British actress Keira Knightley is going viral for her reaction to a question about the boycott of J.K. Rowling.
The 40-year-old A-lister gave a chuckle when the interviewer brought up the topic. Knightley was promoting her new Netflix thriller “The Woman in Cabin 10” when the interviewer changed tracks and asked about her role in the new audiobook productions of Rowling’s “Harry Potter” novels, which are called “Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions.”
The interviewer from <a href="https://decider.com/2025/10/10/keira-knightley-interview-the-woman-in-cabin-10-simon-stone-boat/">Decider</a> asked Knightley if she knew that “some fans are calling for a boycott” due to Rowling’s stance on trans acceptance.
“I was not aware of that, no. I’m very sorry,” she said with a smirk and a laugh. “You know, I think we’re all living in a period of time right now where we’re all going to have to figure out how to live together, aren’t we? And we’ve all got very different opinions. I hope that we can all find respect.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Keira Knightley says she &#8220;was not aware&#8221; of any <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HarryPotter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HarryPotter</a> boycott when she signed on to voice Professor Umbridge in Audible&#8217;s upcoming seven-part audio book adaptation of the J.K. Rowling series: <a href="https://t.co/OJLE548Yfr">https://t.co/OJLE548Yfr</a> <a href="https://t.co/unaMY7pQjX">pic.twitter.com/unaMY7pQjX</a>
— Decider (@decider) <a href="https://twitter.com/decider/status/1978116155773448575?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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While her words suggested an apology, her tone was one of clear amusement, which led many viewers to celebrate a shift in how the transgender issue is discussed.
“The pro-trans emotional blackmail crusade is dead,” political commentator Collin Rugg <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1978193634316149050">wrote</a> in response to the clip.
“She is hearing none of their bullsh**,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/Ami_Marisol/status/1978192852736741452">wrote</a>.
“Expertly avoided getting boxed in, yet left you in no doubt as to her thoughts,” another person said. “Perfect response to this whole sideshow. Respect.”
“The Woman in Cabin 10” director Simon Stone, who was also being interviewed, chimed in with his agreement to what Knightley said. 
“I think that’s right,” Stone said, per <a href="https://decider.com/2025/10/10/keira-knightley-interview-the-woman-in-cabin-10-simon-stone-boat/">Decider</a>. “I think that we have learned over time, unfortunately, that the unbearable voice in the room is something … I think everyone needs to recognize that they’re the unbearable voice for someone else, as well. The live and let live thing of like, ‘Oh God, your voice is really loud, and I can’t stand you.’ That’s part of our lives.”
“We all have hatred, deep hatred for someone in the universe — someone in the class,” he added. “Let’s reduce it to classroom politics. There is always the kid that we cannot stand. I think we’d all agree that we’re that kid for someone else, too. Unfortunately, all sides of the political spectrum are currently trying to shut that kid’s voice down, but they don’t realize the irony of the fact that they’re also that kid for someone else. If we can. &#8230; all have a moratorium on that, and just let chaos live for a little bit, we might find our way out.”
Leftist fans have been furious with Rowling since she started speaking out on the topic of biological sex being real in 2020. Most members of the original “Harry Potter” movie cast have denounced her and sided with the trans activists. 
Most recently, Rowling and actress Emma Watson got into a public feud which culminated in Rowling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shes-ignorant-of-how-ignorant-she-is-j-k-rowling-slams-emma-watson-over-transgender-views?author=Amanda+Harding&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98She%E2%80%99s+Ignorant+Of+How+Ignorant+She+Is%E2%80%99%3A+J.K.+Rowling+Slams+Emma+Watson+Over+Transgender+Views">saying</a> Watson, “has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is.”

