Rupert Grint recently told London’s The Times that he likens his relationship to “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling to that of an “auntie,” saying, “I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie. It’s a tricky one.” Rowling has been the subject of controversy due to her controversial gender beliefs and a series of anti-transgender tweets posted in 2020. Rowling argued at the time that discussing gender identity negates biological sex. Several of Grint’s “Harry Potter” co-stars have spoken out against Rowling for her beliefs, including Daniel Radcliffe.
“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in a letter published on The Trevor Project’s website in June 2020. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the [‘Harry Potter’] books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you,” Radcliffe added. “I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you…if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that.”
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U.S. and U.K. associations devoted to the “Harry Potter” sport quidditch recently announced they would be changing the sport’s name. Rowling’s trans comments and the fact that the name “quidditch” is trademarked by Warner Bros. led to this decision. The leagues will conduct a series of surveys over the next few months to arrive at a new name for the sport.
“As the game has grown, the name ‘quidditch,’ which is trademarked by Warner Bros., has limited the sport’s expansion, including but not limited to sponsorship and broadcast opportunities. Both leagues expect that this name change will allow for new and exciting developments for our players, fans and volunteers as the sport continues to grow,” U.S. Quidditch and Major League Quidditch said in a joint statement. “Additionally, the leagues are hoping a name change can help them continue to distance themselves from the works of J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, who has increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions in recent years.”
