A timeline of JK Rowling's transphobic shift

J.K. Rowling's name has become synonymous with two things: her legendary "Harry Potter" book series and her penchant for striking out against the transgender community. The acclaimed author has transformed her reputation by making increasingly disparaging remarks about transgender people and those she perceives as transgender. The last few years have seen her cast a dark cloud over any Hogwarts-adjacent projects, with many of the film series' actors speaking out against her. She has even inspired former fans to call for a boycott of her work, as she continues doubling down on her views. Here's everything you need to know.

March 2018: Rowling 'likes' a transphobic tweet, says it was an accident

An early instance of Rowling facing allegations of transphobia came in March 2018, when she was slammed for "liking" a tweet that referred to trans women as "men in dresses." But the author's spokesperson told Pink News this was purely an accident. "I'm afraid J.K. Rowling had a clumsy and middle-aged moment and this is not the first time she has favorited by holding her phone incorrectly," the spokesperson said.

Rowling later said she "absent-mindedly" liked the tweet when she meant to screenshot it because she had taken "an interest in gender identity and transgender matters," so she was "screenshotting comments that interested me, as a way of reminding myself what I might want to research later."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

June 2019: Rowling follows 'self-professed transphobe' on X, then called Twitter

The following year, though, Rowling again faced backlash after following YouTuber Magdalen Berns on X, then called Twitter. Berns was a "self-professed transphobe" who made videos with titles like "there is no such thing as a lesbian with a penis," Pink News said, adding that she was also following other anti-trans accounts. Rowling later admitted she followed Berns, an "immensely brave young feminist and lesbian who was dying of an aggressive brain tumour," because she "wanted to contact her directly." Berns died in September 2019.

December 2019: Rowling stands with researcher who lost contract over transphobic statements

Months later, Rowling came under fire again for comments she made directly after coming to the defense of Maya Forstater. At the time, the researcher had been waging an employment discrimination battle, as her contract with a think tank wasn't renewed after she made a series of anti-trans statements. These statements included that "I don't think people should be compelled to play along with literal delusions like 'transwomen are women,'" and she referred to a gender-fluid person as a "man who likes to dress in women's clothes."

In a tweet, Rowling stood with Forstater: "Dress however you please," she said on X. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who'll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?" A day before receiving Rowling's support, Forstater said again on X, formerly Twitter, that she believed there are "two sexes. Men are male. Women are female. It is impossible to change sex."

GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, strongly condemned Rowling over her tweet. She "aligned herself with an anti-science ideology that denies the basic humanity of people who are transgender," the organization said. "Trans and non-binary people are not a threat to women, and to imply otherwise puts trans people at risk."

The Human Rights Campaign also tweeted, "Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. CC: JK Rowling."

May 2020: Rowling likes a transphobic tweet again

Rowling was again critiqued for reportedly liking another transphobic tweet, in this case one that misgendered psychotherapist and photographer Alex Drummond and described her as "an adult human male who claims to be a lesbian (yes, he's kept his dangling bits and skipped the hormones)."

June 6, 2020: Rowling slammed for tweet about the phrase 'people who menstruate'

The controversy escalated significantly in June 2020 after Rowling tweeted dismissively about an article with the headline, "Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate."

"'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people," Rowling said in a tweet. "Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" The phrase "people who menstruate" had been used to be more inclusive of trans men and non-binary people. Rowling also said that "if sex isn't real, the lived reality of women globally is erased."

The tweets were quickly condemned as anti-trans, including again by GLAAD, which said: "JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans. In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people."

June 8, 2020: Daniel Radcliffe speaks out against Rowling

Two days later, in a post on the Trevor Project's website, "Harry Potter" actor Daniel Radcliffe condemned Rowling's tweets. "Transgender women are women," he said. "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 said he was "deeply sorry" to those who "feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished" because of Rowling's statements.

June 10, 2020: Rowling publishes essay defending her stance as more actors speak out

Days after her controversial tweets, Rowling published a more than 3,600-word essay on her website about why she had spoken out on "sex and gender issues." In it, Rowling said she is "worried about the new trans activism" and "the huge explosion in young women wishing to transition and also about the increasing numbers who seem to be detransitioning."

She went on to slam those who said that "women must accept and admit that there is no material difference between trans women and themselves." Rowling revealed she is a survivor of domestic abuse and sexual assault and said this led her to sympathize with women who had "concerns around single-sex spaces." She argued against throwing "open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he's a woman."