Keira Knightley

Keira Knightley Praised For Laughing When Asked About J.K. Rowling Boycott

Keira Knightley Praised For Laughing When Asked About JK Rowling Boycott

Celebrities

Entertainment

JK Rowling

Social Issues

Transgender

“Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling blasted actress Emma Watson days after she gave an interview discussing the rift between them.
The 60-year-old British author has been at odds with the cast of the popular film franchise ever since 2020, when she was accused of anti-transgender rhetoric for taking issue with a report that discussed &#8220;people who menstruate&#8221; rather than specifying women. Several of the film stars, including Watson, made statements against her. 
During a recent interview, Watson <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/emma-watson-says-she-treasures-j-k-rowling-even-after-transgender-clash">said</a> she “treasure[s]” Rowling and hopes to “keep loving people” with whom she disagrees.
Rowling is not over their former feud, and trashed 35-year-old Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the film franchise.
“Like other people who&#8217;ve never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she&#8217;s ignorant of how ignorant she is,” the billionaire author wrote in a scathing X post. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I&#8217;m seeing quite a bit of comment about this, so I want to make a couple of points.
I&#8217;m not owed eternal agreement from any actor who once played a character I created. The idea is as ludicrous as me checking with the boss I had when I was twenty-one for what opinions I should… <a href="https://t.co/c0pz19P7jc">https://t.co/c0pz19P7jc</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1972600904185483427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“I wasn&#8217;t a multimillionaire at fourteen. I lived in poverty while writing the book that made Emma famous. I therefore understand from my own life experience what the trashing of women&#8217;s rights in which Emma has so enthusiastically participated means to women and girls without her privileges,” the post went on.
“The greatest irony here is that, had Emma not decided in her most recent interview to declare that she loves and treasures me — a change of tack I suspect she&#8217;s adopted because she&#8217;s noticed full-throated condemnation of me is no longer quite as fashionable as it was — I might never have been this honest,” Rowling wrote. 
“Adults can&#8217;t expect to cozy up to an activist movement that regularly calls for a friend&#8217;s assassination, then assert their right to the former friend&#8217;s love, as though the friend was in fact their mother. Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public &#8211; but I have the same right, and I&#8217;ve finally decided to exercise it.”
Rowling said in 2024 that she had no plans to forgive Watson or the other two “Harry Potter” stars who publicly supported transgender rights, which she said was to the detriment of society.
“Celebs who cozied 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 traumatized detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces,” she <a href="https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1778124467027267804">wrote</a> at the time in response to a fan inquiring about whether she would ever forgive them.
Watson previously made a public statement in the wake of Rowling speaking up against men invading women’s spaces in 2020. The actress said at the time, “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.”

Watson and Rowling

‘She’s Ignorant Of How Ignorant She Is’: J.K. Rowling Slams Emma Watson Over Transgender Views

J.K. Rowling Slams Emma Watson Over Transgender Views

Emma Watson

Harry Potter

World

&#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; actress Emma Watson said she still respects series creator J.K. Rowling, despite holding opposing views on rights for transgender-identifying individuals.
The 35-year-old became famous playing the role of Hermione Granger in the massively popular “Harry Potter” film franchise from 2001 until 2011. She and several of her co-stars, including Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, have publicly denounced Rowling due to her critical view of transgender activism.
Watson expanded on her viewpoints during a recently aired <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2caQ4j9oohE">episode</a> of the “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast. When asked about her current thoughts on Rowling, the actress said, “I really don’t believe that by having had that experience and holding the love and support and views that I have, means that I can’t and don’t treasure (J.K. Rowling) and the person that I had personal experiences with.” 
Watson continued, saying, “I will never believe that one negates the other and that my experience of that person, I don’t get to keep and cherish. To come back to our earlier thing — I just don’t think these things are either/or. I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”
“I think the thing I’m most upset about is that a conversation was never made possible,” she added.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Emma Watson EXCLUSIVE: The TRUTH Behind Why I Walked Away From Fame..." width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2caQ4j9oohE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Shetty followed up by asking if she was willing to speak with the “Harry Potter” creator, to which Watson replied, “Yeah, and I always will. I believe in that. I believe in that completely.”
After Rowling was attacked in 2020 for a series of social media posts taking issue with a story that discussed &#8220;people who menstruate&#8221; rather than specifying women. She said that &#8220;sex is real and has lived consequences,&#8221; sparking backlash from fans and &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; stars who interpreted Rowling&#8217;s comments as anti-transgender rhetoric.
Watson released a statement 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.” 
Earlier this month, “Harry Potter” film director Chris Columbus stated that a reunion of the original cast was unlikely to happen due to political reasons.
“It’s never going to happen. It’s gotten so complicated with all the political stuff. Everyone in the cast has their own opinion, which is different from her opinion, which makes it impossible,” he told The Sunday Times, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harry-potter-director-nixes-cast-reunion-over-rowlings-trans-stance?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Harry+Potter%E2%80%99+Director+Nixes+Cast+Reunion+Over+Rowling%E2%80%99s+Trans+Stance">reported</a>. 
“I haven’t spoken to Miss Rowling in a decade or so, so I have no idea what’s going on with her, but I keep very close contact with Daniel Radcliffe, and I just spoke to him a few days ago. I still have a great relationship with all the kids in the cast.”

