The controversy around JK Rowling‘s criticism toward the LGBTQIA community is back in the spotlight after Game of Thrones actor, Pedro Pascal, defended his criticism of her.
The Harry Potter creator triggered a wave of backlash for putting her weight behind a movement resulting in a Supreme Court ruling that a person’s s*x is defined by their birth gender—and a letter claiming “binary sex isn’t a material fact.”
Pascal, who has a transgender sibling, has doubled down on his support of a video posted in April calling for the boycott of the Harry Potter franchise and anything Rowling-related.
The video that triggered Pascal called out JK Rowling for stoking hatred
The video that triggered Pascal was posted by Tariq Raouf on Instagram.
The social media campaigner called on his audience to boycott the Harry Potter franchise completely.
Pointing to a picture of Rowling, Raouf said: “This is some serious Voldemort villain.”
“JK Rowling is revelling in the fact that she helped the UK Supreme Court get to the point where they can define that trans women are not women legally.”
Raouf claimed that Rowling’s activism was an attack on one of the smallest groups on earth who were “already misunderstood.”
He also called out Rowling for being “cocky” over the fact that she would continue to receive the same amount in royalties irrespective of whether readers burned or read her books.
“She’s just so proud of all the work that she has been doing over the last few years to stoke hatred and fear into the general public about a very small minority population,” Raouf continued.
Pascal responded by calling JK Rowling a “heinous loser”
Raouf’s commentary drew a mixed reaction, with many lauding her as a champion for women’s rights.
Pascal’s response supported the opposing view, as he wrote: “Awful disgusting SH*T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”
This remark drew over 300 comments of its own, with most in agreement.
Pascal felt that JK Rowling’s stance made him feel like his sister did not exist
Speaking to Vanity Fair, the Last of Us star called the author a bully and claimed that she made him sick.
When the topic turned to his April comment, Pascal noted that he felt conflicted after writing it and wondered if he had helped at all, especially since, according to him, he wanted to “protect the people” he loves.
“Am I helping? Am I f*cking helping? It’s a situation that deserves the utmost elegance so that something can actually happen, and people will actually be protected,” he said of his inner turmoil.
His sister, Javiera, supported his comment and gave a bit of background on Pascal’s passion for the topic.
“He said that as the older brother to someone saying that our little sister doesn’t exist,” she said.
Pascal is known for his pro trans stance
She told the magazine that her family had supported her throughout the process and that it felt like they had been expecting it to happen.
Pascal has also been seen with Lux at several red carpet events, including the premiere of Gladiator II and the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards in 2024.
He is a known advocate for trans rights and was seen advertising his stance in a T-shirt that said “Protect the dolls” at the UK premiere of Marvel’s Thunderbolts.
Cast members from the Harry Potter series have also taken issue with JK Rowling
Pascal is among a string of celebrities and heavyweights in the industry who’ve shown their displeasure with Rowling.
Comments from Sean Biggerstaff, who was the Gryffindor Quidditch captain in the Harry Potter film series, was among those in dissent.
In reply to Rowling’s celebration of the court’s April ruling on the definition of gender, he claimed that the Scottish women who lobbied and won the case were not representative of a broader sentiment and suggested that they were bankrolled into taking their stance.
Another actor from the film series to lash out at Rowling was Emma Watson, who played the role of the smart and sensible Hermione.
In response to the author’s earlier criticism of the pro-trans movement, she was reported as saying: “To the person who said they like me best when I am not ranting about politics: I like me best when I am not ignoring fascism.”
The internet is rooting for Pedro Pascal
