A complete breakdown of the J.K. Rowling transgender comments controversy

She told Graham Norton during a Virgin Radio interview in August 2022: “I was asked to be on that, and I decided I didn’t want to do it. I thought it was about the films more than the books, you know? Quite rightly, as that is what the anniversary was about, so no one said, ‘Don’t come.’”

Graham Norton defends his decision to interview J.K. Rowling

In September 2022, Graham Norton spoke about having J.K. Rowling as a guest on his radio show. He told The Times that while he wouldn’t want to “air” her views, it’s not his decision who appears on his show – and he doesn’t think you shouldn’t have conversations with those you disagree with.

Describing her views as “problematic”, he said: “So I wouldn’t have her on to air her views. But she has the right to still wang on about her crime novel. The easiest thing would be to not have her on, but that didn’t seem right.

“We should talk to people that we disagree with and I would not further any cause by not having her on. She will still sell a gazillion books. Also, I got an insight into her when she talked about enjoying the pub brawl aspect of Twitter. I thought, ‘Oh, now I get it — you enjoy this.’”

Tom Felton says that J.K. Rowling didn’t have much involvement in the Harry Potter movies

He told The Independent in October 2022: “First of all, I don’t know enough about the specifics of what anyone said. My dog takes up far too much time for me to go into such matters. I mean, the obvious things to say are that I’m pro-choice, pro-discussion, pro-human rights across the board, and pro-love. And anything that is not those things, I don’t really have much time for.”

Of Rowling, he said: “She wasn’t part of the filmmaking process as much as some people might think. I think I only recall seeing her once or twice on set.”

He did add, however: “Honestly, with my friends, we all have differing opinions on various matters, and we celebrate our own choices. We certainly don’t take any pleasure in putting crosshairs on people that may have said things that we disagree with.”

J.K. Rowling speaks out on the Gender Recognition Act reform in Scotland

In October 2022, J.K. Rowling backed protests over a Scottish gender bill, which sets out to make it easier for people to be legally recognised as their preferred gender.

The new law sets out that anyone aged 16 or over who has lived in their “acquired gender” for at least three months would be eligible to apply, and removes the need for a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. 

J.K. Rowling argued that the new law will affect the most vulnerable women, writing on her website: “In consequence, intact males who’re judged to have met the meagre requirements will be considered as ‘valid’ and entitled to protections as those who’ve had full sex reassignment surgery, and more male-bodied individuals will assert more strongly a right to be in women’s spaces such as public bathrooms, changing rooms, rape support centres, domestic violence refuges, hospital wards and prison cells that were hitherto reserved for women.”