"All of the ideas she expressed in her essay are transphobic," Constance Grady said at Vox. Her views "actively seek to take rights away from trans people," while treating the "trans identity as something that is up for debate, rather than an intrinsic part of human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity." The Los Angeles Times also said that despite what Rowling suggested, "there is no evidence that transgender people are a threat to anyone."

Rowling also tweeted a link to her website and wrote "TERF wars," with "TERF" meaning "trans-exclusionary radical feminist," a group that does not acknowledge trans women as women.

Soon, more actors from the "Harry Potter" franchise begin speaking out against Rowling. "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," said Hermione actor Emma Watson.

"If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question," Ginny Weasley actor Bonnie Wright said. "Transwomen are women."

"Fantastic Beasts" star Eddie Redmayne told Variety he disagrees with Rowling's comments. "Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid," he said. Warner Bros., the studio behind the Harry Potter movies, did not condemn Rowling's remarks, but said in a statement to Variety that "fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important."

July 2, 2020: 'Harry Potter' fan sites distance themselves from Rowling

Two major "Harry Potter" fan websites, The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet, released a joint statement distancing themselves from Rowling over her remarks.

"J.K. Rowling has chosen this time to loudly pronounce harmful and disproven beliefs about what it means to be a transgender person," the statement said. The fan sites vowed to "no longer be covering aspects of J.K. Rowling's personal life" and "no longer provide news coverage of J.K. Rowling's works set outside of the wizarding world."

The sites also agreed not to "include purchase links for J.K. Rowling's works set outside of the wizarding world," link to Rowling's website or "use any featured images with J.K. Rowling's likeness" going forward.

July 5, 2020: More Rowling tweets spark more backlash

Rowling landed herself back in the spotlight with an X thread (then called Twitter) in which she defended reportedly "liking" a tweet that compared hormone prescriptions and anti-depressants. The original tweet criticized the "pure laziness" of "those who would rather medicate than put in the time and effort to heal people's minds."

Health professionals are "concerned that young people struggling with their mental health are being shunted towards hormones and surgery when this may not be in their best interests," Rowling posted on X in her defense. She compared it to a "new kind of conversion therapy for young gay people," who are "being set on a lifelong path of medicalization that may result in the loss of their fertility and/or full sexual function."

In response, actor and trans activist Scott Turner Schofield accused Rowling of "spreading scientifically debunked theories" and "anti-trans hate speech," Deadline said.

August 2020: Rowling returns award after being condemned for her statements

After Rowling received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award in 2019, the human rights group's president, Kerry Kennedy, released a statement the following year expressing "profound disappointment" that the author "has chosen to use her remarkable gifts to create a narrative that diminishes the identity of trans and nonbinary people, undermining the validity and integrity of the entire transgender community."

As a result, Rowling announced later that month she would return the award. "The statement incorrectly implied that I was transphobic, and that I am responsible for harm to trans people," Rowling said. "As a longstanding donor to LGBT charities and a supporter of trans people's right to live free of persecution, I absolutely refute the accusation that I hate trans people or wish them ill, or that standing up for the rights of women is wrong, discriminatory, or incites harm or violence to the trans community."

September 2020: Critics suggest Rowling's new novel is transphobic

The following month, Rowling published a new novel titled "Troubled Blood" under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The book, which revolved around a male serial killer who dresses like a woman, was accused of being transphobic.

"One wonders what critics of Rowling's stance on trans issues will make of a book whose moral seems to be: never trust a man in a dress," said Jake Kerridge at The Telegraph. A spokesperson for Mermaids, a charity that supports trans children, said to CNN they were "disappointed" that Rowling was propagating a "long-standing and hurtful presentation of trans women as a threat." Rowling, meanwhile, said the book "was loosely based" on real killers.

December 2021: Rowling criticizes police for letting rape suspects identify as women

In another controversial tweet, Rowling shared a Times of London piece about the "'absurdity' of police logging rapists as women," which said police in Scotland would "record rapes by offenders with male genitalia as being committed by a woman if the attacker 'identifies as a female.'"

Rowling evoked "1984" by tweeting, "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman." The controversial tweet came just one day before the new trailer for "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," which Rowling co-wrote, debuted.

"If a woman commits rape, that is still a crime and reprehensible," author Shannon Hale tweeted in response. "Calling a woman a woman won't change that. But amplifying bigotry helps no one."