Emma Watson Says She ‘Treasures’ J.K. Rowling Even After Transgender Clash

&#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; author J.K. Rowling planted a red flag on the clear message radical trans activists are sending to women and girls when they demand access to single-sex spaces that are meant to be for women only.
Rowling, whose support for sex-based rights and privacy has often put her at odds with the trans community, said that the obvious takeaway was as simple as it was insidious: women, to them, were little more than costumes that afforded the wearers everything that went along with actually being women.
&#8220;The message to girls everywhere: you are a costume that any man can put on. Once he’s wearing it, he gets to take your rights,&#8221; Rowling&#8217;s post was concise.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The message to girls everywhere: you are a costume that any man can put on. Once he’s wearing it, he gets to take your rights. <a href="https://t.co/BlQvL8bbyR">https://t.co/BlQvL8bbyR</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1958821381971300800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/neo-nazi-womens-prison-changing-gender-vj5zvwm89">article</a> Rowling shared to back up her statement was published in The Times and detailed the story of a man who was headed to a women&#8217;s prison in Germany just months after claiming that he was, in fact, a woman.
Marla-Svenja Liebich, 53 — who went by the name Sven until December of 2024 — was the leader of a banned local Nazi group called Blood and Honour in Saxony-Anhalt. He has campaigned for Russian President Vladimir Putin and cheered on the war against Ukraine.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=summer&amp;utm_content=editorialsummersale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">End of Summer Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Liebich was arrested on several charges including inciting hatred, criminal insults, and &#8220;trying to sell a baseball bat over the internet as a &#8216;deportation aid.'&#8221;
Despite previously claiming that trans-identifying people were &#8220;parasites on society,&#8221; Liebich made use of a recently-changed policy in order to adopt his new identity. While in years past, trans-identifying individuals had to present evidence from two doctors in order to change gender on official government documents, a new policy adopted last November allows individuals to simply fill out a form at a local government office.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” World Premiere – Arrivals

JK Rowling Flags Harmful Message Trans Activists Are Sending To Women: ‘You Are A Costume’

JK Rowling Flags Harmful Message Trans Activists Are Sending To Women: 'You Are A Costume'

Politics

Women

Women's Rights

After a leftist activist berated a transgender-identifying man for mocking a fellow transgender-identifying man boasting about buying bras online, &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; author J.K. Rowling issued a sharp rejoinder.
The series of incidents began with one of the transgender-identifying men boasting, “I fully intend to attend my bra fit at M&amp;S. I&#8217;m a woman. I&#8217;m a human being. I will not be intimidated by bullies. I stand strong! I stand proud!”
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I fully intend to attend my bra fit at M&amp;S. I&#39;m a woman. I&#39;m a human being. I will not be intimidated by bullies.
I stand strong! I stand proud! 🏳️‍⚧️
&mdash; Sophie Molly 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ (@SophieMolly_OFF) <a href="https://twitter.com/SophieMolly_OFF/status/1957365640404058532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Brianna Wu, also a transgender-identifying man, responded acidly by noting that &#8220;normal trans women&#8221; don&#8217;t publicly discuss things like shopping for undergarments, writing on X:
<blockquote>
Please don’t associate me or normal trans women with this train wreck. Do you see other women talking about bra shopping on Twitter? No? Maybe because it’s inappropriate. Maybe there’s a level of feminine modesty you should be thinking about. Secondly, we’re not the same as normal women &#8211; as much as we may want to be. We are not automatically entitled to anything. Women’s spaces are heavily vibe based, and yours are dreadful. By politicizing this you’re making life harder for yourself and everyone else. Thirdly, I’m just gonna be honest. You come off as a fetishistic cross dresser. Normal women don’t brag about bra fitting appointments and plan to post pictures on Twitter. Can we not just vote these clowns off Trans Rights island? They don’t have anything to do with me.
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Please don’t associate me or normal trans women with this train wreck. 
Do you see other women talking about bra shopping on Twitter? No? Maybe because it’s inappropriate. Maybe there’s a level of feminine modesty you should be thinking about. 
Secondly, we’re not the same as… <a href="https://t.co/qAJVkYoNV3">https://t.co/qAJVkYoNV3</a>
&mdash; Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) <a href="https://twitter.com/BriannaWu/status/1957436385641586926?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
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That prompted a critic of Wu to declare, “Hi @BriannaWu You&#8217;ve talked about bras multiple times on Twitter. I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ll find a way to say &#8216;but I&#8217;m a good trans woman, so when I do it it&#8217;s different.&#8217; Transphobes have politicised everything trans women do, but you&#8217;re not dim, you&#8217;re just pretending not to know that.”
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hi <a href="https://twitter.com/BriannaWu?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BriannaWu</a> You&#39;ve talked about bras multiple times on Twitter. I&#39;m sure you&#39;ll find a way to say &quot;but I&#39;m a good trans woman, so when I do it it&#39;s different.&quot; Transphobes have politicised everything trans women do, but you&#39;re not dim, you&#39;re just pretending not to know that. <a href="https://t.co/iZD6nUw0SK">https://t.co/iZD6nUw0SK</a> <a href="https://t.co/1zN7WzFMP9">pic.twitter.com/1zN7WzFMP9</a>
&mdash; Aidan Comerford (@AidanCTweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/AidanCTweets/status/1957675085101253061?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Rowling then entered the fray, snapping, “Yes, when my friends and I are talking on X, bras are definitely something we regularly discuss. It’s the perfect place to discuss our underwear. Sometimes, if  @bindelj hasn’t mentioned her bra for a couple of days, I DM to check if she’s ok and offer to buy her a front fastener.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yes, when my friends and I are talking on X, bras are definitely something we regularly discuss. It’s the perfect place to discuss our underwear. Sometimes, if <a href="https://twitter.com/bindelj?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bindelj</a> hasn’t mentioned her bra for a couple of days, I DM to check if she’s ok and offer to buy her a front fastener. <a href="https://t.co/SDyCfkVlMJ">pic.twitter.com/SDyCfkVlMJ</a>
&mdash; J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1957769578789867581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
As writer Christian Toto <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/expelliarmus-j-k-rowling-disarms-her-critics-again-and-again">noted</a> in June:
<blockquote>
The Legacy Media and the Left (but we repeat ourselves) declared war on “Harry Potter” author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jk-rowling">J.K. Rowling</a> in 2019 after she questioned elements of the trans agenda. Rowling, a certified progressive on cultural and political matters, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-years-ago-j-k-rowling-took-a-stand-against-trans-activists-she-hasnt-backed-down">refused to rubber stamp every aspect of the movement</a>. 
&#8220;Dress however you please. 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?&#8221;
For that, she was canceled in every way possible, over and again.
</blockquote>

