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J.K. Rowling is in the goblet of backfire. Amid a relentless stream of criticism over her views on trans issues, the “Harry Potter” writer is giving back the prestigious Ripple of Hope Award given to her by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization last year. The organization’s president, Kerry Kennedy — the 60-year-old daughter …
J.K. Rowling is in the goblet of backfire.
Amid a relentless stream of criticism over her views on trans issues, the “Harry Potter” writer is giving back the prestigious Ripple of Hope Award given to her by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization last year.
The organization’s president, Kerry Kennedy — the 60-year-old daughter of RFK — recently said that Rowling’s controversial statements that sex is assigned at birth “diminished the identity of trans and non-binary people.”
In a statement on her website, Rowling, 55, said Kennedy “incorrectly implied that I was transphobic,” and as a result, Rowling returned the reward.
“I feel I have no option but to return the Ripple of Hope Award bestowed upon me last year,” she wrote. “I am deeply saddened that RFKHR has felt compelled to adopt this stance, but no award or honour, no matter my admiration for the person for whom it was named, means so much to me that I would forfeit the right to follow the dictates of my own conscience.”
The controversy over Rowling’s comments about trans people began in December 2019, when Rowling threw her support behind a researcher who was fired for tweeting that “men cannot change into women.”
The backlash got especially heated in June, when Rowling retweeted an op-ed piece that used the phrase “people who menstruate.” Rowling took issue with the phrasing, later saying that “erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”
Many took issue with her “sex is real” stance, saying that trans women deserve to be recognized as women, and that binary sex is not assigned at birth. This led to critics calling Rowling a TERF, meaning trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
Rowling has continued to double down on her stance, despite widespread criticism and disappointment from die-hard “Harry Potter” fans — some of whom have denounced the literary icon by sharing their “Harry Potter”-themed tattoo removal procedures.
“She pulled the wool over our eyes for long enough,” one fan told The Post earlier this month. “This [‘Harry Potter’] community is definitely very diverse, and she basically spoke out against her entire community — it was like a slap in the face.”
Several “Harry Potter” actors, including Daniel Radcliffe, 31, have also spoken in support of trans women. In an essay published on The Trevor Project website, he said, “Transgender women are women. 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 [Rowling] or I.”
