J.K. Rowling is standing by her opinion after a UK court ruled that the words “woman” and “sex” should only mean biological females and biological sex. The ruling upset many people, including several actors from the Harry Potter films, who signed a letter supporting trans rights.
In response, Rowling shared a long message on X (formerly Twitter). She said she agrees with the court and criticized her former colleagues, calling them “back-stabbers” and accusing them of acting out of fear — fear of losing their jobs or being attacked online.
“No sane person believes humans can change sex,” Rowling wrote. She said people only pretend to believe this to seem “virtuous” in certain social circles. She also said women are now “fighting back” and winning legal victories.
Actors like Eddie Redmayne, Katie Leung, and Paapa Essiedu all signed the letter. Redmayne starred in the Fantastic Beasts movies, Leung played Cho Chang in the original Harry Potter series, and Essiedu will play Snape in the upcoming HBO remake of Harry Potter, which Rowling is helping to produce.
Some fans have threatened to boycott the new TV series. But HBO’s boss, Casey Bloys, recently said Rowling’s personal views will not affect the show. “She’s entitled to her opinions,” he said, “but they won’t be part of the series.”
