HBO is standing by noted TERF J.K. Rowling.
Keep up with the latest in LGBTQ+ news and politics. Sign up for The Advocate's email newsletter.
The network is currently working on a revival of Rowling's worldwide best-selling Harry Potter books, this time as a TV series, and it is proudly standing by her, despite her well-documented downward spiral into far-right transphobia over recent years.
In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson for HBO said that Warner Bros. has been working with Rowling for over 20 years and "her contribution has been invaluable."
"We are proud to once again tell the story of Harry Potter — the heartwarming books that speak to power of friendship, resolve, and acceptance," the statement reads.
"J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement."
According to Variety, HBO chief Casey Bloys recently told reporters that Rowling is "very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and director" for the upcoming Harry Potter show, but that her anti-trans beliefs "haven't affected the casting or hiring of writers or production staff."
It is unknown if any trans writers or directors are being considered for the project.
Over the last several years, Rowling has made several headlines for using social media to voice her opposition to trans issues. Some of the most common anti-trans posts she has shared include misgendering trans people and insisting that trans women are "all men" and "mostly predators." This lead to her current reputation of being labeled a "TERF," or a trans-exclusionary radical feminist, a term Out's sister publication The Advocate notes is "used to describe self-proclaimed feminists who try to police the boundaries of womanhood by excluding trans women from the category."
From September to November of this year, Rowling posted over 200 times on X (formerly Twitter) about trans issues and posted about Harry Potter just nine times, including one post that was her laughing at someone expressing disappointment that she was involved with the new Harry Potter series, Variety reports.
With as obsessed as Rowling is with trans people, including her
obsession with accusing cis people of being trans, some fans are concerned that her involvement in this new show might bring some of that baggage.