J.K. Rowling Hilariously Shreds Transgender Activist Over Bra-Fitting Boast

The National Library of Scotland (NLS) is under fire after Amina Shah, Scotland’s national librarian and the NLS chief executive, opted not to include a pro-women&#8217;s rights book in a centenary display.
The NLS initially asked the public for nominations, calling the display a &#8220;love letter&#8221; to reading and literacy and suggesting that people submit titles that had inspired and encouraged their love of reading — and titles that received a certain number of nominations were to be included in the planned ten-month display.
One book that received more than double the requisite number of nominations was &#8220;The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht&#8221; — a series of essays that chronicled the fight between feminists like &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; author J.K. Rowling who questioned radical gender ideology and former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon&#8217;s gender self-identification law. The title comes from their refusal to remain silent — in the Gaelic &#8220;haud yer wheesht&#8221; — while radical trans activists effectively erased women.
Despite meeting the threshold for display, &#8220;The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht&#8221; was banned by the NLS after LGBT staffers complained that it was &#8220;hate speech.&#8221; Shah claimed that she&#8217;d made the decision in light of &#8220;the potential impact on key stakeholders&#8221; who could potentially &#8220;withdraw support for the exhibition and the centenary&#8221; altogether.
Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn, who edited the book, sent a letter to Shah questioning the decision.
&#8220;We have written to the National Librarian about her decision to remove The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht from the centenary exhibition for the National Library of Scotland, Dear Library, in response to complaints from its LGBT staff network,&#8221; an X post including the letter explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We have written to the National Librarian about her decision to remove The Women Who Wouldn&#8217;t Wheesht from the centenary exhibition for the National Library of Scotland, Dear Library, in response to complaints from its LGBT staff network. 1/2 <a href="https://t.co/lQlv2x0tsO">pic.twitter.com/lQlv2x0tsO</a>
— The Frontline (@EthelWrites) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthelWrites/status/1955390550494023958?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The letter reads, in part:
<blockquote>
This is about more than the book. This is the legacy of a decade of political leadership which has demonized and delegitimized people who refused to conform to the approved narrative on sex and gender identity.
The material released also lifts the lid on the network of discrimination and censorship which operates across Scotland’s public institutions with impunity through staff networks and other activist groups, enabled by weak leadership.
</blockquote>
For Women Scotland also issued a statement criticizing the NLS, saying, &#8220;Just when we thought censorship in Scotland couldn&#8217;t get any worse, it emerges that @natlibscot decided to remove WWWW from an exhibition due to tantrums from the staff LGBT group. By caving to this, the library lends weight to their wholly untruthful objections to the book.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just when we thought censorship in Scotland couldn&#8217;t get any worse, it emerges that <a href="https://twitter.com/natlibscot?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@natlibscot</a> decided to remove WWWW from an exhibition due to tantrums from the staff LGBT group.
By caving to this, the library lends weight to their wholly untruthful objections to the book. <a href="https://t.co/3TJEGV8Hyp">https://t.co/3TJEGV8Hyp</a>
— For Women Scotland (@ForWomenScot) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForWomenScot/status/1955391664215953477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The Times reports that &#8216;An earlier decision to include the text was reversed after an internal LGBT staff network claimed including it would cause “severe harm” and threatened to “notify LGBT+ partners of the library’s endorsement&#8221; of it,'&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;What &#8216;harm&#8217;? Is this book uniquely likely to cause bad paper cuts? &#8216;An internal equality assessment warned that refusing to include the book could be seen as “a form of censorship which undermines our public duty as a national library”&#8217; Well, duh!&#8221;

“Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald” UK Premiere – Red Carpet Arrivals