January 2022: Rowling doesn't participate in a 'Harry Potter' reunion special

HBO Max aired the highly anticipated "Harry Potter" reunion special "Return to Hogwarts," bringing together the original cast of the films. Rowling did not participate in the special, at least not by giving any new interviews. However, she notably appeared via archival footage, suggesting Warner Bros. was not trying to ignore her entirely. Rowling later denied claims she was "excluded" from the special. "I was asked to be on that," she said. "I decided I didn't want to do it. I thought it was about the films more than the books, quite rightly."

March 2022: Rowling criticizes bill that would make legally changing gender easier

Rowling condemned a bill in Scotland that would make it easier for a trans person to legally change their gender, Variety said. It would remove the requirement that applicants must be "medically diagnosed as having gender dysphoria" and "go through a minimum two year process and be aged over 18," lowering the age to 16, The Times said. On X, Rowling said the bill would "harm the most vulnerable women in society: those seeking help after male violence/rape and incarcerated women."

A few days later, on International Women's Day, Rowling suggested in a tweet that under a Labour government, "today will become We Who Must Not Be Named Day," evoking a phrase from the "Harry Potter" series.

This same month, Rowling criticized Labour Party leader Keir Starmer after he said "trans women are women, and that is not just my view, that is actually the law." Rowling alleges he misrepresented the law and that this is "another indication that the Labour Party can no longer be counted on to defend women's rights," The Guardian said.

Later, Rowling sent "big love" on X, then called Twitter, to Caroline Farrow, whom Pink News described as an "anti-gay, anti-trans" activist who "rejects the idea of feminism outright."

July 2022: Quidditch distances itself from Rowling

Quidditch, the actual sport inspired by the fictional sport within the "Harry Potter" universe, announced it was changing its name to Quadball. There were a number of reasons for this, but one was that Rowling had "increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions," the International Quidditch Association said.

August 2022: Rowling publishes a book about a character being accused of transphobia

Rowling released another book in 2022 that drew scrutiny in light of her transphobia controversies. Again published under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, the book, "The Ink Black Heart," follows the creator of a YouTube cartoon, Edie Ledwell, who is accused of being transphobic. "The book takes a clear aim at 'social justice warriors' and suggests that Ledwell was a victim of a masterfully plotted, politically fueled hate campaign against her," Rolling Stone said.

Rowling, however, said the book was "not depicting" what happened to her in real life. "Sometimes life imitates art more than one would like," she said.

December 2022: Rowling responds to calls to boycott 'Hogwarts Legacy'

Ahead of the February 2023 release of the new Harry Potter role-playing game "Hogwarts Legacy," some call for a boycott in light of Rowling's statements. Rowling was not directly involved in the game's creation.

After trans YouTuber Jessie Earl tweeted that supporting "Hogwarts Legacy" would be "harmful to trans people," Rowling responded, comparing this stance to book burning. "Deeply disappointed @jessiegender doesn't realise purethink is incompatible with owning ANYTHING connected with me, in ANY form," Rowling said. "The truly righteous wouldn't just burn their books and movies but the local library, anything with an owl on it and their own pet dogs." Two days later, Earl said she was bombarded with comments that included "calls for my death, insinuations that I'm a pedophile, dehumanizing comments about my supposed masculine features."

January 2023: 'Hogwarts Legacy' voice actor apologizes for involvement in game

"Heartstopper" star Sebastian Croft apologized on X after it was announced that he voiced a character in "Hogwarts Legacy." "I was cast in this project over 3 years ago, back when all Harry Potter was to me, was the magical world I grew up with," he said. "This was long before I was aware of JK Rowling's views. I believe wholeheartedly that trans women are women and trans men are men."

February 2023: 'Hogwarts Legacy' is released amid boycott calls

After "Hogwarts Legacy" debuted, many reviewers from major outlets wrestled with the implications of purchasing a game that would financially benefit Rowling. Reviews, however, were largely positive.

IGN's 9 out of 10 review included a more than 200-word section titled "Concerning J.K. Rowling," in which the outlet defended its decision to review the game at all, arguing "there are good reasons (both in-game and out) to believe the developers" of the game "don't necessarily share her views." At Engadget, Jessica Conditt also defended reviewing the game: "'Harry Potter' will outlive its author. She is not the future of the franchise," Conditt said.

Ahead of the official release, "Hogwarts Legacy" became the most popular game on the streaming platform Twitch, drawing millions of viewers.

