JK Rowling “Won’t Forgive” Trans Allyship From ‘Harry Potter’ Stars

JK Rowling won’t be forgiving Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson for their trans allyship, according to new tweets by the controversial author. 

Rowling took to X (formerly Twitter) following the publication of the highly controversial Cass Review, a report on gender care treatments for young people in UK that’s been in development for four years. The Wizarding World creator was highly supportive of its claims in her thread, calling the review “robust.”

Responding to a follower who said they were waiting for Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Watson (Hermione Granger) to give apologies to Rowling, she said: “Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women’s hard-won rights and who used their platforms to cheer on the transitioning of minors can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces.”

Rowling is referencing the support that Radcliffe and Watson showed for the trans community in 2020, in response to Rowling posting transphobic comments that began on June 7th 2020 and culminated in a lengthy piece titled ‘TERF Wars’ which fully illuminated her views on trans people.

Rowling has only fallen further in-line with anti-trans ideology since then, having shared support for figures like Posie Parker. 

Recently, Rowling criticised Scotland’s new Hate Crime Act which provides protection based on a variety of factors, including gender identity. She challenged Scottish authorities to arrest her, sharing her transphobic rhetoric with pride.  

The Cass Review

JK Rowling is unequivocally supporting the Cass Review, penned by Dr Hillary Cass, which alleges that gender services are based on weak evidence and that children have been “let down” by the current systems. 

However, as Lee Hurley of Trans Writes notes, the Cass Review completely excluded trans voices from the research process and disregarded much of the globally accepted evidence for trans healthcare, while including conversion therapy advocates like Tilly Langton.

Equality Australia released a joint statement from 11 trans health and rights experts condemning the report as out-of-line with the global medical consensus, and saying that it lacks relevance for an Australian context. 

Jackie Turner of the Trans Justice Project says: “The Cass review has delivered a set of recommendations that will put the lives and wellbeing of trans youth at risk.” 

CEO of Transgender Victoria added: “We cannot allow misinformation and biases in public debate to dictate the healthcare options available to the transgender community, especially vulnerable youth.” 

Harry Potter stars resist JK Rowling’s transphobia

Radcliffe posted an open letter under The Trevor Project in June 2020 responding directly to Rowling’s transphobic comments. 

He said: “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.”

Radcliffe also appeared on an episode of The Trevor Project’s Sharing Space in 2023, where he sat down with six young trans people and heard their stories.

Watson also posted support for trans people on Twitter in June 2020, saying: 

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.

— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) June 10, 2020

In the same year, both Ron Weasley actor Rupert Grint and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne stood with the trans community. 

Redmayne, who was Oscar-nominated for portraying trans woman Lili Elbe in The Danish Girl, said: “I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.”

However, some Potter actors like Ralph Fiennes, Eddie Izzard and Helena Bonham Carter came to Rowling’s defence, with Fiennes calling abuse she received “disgusting” and “appalling.”