
She continued, “Many health professionals are concerned that young people struggling with their insane health are being shunted toward hormones and surgery when this may not be in their best interests. Many, myself included, believe we are watching a new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people, who are being set on a lifelong path of medicalisation that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function.”
Rowling ‘excluded’ from Harry Potter’s 20th anniversary celebrations
The 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter films saw a behind-the-scenes special released featuring the cast, but Rowling only featured with archive footage. Rumors grew that she’d been deliberately left out by Warner Bros following the controversy she’d received online, but she later clarified that she was “excluded” from the special.
In an interview with Graham Norton for Virgin Radio UK in August 2022, she explained, “I wasn’t, actually—I was asked to be on that, and I decided I didn’t want to do it,. I thought it was about the films more than the books, you know? Quite rightly, as that is what the anniversary was about, so no one said, ‘Don’t come.'”
When asked if she’s still in touch with any of the cast, she replied, “Yes, I do, some more than others, but that was always the case. Some I knew better than others.”
Rowling refers to trans right movement as ‘Death Eaters’
Rowling’s comments about the trans community continued, and in episode five of the podcast The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling, the author describes the trans rights movement as “dangerous.”
Her statement, made in March 2023, said, “[S]ome of you have not understood the books. The Death Eaters claimed, “We have been made to live in secret, and now is our time, and anyone who stands in our way must be destroyed. If you disagree with us, you must die.” They demonized and dehumanized those who were not like them.
“I am fighting what I see as a powerful, insidious, misogynistic movement that has gained huge purchase in very influential areas of society. I do not see this particular movement as either benign or powerless, so I’m afraid I stand with the women who are fighting to be heard against threats of loss of livelihood and threats to their safety.”
Rowling joins HBO to make Harry Potter TV series
In April 2023, it was revealed Rowling would join forces with HBO to create a Harry Potter TV series, where she made it clear she hoped it would keep the storyline faithful to her books.
HBO also backed the author, with David Zaslav, the CEO of HBO parent company Warner Bros Discovery, stating that they had “met multiple times with Rowling and has spoken up in support of the author.”
Rowling hits out at TV show boycott
With the news of the new series growing and sneak peeks at cast members coming forward, some TV fans made it clear they would not be watching due to Rowling’s previous comments. However, Rowling hit out at these and ‘mocked’ the boycotters, writing on X on April 21, 2023, “Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organize yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show.”
Rowling says she’d prefer prison time to trans pronouns
The author’s anti trans rhetoric continued as she responded to a report in the Daily Mail in October 2023, where she wrote online, “I’ll happily do two years if the alternative is compelled speech and forced denial of the reality and importance of sex.”
Her comment was in response to a follower who said she could receive jail time for her views. She added, “Bring on the court case, I say. It’ll be more fun than I’ve ever had on a red carpet.”
Anger at Harry Potter stars is made clear
Rowling also attacked the stars of the Harry Potter films, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. On social media, when a follower mentioned Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, allies of the trans community who have publicly expressed their support for trans rights, Rowling implied that she would not “forgive” the actors.
Rowling is hit with lawsuit
Rowling’s comments eventually incurred legal action when she hit out at 2024 Olympic athlete and Algerian boxer Imane Khelif. Claiming that Khelif was not female and was in fact a trans woman, she shared a picture from the boxing as she wrote, “Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment, enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head, and whose life’s ambition he’s just shattered.”
Rowling and X owner Elon Musk were later hit with a lawsuit by Khelif for the “cyberbullying” she had received online.
Rowling hits out at asexual people
Earlier this year, she posted a derogatory comment about asexual people. On X, over an International Asexuality Day graphic, she posted, “Happy International Fake Oppression Day to everyone who wants complete strangers to know they don’t fancy a shag.”
Celebrations for the definition of “woman” with a cigar
Rowling also sparked even more backlash online when she was seen to be ‘celebrating’ the U.K. Supreme Court’s legal stance on the definition of a woman. The courts ruled that the “concept of sex is binary, a person is either a woman or a man,” added that the terms woman and sex “refer to a biological woman and biological sex.”
In reaction to the news, Rowling posted to X as shared a picture of herself smoking a cigar and wrote, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Rowling also reportedly donated $70,000 to For Women Scotland, the organization that filed the suit and brought it to court.
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