The new essay

JK Rowling published a new essay on her website on 21 October in which she reaffirms her opposition to 'trans activism'. The piece is an update to her 2020 essay on the same subject, and she opens by noting that six years have passed since she wrote it. She says her opinions have not changed, but that the context has, and that her own involvement in the issue is now both practical and theoretical. The 61-year-old author rejects the charge of transphobia and argues that her concern is the impact of trans activism on women's rights and on spaces reserved for women. She also describes the current movement as one that has departed from earlier civil rights campaigns:

“The current, dominant strain of trans activism bears no resemblance whatsoever to the great social justice movements of the twentieth century.”

Funding and threats

Rowling writes that she will keep speaking out and will keep using her own money to help women who could not otherwise afford to go to court. She says she has received a flood of death, rape and torture threats over her views. In the essay she argues that a man who calls himself a woman should not be treated as one in women's changing rooms, in women-only prizes and jobs, or in sports teams, and that a man convicted of a crime, even rape, should be imprisoned with women. She acknowledges that some trans people are vulnerable and says she explicitly rejects discrimination against them in finding housing or work. She explains her position on single-sex facilities in these words:

“Of course, all men aren't rapists, voyeurs or flashers, but enough are to make safeguarding necessary.”

Legal backdrop

The essay appears against a changed legal landscape in Britain. In April 2025 the UK Supreme Court ruled that a woman is legally defined by her sex at birth. In early 2026 the Labour government clarified the rules on single-sex spaces while keeping protections for transgender people. The NHS in England has also decided it will no longer refer trans women to women's spaces. Rowling's position has been debated since her 2020 essay, which provoked indignant reactions from trans rights campaigners.

Reaction and protests

Daniel Radcliffe, who played Harry Potter in the film adaptations, is among the stars who have publicly distanced themselves from Rowling, as have Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. In September 2025 Rowling wrote that she would be astounded if Watson had used a high street changing room since childhood. Protesters rushed the red carpet before the gala performance of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child at the Palace Theatre in London, and trans rights activists have staged protests and boycotts targeting Harry Potter-themed events and locations. Her views have won her support from some feminists while fuelling wider debate about free speech and cancel culture.