Image: Wikimedia Commons
J.K. Rowling has made headlines with a post on X that many are describing as uncharacteristically accepting of trans people. Taking to the social media platform on August 19, Rowling wrote the statement in response to a now-deleted post.
“It doesn’t remotely infuriate me,” wrote Rowling, “I’ve always believed that adults with intractable gender dysphoria may only find peace after surgery and taking hormones. I’m glad you’re happy.”
The post was immediately met with a mixture of confusion and indignation, with many X users arguing the author’s new take directly contradicted the last decade of anti-trans rhetoric proffered by the author.
“Did 3 ghosts visit you last night?” one commenter wrote.
“Then maybe you shouldn’t use your money to fund organisations and laws fighting to take away the right to transition from said adults with gender dysphoria,” wrote another.
While some now speculate the post was part of a broader marketing scheme to win back waning public support for her latest Harry Potter adaptation, others have simply blamed mold-induced psychosis.
J.K. Rowling’s Track Record On Trans Issues
The post in question is not the first time J.K. Rowling has expressed views apparently sympathetic to trans people. In 2020, the children’s book author adamantly denied having any hatred for the group whatsoever.
“I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them,” Rowling wrote. “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.”
The post was similarly criticised, with many arguing Rowling’s “if” qualifier falsely implied trans people face no discrimination.
Rowling’s latest post follows an extensive record of anti-trans activism, the author creating a trans-exclusionary women’s fund for individuals and organisations facing legal action for “protecting their sex-based rights.”
The author also previously donated tens of thousands of pounds to transphobic groups, including For Women Scotland. The donation helped fund a legal case on the 2010 Equality Act’s definition of a woman and sex, resulting in the Supreme Court ruling in 2025 that trans women should not be considered women.
You May Also Like
Support the Star Observer… while you still can
LGBTQIA+ media is under threat. Queer content is censored by tech conglomerates who amplify bigotry and push out AI slop — so we receive less financial support than ever.
When our community is muzzled and intolerance intensifies, we need queer media more than ever. Your donation means we can continue paying queer journalists to write queer news.
Don’t rely on the straight lies of big tech – support Star Observer instead and donate now.
Leave a Reply