Pro-Women’s Rights Book Yanked From Scottish Library Display After LGBT Tantrum

Pro-Women's Rights Book Yanked From Scottish Library Display After LGBT Tantrum

Feminism

LGBT

Library

Scotland

Stephen Ireland, who has repeatedly attacked J.K. Rowling online for her pro-woman and anti-trans stances, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday for raping a 12-year-old boy.
Ireland co-founded the pro-LGBT UK-based group Surrey Pride in 2018, and since then, has used his position to lash out at the “Harry Potter” author, labeling her a TERF (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist) for advocating that women must be protected from biological men taking over their spaces.
“How to ruin a legacy… Become a TERF!” he <a href="https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2025/06/30/pride-founder-who-repeatedly-attacked-jk-rowling-online-gets-30-years-for-rape-n3804344">wrote</a> in a 2020 X post shared by J.K. Rowling on Monday. “Very disappointing JK!”
Another post from 2020 read, “The sorting hat has decided… @JK_Rowling ‘House of TERF.’”
Ireland, 41, raped the child at a flat in Addlestone, a town about 18 miles from London, after messaging him on Grindr, a dating app for gay men. The victim told police they had sex in the flat, smoked methamphetamine, and watched pornography, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2kkrxdpndo">according</a> to the BBC.
The child initially lied to Ireland about his age, saying he was 17 before later claiming he was 13.
“OK &#8211; we just have to keep it a secret,” Ireland said when the child told him this, and later asked if he would do it again with his flatmate, David Sutton, who was a Surrey Pride volunteer.
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Ireland and Sutton were both found guilty of a string of sexual crimes against children, including voyeurism, arranging commission of a child sex offense, and &#8220;possession and distribution of prohibited images of children.&#8221;
On Monday, Judge Patricia Lees said that Ireland “took advantage” of the 12-year-old boy.
“Far from finding that repugnant, you found that exciting, and sought to do it again,” she said. 
Ireland was sentenced to 24 years for the rape, as well as a further 6 years on &#8220;extended license,&#8221; often part of an extended sentence for offenders deemed a significant risk to the public. Sutton was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for making inappropriate images of children and the possession of an extreme pornographic image.
After enduring much online abuse from Ireland, Rowling weighed in on the sentencing in an X post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Stephen Ireland, who targeted me with endless abuse on here because I oppose the chemical castration of children and the removal of protected spaces for women and girls, has just been sentenced to 30 years in jail for child rape. <a href="https://t.co/0HHctRocB4">pic.twitter.com/0HHctRocB4</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1939783256620298492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Stephen Ireland, who targeted me with endless abuse on here because I oppose the chemical castration of children and the removal of protected spaces for women and girls, has just been sentenced to 30 years in jail for child rape,” she wrote.

Pride Group Founder Who Vilified J.K. Rowling For Defending Women Convicted Of Child Rape

Crime

minors

Rape

United Kingdom

Performer Boy George lashed out at author JK Rowling, calling her a &#8220;rich, bored bully&#8221; over a comment she made on X, and it backfired immediately.
The exchange began with Rowling, who asked a simple question: &#8220;Which rights have been taken away from trans people?&#8221;
Someone responded to her, referring to her as a Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) and saying, &#8220;The freedom to live without constant persecution, which you and your TERFarmy have taken from them.&#8221;
Rowling was not buying that, and replied, &#8220;When ‘persecution’ is redefined to mean ‘not being allowed to reorganise society based on unfalsifiable feelings, to compel everyone else’s speech and belief and to take rights away from other protected groups’ you’ll be absolutely right.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When ‘persecution’ is redefined to mean ‘not being allowed to reorganise society based on unfalsifiable feelings, to compel everyone else’s speech and belief and to take rights away from other protected groups’ you’ll be absolutely right. <a href="https://t.co/bONhJRALyb">pic.twitter.com/bONhJRALyb</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1933452927076639048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That was when Boy George weighed in, scolding Rowling: &#8220;The right to be left alone by a rich bored bully!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The right to be left alone by a rich bored bully! <a href="https://t.co/vTNdexD9Uk">https://t.co/vTNdexD9Uk</a>
— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) <a href="https://twitter.com/BoyGeorge/status/1933967762008801780?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The &#8220;Harry Potter&#8221; author availed herself then of the opportunity to explain her point further, telling the musician, &#8220;There are many differences between us, George, but some are particularly relevant to this debate. 1. You&#8217;re a man and I&#8217;m a woman. 2. You&#8217;ve been wealthy and famous since your early 20s. I didn&#8217;t become well known until I was well over 30. 3. I&#8217;ve never been given 15 months for handcuffing a man to a wall and beating him with a chain. 4. I believe in freedom of speech and belief.&#8221;
&#8220;For more than half my life I was a regular anonymous person,&#8221; Rowling continued. &#8220;Some of those years were spent in poverty. That&#8217;s why I understand the importance of single-sex spaces for women who&#8217;re reliant on state-funded services. That&#8217;s why I understand why mixed public changing rooms are a problem for women. That&#8217;s why I have a problem with men &#8216;identifying&#8217; into women&#8217;s rape crisis centres, domestic abuse and homeless shelters that are supposed to be single-sex.&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t stand against gender identity ideology because I personally still need those services, but because my life has taught me exactly how vulnerable women are when they don&#8217;t have the money/influence I have now,&#8221; she added. &#8220;You yourself have been convicted of violent assault. The overwhelming number of people who commit crimes of violence are male, just like you. That&#8217;s why I don&#8217;t want to see men identifying into women&#8217;s prison cells or any of the spaces mentioned above. Not all men are violent or predatory, but enough are to make safeguarding necessary.&#8221;
Rowling concluded with a jab at the artist&#8217;s public persona – which was always rooted in individuality and freedom of expression — and argued that he was caving to the crowd by taking the position he had on gender ideology.
&#8220;Lastly, I&#8217;m a writer who believes in freedom of speech and belief. As we both know, the safe, fashionable thing in the arts world right now is to do exactly what you&#8217;re doing: parrot TWAW and sneer at the unenlightened plebs who think sex is important and matters. For a man who was once all about non-conformity, George, you couldn&#8217;t have become more predictably or more tediously conformist,&#8221; she said.

