J.K. Rowling's £70,000 support for anti-trans group fuels controversy

Pop culture is indebted to J.K. Rowling for the Wizarding series, which has secured its place in the canon of fantasy literature. A story about friendship, love, the battle of good against evil, and respect has garnered a wealth of fans. The series featuring "Harry Potter" has generated hundreds of millions of pounds. While respect is a pivotal characteristic in the books, J.K. Rowling has faced criticism for not reflecting this in her personal life.

J.K. Rowling has repeatedly expressed her views on transgender people. The author only seems to back feminist actions when they relate to cisgender women. The writer even stated that if the UK government introduced laws relating to transgender people, she would willingly face imprisonment for non-compliance.

Rowling has also shown disagreement with the term "menstruating person". In her opinion, only women menstruate, making the term excessive. She supported tax adviser Maya Forstater, who lost her job due to her treatment of transgender individuals.

The conduct of J.K. Rowling has been criticised by the stars of "Harry Potter" themselves, namely Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson. In 2020, the actor who portrayed the eponymous wizard wrote on the Trevor Project's website: "Transgender women are women. Any statement in disagreement with this fact erases the identity and dignity of transgender individuals and contravenes advice offered by professional healthcare associations, who are far more knowledgeable on this subject than either Rowling or myself".

The actor also discussed the issue in an interview with "IndieWire". Radcliffe disclosed:  "Since we wrapped up Potter, I’ve met numerous queer and transgender fans who really identified with the character. Witnessing their hurt that day, I felt it essential that they know not everyone involved with the series shares those views. It was really important. I’ve been involved with the Trevor Project for over 10 years, so I couldn’t abide the thought of remaining silent.”

The writer finds herself in the midst of controversy again after donating approximately £70,000 to For Women Scotland. The funds will be utilised for a court case in the UK Supreme Court. The case will endeavour to establish a new definition of the term "woman", which will allow only cisgender women to identify themselves as women. The decision is poised to be harmful to transgender women who have gone through gender restructuring processes. Describing her donation, Rowling stated: "You know how proud I am to support you. Thank you for all your hard work and persistence. This truly is a historic case.“

LGBTQ+ activists have emphasized that creating a new definition of "woman" can pave the way for discrimination and hatred towards transgender and non-binary individuals.

Source: "The Times"