HBO defends JK Rowling’s ‘right to express her views’ amid development of Harry Potter TV series
JK Rowling has come under increased scrutiny for her views on trans rights. (Getty)
Television network HBO has said it believes JK Rowling has a right to express her views on trans people.
A TV adaptation of Rowling’s Harry Potter books is currently in the works from the studio, despite the long-running controversy surrounding her comments about transgender people.
Rowling, who is an executive producer on the series, has been criticised for her views on the community, as well as gender-affirming care, single-sex spaces and women’s sports. The author has called trans women “crossdressing straight men” and “trans-identified men” in posts on X/Twitter. She denies being transphobic.
An HBO spokesperson told Variety that the company was “proud” to be producing the adaptation, adding that Rowling had a right to express her views and that it hadn’t “affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff”.
They went on say: “We remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.”
However, social media users haven’t been so understanding with one calling HBO’s stance “incredibly disappointing,” while others accused Rowling of having an “evil, hateful personal view”.
Rowling first courted controversy in 2020 after expressing her belief that trans women and trans men are not valid in their gender identity.
Actors from film series, including the three main stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, were quick to speak out in support of trans and non-binary people.
In a 2020 blog post for The Trevor Project, Radcliffe said that he believed “transgender women are women”, adding: “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional healthcare associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either [Rowling] or I.”
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