Boy George Calls JK Rowling A Bully, And It Backfires Immediately

Stop the fight!
The Legacy Media and the Left (but we repeat ourselves) declared war on “Harry Potter” author <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jk-rowling">J.K. Rowling</a> in 2019 after she questioned elements of the trans agenda.
Rowling, a certified progressive on cultural and political matters, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/5-years-ago-j-k-rowling-took-a-stand-against-trans-activists-she-hasnt-backed-down">refused to rubber stamp every aspect of the movement</a>.
<blockquote>Dress however you please. 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?</blockquote>
For that, she was canceled in every way possible, over and again.
<a href="https://thehill.com/video/jk-rowling-speaks-out-on-death-threats-from-pro-trans-activists-rape-murder-and-violence/10265832/">Some attempts proved literal.</a> She was the queen of the TERFS to the Left — Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists.
Now, nearly six years later, she’s emerged as a leading voice for sanity in the trans arena. She repeatedly speaks her mind on X, fights back against her legion of critics and is a key player behind one of the most anticipated streaming shows of our time.
HBO Max&#8217;s new <a href="https://deadline.com/2025/06/harry-potter-tv-series-max-release-date-cast-1235323284/">“Harry Potter” series,</a> due in either late 2026 or 2027, will retell the seven-book series captured in the epic eight-part film saga.
The battle rages on all the same, and she refuses to apologize. Still.
She’s blasted <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jk-rowling-calls-out-trans-activist-creep-over-womens-bathroom-selfies">a “creepy” trans activist</a> for bathroom selfies, slammed attempts to conflate the Pope’s name with an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jk-rowling-says-shes-found-the-most-bat-s-gender-identity-argument-yet">absurd trans argument</a> and stated the obvious when it comes to casting the new “Potter” series.
She responded to a journalist’s provocative narrative suggesting she wouldn’t hire an actor who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jk-rowling-said-she-wouldnt-fire-actor-from-harry-potter-series-for-being-pro-trans">disagreed with her trans issues</a>.
<blockquote>I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did … I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.</blockquote>
That likely would have been a staunchly liberal stance 20 years ago. Those comments sound positively conservative in 2025, even though Rowling has never identified herself as conservative.
Either way, it’s refreshing to see an author embrace free speech.
<div id="attachment_503922" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-503922" class="size-large wp-image-503922" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-864x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 12: J.K. Rowling arrives at the 2019 RFK Ripple of Hope Awards at New York Hilton Midtown on December 12, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/02/GettyImages-1193618855.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images</div>
Actors linked to the “Harry Potter” universe, either the existing films or the future TV show, are continually asked about Rowling’s views on trans issues. The media remains obsessed with Rowling’s willingness to speak her mind and share views considered mainstream by many.
Future “Harry Potter” star Nick Frost – he is tentatively set to play Hagrid in the TV series – blazed a <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/global/harry-potter-nick-frost-jk-rowling-trans-views-dont-align-1236423365/">mature path on the matter</a>.
<blockquote>She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form.</blockquote>
Translation: A gig’s a gig, most likely. Frost still suggested in the same interview we need to “educate ourselves” on trans issues. The sight of too many trans female athletes dominating biological females may be all the learning we need, Hagrid 2.0.
Tom Felton, who played the wicked Draco Malfoy in the original films, sidestepped a leading question on the red carpet while throwing his support behind Rowling. He’s co-starring in a Broadway adaption of Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
He didn’t share his stance on trans issues with the scribe. He simply praised an author who made his <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/06/09/tom-felton-jk-rowling-broadway-harry-potter/84111570007/">career shine impossibly brighter</a>.
<blockquote>The only thing I always remind myself is that I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York … and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she’s responsible for that. So I’m incredibly grateful.</blockquote>
Compare that to the verbal brickbats thrown by the original Harry Potter and Hermione, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, at Rowling over her trans views.
<div id="attachment_934305" style="width: 897px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-934305" class="size-large wp-image-934305" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-887x576.jpg" alt="LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Actor Daniel Radcliffe, writer J.K. Rowling, actress Emma Watson and actor Rupert Grint attend the &quot;Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2&quot; world premiere at Trafalgar Square on July 7, 2011 in London, England. (Photo by Jon Furniss/WireImage)" width="887" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-887x576.jpg 887w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-300x195.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523-768x499.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-118421523.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 887px) 100vw, 887px" />Jon Furniss/WireImage</div>
Here’s the former Harry Potter <a href="https://ew.com/daniel-radcliffe-j-k-rowlings-anti-trans-rhetoric-really-sad-8641559">taking her to task for her views</a>.
<blockquote>It makes me really sad, ultimately … I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.</blockquote>
HBO Max has had Rowling’s back for some time. The streamer also sees a shifting cultural landscape. The Warner Bros. Discovery platform might have chafed at joining forces with Rowling four or five years ago.
That was before Riley Gaines struck endless blows on behalf of biological women and Matt Walsh’s groundbreaking documentary “What Is a Woman?” had yet to be released.
Remember the tiny role Rowling played in the 2022 “Harry Potter” reunion special on HBO Max? Rowling said she <a href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/jk-rowling-harry-potter-anniversary-special-absence-explained-1235352807/">declined an invitation to appear</a>, but her archival footage proved brief and perfunctory.
Surely there’s countless footage of the author exploring the magical universe that transported countless children while teaching them to love reading?
Now, the streamer is desperate to stay in her good graces and wring every eyeball possible from the upcoming series. <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/hbo-makes-decision-on-relationship-with-j-k-rowling">HBO CEO Casey Bloys</a> made that obvious earlier this year.
<blockquote>It’s pretty clear that those are her personal, political views. She’s entitled to them. ‘Harry Potter’ is not secretly being infused with anything. And if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.</blockquote>
Rowling never wavered through it all. One could argue she has enough money to ignore Cancel Culture and the media, but others with very deep pockets bowed to the progressive mob in short order.
Take Stephen King. The <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-7936237/Stephen-King-apologizes-controversial-tweets-diversity-Oscars.html">horror maestro backpedaled</a> when progressives attacked him for suggesting merit matters more in the arts than diversity box checking. He even penned a mewling apology/essay in The Washington Post to keep the Cancel Culture mob at bay.
Scarlett Johansson, arguably the most popular actress in the country, similarly did the Hostage Apology routine after <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/scarlett-johansson-says-she-mishandled-transgender-casting-controversy-n1092131">she briefly accepted a gig playing a trans person</a>. That film, “Rub and Tug,” never got made sans the actress’ clout and star power.
Rowling has stayed true to her beliefs and has only grown bolder since the 2019 dustup. She trusted “Harry Potter” fans, or enough of them at least, would have her back.
She was right.
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

