John Green ‘heartbroken’ for trans Harry Potter fans as he talks JK Rowling
John Green (Getty Images)
Author John Green has said it’s “heartbreaking” for trans Harry Potter fans who he said have been “betrayed” by writer JK Rowling.
Green, who wrote The Fault In Our Stars, said Rowling’s views on the trans community make him feel “very, very sad”.
He told Vanity Fair: “I think it’s important when we talk about her to talk about the fact that supporting her work now is directly supporting efforts at the erasure of trans people, and that makes me really sad.”
John Green elaborated on his feelings, mentioning “all the trans friends I have who have Deathly Hallows tattoos and how heartbreaking it is for them to have someone who created something that matters so much to them really betray them”.
He also confirmed he would not be watching the upcoming HBO remake of Harry Potter, saying: “No. No. No.”
JK Rowling’s camp denies transphobia
Earlier in September, Rowling’s agent Neil Blair denied claims the author supported “legal actions aimed at harming transgender people or efforts to limit trans rights”.
Trans filmmaker Lilly Wachowski claimed in a Variety interview that Rowling “is funding trans genocide”, adding: “The money that goes into you enjoying these products, a portion of that money goes to JK Rowling and that money goes into her funding anti-trans legislation all over the world.” Wachowski also described her as a “literal Nazi”.
Blair told Entertainment Weekly: “Freedom of speech is a principle we should all cherish. What matters is that JK Rowling’s views, as with anyone else’s, are represented accurately, fairly and respectfully and that individual opinion does not detract from those views.”
The statement went on: “People are free to disagree with her views but seriously defamatory allegations of this nature, even outrageously invoking the Nazis and the genocide that they committed, should never be presented as fact when they are clearly fabricated and not based on any evidence.”
Similarly, an FAQ on Rowling’s website denies she is transphobic, citing an essay she wrote in June 2020. The FAQ reads: “JK Rowling clearly states trans people need and deserve protection. She wants trans women to be safe but not to the detriment of natal girls and women’s safety and for their rights to single sex spaces to remain protected.”
As of yet, Rowling does not appear to have responded to John Green’s words.
