Harry Potter and the Cursed Child actress "curious" about J.K. Rowling's fixation on trans people

J.K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter books. That makes her one of the most influential storytellers alive, not to mention fabulously wealthy. But over the past several years, she's become better known for her stance on transgender people, peddling in alarmist stereotypes disproven with a glance at the research or just by talking to trans people about their experiences. This has led to some spectacularly weird crossovers, like the time Vladimir Putin took time out from invading Ukaine to express solidarity with Rowling, or engaged in some light Holocaust denial rather than engage withthe facts on record about Nazi persecution of trans people. Recently, Rowling disparaged Olympic boxer Imane Khelif for putting cisgender women in danger during her boxing matches despite Khelif herself being cis. Khelif is now suing Rowling, alongside other people like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, for cyber-bullying. This is definitely the primary issue she likes to talk about in public.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter fansites have distanced themselves from Rowling and she's said she wouldn't accept "apologies" from original Harry Potter movie actors Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson over their support of trans rights if they offered them. So Rowling is out of step with Harry Potter actors and fansites, but is increasingly lumped in with the likes of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. You couldn't have made up this timeline if you tried.

Rowling may have to add Rakie Ayola to her enemies list, because the actress — who played grown-up Hermione Grander in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — wondered (rather mildly) to Newsweek why Rowling seems so fixated on this issue:

"I'm just really curious to know why I personally don't feel like I hear from her unless it's to talk about trans people and their rights or not. I don't understand what's concerning her the rest of the time, is this the only thing? I, of course, recognize women have fought very, very hard for the rights that we have and the fear that they will be taken away is very real. I'm not naïve enough not to recognize that. But I just sometimes think, people are just trying to live their lives. Most people are trying to live their lives in a way that makes them some kind of happy."

HBO is ramping up towards production on a new Harry Potter TV series on which J.K. Rowling is the executive producer. My bet is we'll see more weird crossovers before chatter dies down again.

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