J.K. Rowling At EE British Academy Film Awards

Expelliarmus! J.K. Rowling Disarms Her Critics Again And Again

Cancel Culture

HBO Max

Legacy Media

Opinion

Twitter

“Harry Potter” author JK Rowling is calling out a trans activist trying to justify taking photos of himself inside women’s restrooms.
Rowling responded to a post describing the behavior of Lilly Tino, a man who identifies as a woman and frequently posts videos of himself being “misgendered” at restaurants and complaining to wait staff and his followers about it.
Tino has over 400,000 followers on TikTok and 15.8 million likes on his posts.
Lately, the activist has been <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lillytino_/video/7514325434583076139?lang=en">ranting</a> about how “trans men” shouldn’t be criticized for taking photos of themselves in the women’s restroom because celebrities do it all the time. But commenters pointed out that many of the influencer photos Tino refers to only show one person, whereas his photos from the bathroom include people in the background who are having their rights violated.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This man’s bathroom photos are trophies. He wants women and girls in the background because it proves he’s violating women’s boundaries. Without actual females there as props all he’s got is a selfie of a scary-looking creep in mouse ears, which isn’t remotely what he’s after. <a href="https://t.co/2ff9od3qMN">https://t.co/2ff9od3qMN</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1932749439908667690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
“This man’s bathroom photos are trophies. He wants women and girls in the background because it proves he’s violating women’s boundaries. Without actual females there as props all he’s got is a selfie of a scary-looking creep in mouse ears, which isn’t remotely what he’s after,” Rowling wrote in response to a post about Tino taking bathroom selfies at Disney.
She also responded to followers who called her out for giving him attention.
“He&#8217;s getting publicity for being a gigantic male creep who takes pictures of women and girls in what should be protected spaces. Now men will know exactly who to be on the watch for in Disneyland, while waiting for their female partners and daughters. I&#8217;d call that a win,” the billionaire British author added in a follow-up post.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/gift/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=wisepops&amp;utm_campaign=dad&amp;utm_content=fathersdaygiftpopups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gift Dad an All Access Membership. Use code DAD40 at checkout to save 40%!</a>
“He has zero interest in a greater cause. He&#8217;s using &#8216;activism&#8217; as a fig leaf and a free pass for what excites him, as is the case with a load of these men. If it gives him a sexual kick he&#8217;ll keep doing it until he&#8217;s stopped,” Rowling wrote.
Rowling&#8217;s comments were in response to a post about some of the bathroom selfies Tino has been sharing with followers.
“Lilly Tino, a man who presents as a woman, has come out in defense of a series of selfies he took inside a women’s restroom at Disney World, after facing backlash from both LGBTQ+ and heterosexual communities,” the <a href="https://x.com/ImMeme0/status/1932463761312330079">original post</a> says. 
“Tino justifies his actions by comparing himself to celebrities who have previously taken photos in women’s restrooms. However, he conveniently omits that his images captured women and young girls in the background without their consent—an act that constitutes a violation of Florida’s privacy and voyeurism laws.”
The original post said there’s a “growing petition” to have Tino banned from TikTok.