April 2024: Rowling targets Scotland's new hate crime law

When Scotland's new Hate Crime and Public Order Act went into effect, Rowling repeatedly tried to bait them into arresting her with posts online. The law criminalizes "stirring up hatred" against people based on their race, religion, disability, sexuality or gender identity. By passing the law, Scotland "placed higher value on the feelings of men performing their idea of femaleness, however misogynistically or opportunistically, than on the rights and freedoms of actual women and girls," Rowling said in the thread on X. She also targeted several individual trans women in the thread.

If anything she wrote qualified as an offense under the new law, "I look forward to being arrested when I return to the birthplace of the Scottish Enlightenment," Rowling said. Police Scotland, the country's national police agency, responded to being alerted to her posts, but said her comments were "not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken."

August 2024: Rowling named in cyberbullying lawsuit

Shortly after winning the gold at the Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif filed a criminal complaint with French authorities alleging "acts of aggravated cyber harassment" that named Rowling and other high-profile figures, like tech billionaire Elon Musk, said a Variety exclusive. Khelif was targeted online for harassment over false claims about her gender after her opponent, Italian boxer Angela Carini, dropped out of their bout seconds into the match, declaring she "never felt a punch like this."

In a message to her 14.2 million followers on X, Rowling posted a photo from the fight, accusing Khelif of being a man who was "enjoying the distress of a woman he's just punched in the head." After a nearly two-week hiatus from the platform, after news of the lawsuit came out, Rowling returned to X to share an opinion article slamming Khelif's recent makeover.

November 2024: Rowling responds to Donald Trump's win

In response to comments on X accusing her of being far-right and to celebrating President-elect Donald Trump's recent win, Rowling referred back to an earlier post where she said the U.K. left had "f**ked up monumentally on gender identity ideology." Women like her "aren't and never have been far-right," she said in the post. "We simply want the left to wake the hell up because we're watching it do its utmost to alienate people it used to represent." She clarified that she was not saying that "Trump's win was down to the gender stuff," as she is "not an American voter, so can't judge." However, she pointed out that the Labour Party won the last U.K. election, and they have "embraced gender identity ideology whole-heartedly."

Rowling once again doubled down on her belief that "millions of women in the U.K. and across the developed world are extremely angry about men in women's sport, men in women's jails, and the erosion of single-sex spaces." She also lashed out at "leftist activists" who "jeer and sneer at erstwhile female allies for the crime of believing biological sex is real and matters." Responding directly to those calling her "bigot" or "fascist," she said she was "indifferent to your disapproval." And more importantly, she added, "the only thing more harmful to your cause than your pseudo-religious belief in gender identities is your astounding, self-righteous arrogance."

November 2024: HBO defends working with Rowling

HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said at a November 12 press event that Rowling was "very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director" of the upcoming HBO TV series based on Rowling's books. They added that her controversial anti-trans statements "haven't affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff" for the upcoming series. A spokesperson for the network followed up the statement, calling Rowling's contributions "invaluable," and saying she has a "right to express her personal views," before adding that the series will “only benefit from her involvement.”

November 2024: Rowling attacks another athlete

Rowling joined a chorus of naysayers attacking Barbra Banda, a cisgender woman, after she was selected for the BBC's Women's Footballer of the Year. "Presumably, the BBC decided this was more time efficient than going door to door to spit directly in women's faces," the author said in a retweet of an article about Banda winning the award.

December 2024: Rowling insists trans kids do not exist

The author's latest public tiff was in response to an online critic who called out her "hateful focus" on trans kids as "hurtful and unnecessary." Rowling clapped back, saying there "are no trans kids" and that no child is "born in the wrong body," in a post on X. She went on to call out the adults around the kids, including parents, teachers and surgeons, that encouraged what she deemed harmful rhetoric about gender identity. These adults are "prepared to sacrifice the health of minors to bolster your belief in an ideology that will end up wreaking more harm than lobotomies and false memory syndrome combined," she said. When another commentator blamed the parents, Rowling came to their defense, pointing to external sources like surgeons on TikTok "selling the idea that bodies can be modified like Lego" and schools affirming "kids' trans identities behind parents' backs." She claimed parents were struggling to protect their children from "a Zeitgeist telling them that anxieties about puberty, sexuality and growing up can be fixed by lifelong reliance on Big Pharma" and by "doctors who make Frankenstein look ethical."