Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling has been at odds with fans of her work for a while now due to continued comments many have deemed as transphobic. The British author, who has something of an obsession with attacking the trans community, has already provoked responses from the cast of the films including Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Two of the biggest Harry Potter fansites out there, Leaky Caldron and Mugglenet, are now removing most references to Rowling due to her views on transgender women.
"Our stance is firm: transgender women are women," said the sites in a statement, Deadline reports. "Transgender men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. Intersex people exist and should not be forced to live in the binary. We stand with Harry Potter fans in these communities. While we don’t condone the mistreatment [Rowling] has received for airing her opinions about transgender people, we must reject her beliefs."
The statement goes on to criticize Rowling for continually sharing "harmful and disproven beliefs about what it means to be a transgender person." The sites believe that Rowling's comments and views are contradictory to the book and film series, adding that her views on "marginalised people [are] out of step with the message of acceptance and empowerment we find in her books and celebrated by the Harry Potter community."
Last month, Rowling was heavily criticized for her comments on the transgender community, prompting her to share an open letter defending her views. The letter only further caused rifts in the fanbase, after she wrote that she was "worried about the new trans activism," implying that trans rights impede on the rights of cisgender women.
The timing of Rowling's comments are also concerning, as she decided to attack a marginalized community while individuals across the world protested against systemic racism and police brutality. For the most part, those who starred in the films have spoke out against Rowling's views, and she even prompted legendary horror author Stephen King to tweet, "Trans women are women," much to her displeasure no doubt.
