There has been tension between JK Rowling and Emma Watson for years due to their differing positions on the transgender community. It all started when Rowling made some statements that many considered transphobic.
According to JK Rowling, the inclusion of trans women in women-only spaces, such as restrooms, locker rooms, shelters for victims of violence, or hospital rooms, can violate the privacy and safety of biological women, especially those who have experienced trauma from sexual violence.
She expressed concern at the time that laws allowing gender self-identification could be misused by men who are not actually trans, but who may claim to be women to enter these spaces.
This brought a wave of criticism, even from former "Harry Potter" stars, such as Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe, who spoke out against it and in support of the LGBTQ+ community.
Emma Watson recently softened her tone somewhat in an interview with Jay Shetty, saying that while she disagrees with Rowling's opinions, she still values ??her as a person and hopes that one day they can have a good understanding. But this statement was not well received by the "Harry Potter" author, who reacted with a long and harsh status on the X network, calling Emma "ignorant" and completely disconnected from reality.
Rowling emphasizes that Emma and Daniel have felt a kind of "moral obligation" to publicly oppose her, as former actors in the saga she created, but according to her, they have no right to speak on behalf of the Harry Potter world.
She adds that it is absurd for adults like Emma, ??who grew up with privilege, to claim to fully understand the reality of women affected by trans policies.
"She will never need a homeless shelter, she will not be in a mixed-sex hospital, she will not one day share a cell with a man who identifies as a woman," Rowling writes.
The author also recalls that when Emma became famous for her role as Hermione, she herself was living in difficult economic conditions, highlighting the contrast between her experience and Emma's luxurious life. According to her, the support that the actress gives to the trans community is actually "a devaluation of women's rights", and does not take into account the consequences that ordinary, unprivileged women have.
Rowling says she doesn't expect everyone to support her, but she's decided to exercise her right to speak out, just as Emma did. Ultimately, she points out that she can no longer treat the former child actors like her own little kids on set; they're adults, and she has no patience for "activists who act like victims while their followers call for violence against me."
