Harry Potter is one of those sagas that has managed to mark an entire generation. The books, set in the magical world of Hogwarts, have made J.K. Rowling is one of the most read authors in the world in the 21st century. Although the writer has been widely applauded for her ingenuity, she has also been the protagonist of several controversies, most of them due to her transphobia. In recent hours, the author has once again made headlines because British presenter India Willoughby claims that Rowling has repeatedly insulted her through a dispute on social networks.
The events have surprised few, since it is not the first time that J.K. reveals his transphobic ideology. The affected person this time is India, a former Celebrity Big Brother contestant, who is a transgender woman. The woman spoke on Byline TV about the issue, stating that the police had to intervene after the writer constantly referred to her as a man, even though her legality already dictates that she is a woman.
According to the presenter, the fact that the author of Harry Potter refers to her as a man constitutes a crime in the United Kingdom and could violate the Equality Act and the Gender Recognition Act. India also claims that this could be condemned as a hate crime. On the other hand, Variety reports that Northumbria police are waiting and ready to have a conversation with the author about the events, but it is unknown if she will agree to speak with the authorities.
For her part, Rowling has already responded to these accusations, and assures that she has already consulted with a lawyer who not only believes that she has a solid case against India for defamation, but that the fact that India constantly singles her out on the Internet could be classified as harassment. “Aware as I am that it is a crime to lie to law enforcement, I will simply have to explain to the police that, in my opinion, India is a classic example of a male narcissist who lives in a state of perpetual rage at not being able to force women to accept him in his own assessment,” he said.
As it could not be otherwise, this controversy and his way of responding have earned him a large amount of criticism. Many have called her a ‘TERF’ (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) and called her a bigot. It is worth remembering that on other occasions the author has assured that she does not care how people remember her in the future because she “will be dead.”
The truth is that it is not the first transphobic controversy that Rowling has had behind her. It was in 2017 when she ‘liked’ a tweet condemning the transgender rights movement. The following year, the author caused controversy for the second time after liking another tweet that claimed trans women were just “men in dresses.” At the time, she claimed it was an accident, but in late 2019 she defended a woman who was fired from her job for tweeting that “men can’t transform into women.” Since then, there have been several controversies related to this issue in which she has been involved.