JK Rowling Calls Out Trans Activist ‘Creep’ Over Women’s Bathroom Selfies

Bathrooms

TikTok

Actor Tom Felton didn’t take the bait when a reporter asked him about the controversy over JK Rowling taking a stand against radical trans activists. 
The 37-year-old celeb, who played the villain Draco Malfoy in the successful “Harry Potter” film franchise and will reprise the role for the upcoming Broadway production, was asked about the matter Sunday night at the Tony Awards. When a Variety reporter asked Felton if Rowling’s views affected him or his work, he rejected the suggestion and reiterated his support for Rowling.
&#8220;No, I can&#8217;t say it does. I&#8217;m not really that attuned to it,” the British star said. 
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&#8220;The only thing I always remind myself is that I&#8217;ve been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;And I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she&#8217;s responsible for that. So I&#8217;m incredibly grateful.&#8221;
Over the past five years, Rowling has faced scorn in the media and among former fans for taking the position that sex and gender are determined by biology. Most “Harry Potter” actors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/j-k-rowling-vs-the-trans-agenda-heres-what-harry-potter-cast-members-have-said-about-the-ongoing-battle">denounced her position</a> and distanced themselves from the billionaire author, but several have come to her defense.
It all started in 2020 with a series of viral tweets from Rowling stating her position. “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,” she wrote in part at the time.
British star Daniel Radcliffe, who played the main character Harry Potter in the film series, wrote an essay for The Trevor Project, an LGBTQ-focused nonprofit, in the wake of Rowling’s viral tweets. 
“I firmly stand with the trans community,” Rupert Grint, the actor who played Ron Weasley, said in a statement at the time. 
“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, who played Hermione, shared on Twitter in June 2020.
“Fantastic Beasts” star Eddie Redmayne said he was pro-trans rights, but also noted that critics were being way too hard on Rowling, calling the online backlash “absolutely disgusting.”
Actor Ralph Fiennes, who plays Lord Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” franchise, has been one of Rowling’s staunchest defenders.
“I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her,” Fiennes said in a March 2021 interview. “I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational. I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language toward others, disturbing.”
Robbie Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the “Harry Potter” movies, also came to Rowling’s defense prior to his death in October 2022.
“I don’t think what she said was offensive, really,” he told Radio Times in 2020. “I don’t know why, but there’s a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended. They wouldn’t have won the war, would they?”

Tom Felton

‘Harry Potter’ Actor Shoots Down Reporter Goading Him To Badmouth JK Rowling

'Harry Potter' Actor Shoots Down Reporter Goading Him To Badmouth JK Rowling

Author J.K. Rowling announced in a Saturday X post that she may have found the most &#8220;bat-s*** gender identity argument&#8221; yet, noting that the latest gem she&#8217;d come across had brought the Catholic Church into the discussion.
Rowling&#8217;s efforts to stand for women&#8217;s sex-based rights and private spaces have provoked ire from the radical trans activist crowd — they&#8217;ve labeled her a Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF) — and they often target her on social media with the latest arguments aimed at shaming her into agreeing with them.
The attacks are so constant that Rowling doesn&#8217;t often appear to be shocked by them — she even said once that she&#8217;d gotten so many death threats that she could paper her house with them — but she admitted on Saturday that the latest one was new to her.
&#8220;You think you’ve heard the last word in bat-s*** gender identity arguments and then you see a post saying that using the new Pope’s title instead of his birth name is exactly the same as accepting that a man is a woman if he says he is,&#8221; Rowling said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
You think you’ve heard the last word in batshit gender identity arguments and then you see a post saying that using the new Pope’s title instead of his birth name is exactly the same as accepting that a man is a woman if he says he is. <a href="https://t.co/vJRSUw29dO">pic.twitter.com/vJRSUw29dO</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1921238199197733149?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When the conclave concluded on May 8, and the Vatican announced that Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago would become Pope Leo XIV, X was flooded with activists who complained that Catholics everywhere seemed to have no objection to addressing the pontiff by his new &#8220;chosen&#8221; name, but had a problem with doing the same for those who choose new names or pronouns because they identify as transgender.
A few critics other than Rowling pushed back as well, some of them noting that Prevost had not simply &#8220;self-identified&#8221; as Leo XIV to become the Pope.

JK Rowling Says She’s Found The Most ‘Bat-S*** Gender Identity’ Argument Yet

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