JK Rowling Might Have Just Won the Culture War

It is an unlikely return reminiscent of Harry Potter, “The Boy Who Lived”, himself (or the Dark Lord Voldemort depending on your opinion). J.K. Rowling, author of the globally adored fantasy series who in recent years became a pariah in some quarters over her views on transgender people, appears to have just won the culture war she has been fighting for the past five years.

Since 2019, Rowling has sparked impassioned debate—and backlash—over her statements on trans women and insistence on using male pronouns to describe them. The British-born writer has publicly supported women who question the legitimacy of trans women’s gender identities and has dedicated much of her feed on X, formerly Twitter, to speaking out on the issue.

Celebrities condemned her statements, social media users labeled her views “disgusting,” and activists branded her a “TERF”—a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. Conversely, she has also received an outpouring of support for her stance, with “#IStandWithJKRowling” trending intermittently on social media whenever the debate resurfaces.

Now, long after Rowling had accepted she might have irreparably tarnished her legacy, she finds herself firmly back in the fold. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), the entertainment behemoth bringing her Harry Potter franchise back to screens as an HBO TV show, stated in November that not only will it be working with her on the project, it sees no reason to wade into the furor over her trans-related utterances.

HBO chairman and CEO Casey Bloys said at a November 12 press event that Rowling was “very, very involved in the process selecting the writer and the director,” and added that Rowling’s trans statements “haven’t affected the casting or hiring of writers or productions staff” for the show.

A spokesperson for the network followed up with a statement calling Rowling’s contributions “invaluable” and saying about her trans crusade: “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.”

It is a remarkably loud ringing endorsement from a company that has long kept quiet on Rowling over fears of a backlash from fans. The cultural debate over transgender rights is entering a new phase, and Rowling appears to have emerged as one of the victors. When contacted by Newsweek, a representative of Rowling declined to provide comment for this article.

JK Rowling’s Battle Over Transgender Issues

The debate surrounding Rowling’s views on transgender issues began in December 2019 and intensified in June 2020, following a series of statements and actions that sparked widespread controversy.

In 2019, Rowling publicly supported Maya Forstater, a researcher who lost her job after making gender-critical statements. In a tweet, Rowling wrote: “Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like… But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?”

In 2020, Rowling published a 3,600-word essay on her website defending her views. She expressed concerns about transgender activism, the safety of single-sex spaces, and the rights of women and girls. These views were met with widespread criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, fans, and individuals who accused her of transphobia.

Online fan communities distanced themselves from her, with some removing her name from fan content or organizing boycotts of Harry Potter-related products. Rowling herself leaned into her controversial status by engaging with her critics on X, framing herself as someone standing against “cancel culture” and advocating for women’s rights. “The thing is, those appalled by my position often fail to grasp how truly despicable I find theirs,” she wrote in an essay earlier this year.

Rowling’s own Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint—whose careers were launched through the franchise—went on record to publicly condemn her comments. Eddie Redmayne, the star of Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts spinoff series, also joined the detractors.

“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people,” wrote Radcliffe in an essay for The Trevor Project nonprofit in 2020. Newsweek contacted representatives of Radcliffe, Watson, Grint, and Redmayne for comment.

In 2022, Rowling was notably absent from the Harry Potter 20th anniversary special made with stars of the franchise, leading to unconfirmed whispers that her stance on transgender issues had made her too much of a toxic entity. Rowling herself said she declined an invitation to be included in the special.

Why Warner Bros. Is Now Embracing JK Rowling

WBD is hoping Harry Potter can bring the magic back to the troubled entertainment titan. The company has faced significant financial challenges in recent years, reporting a nearly $10 billion loss for the second quarter of this year. On top of that, WBD is carrying approximately $40 billion in net debt.

Under CEO David Zaslav, the company has reevaluated its content portfolio, concentrating resources on successful franchises to maximize profitability and audience engagement. The planned HBO Harry Potter TV series, a seven-season project, with each season dedicated to one of the books, is the cornerstone of this strategy. The show is expected to enter production next year before a release in 2026.

For WBD, siding with Rowling suggests the reward of having the author in the creative process outweighs the risk of a backlash.

“By publicly supporting J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. is investing in a colossally creative and successful author, as opposed to taking a public stance on the controversial transgender topic,” Evan Nierman, CEO of global PR firm Red Banyan, told Newsweek.

“For Rowling, Warner Bros.’ endorsement reinforces her resilience in the face of online invective and positions her as a creative force too integral to the Harry Potter franchise to ignore. Her refusal to be canceled in the face of sustained attacks illustrates how to avoid being permanently silenced,” he added.

WBD’s backing of Rowling “is a business move by a studio plain and simple,” Dylan Thomas Cotter, a publicist and transgender advocate, told Newsweek.

Writer and cultural analyst Areej Shaikh said that while the decision by WBD signals a potential shift in how corporations handle cancel culture, Rowling herself might not have won the culture war against her critics.

“This decision indicates a change toward more publicly endorsing contentious personalities when their creative influence is valued, but it does not necessarily mean Rowling has ‘won’ the cultural war,” she told Newsweek.

“Warner Bros. seems to be putting the Harry Potter franchise’s cultural and financial history ahead of the divisive controversy surrounding her personal beliefs. This strategy implies that instead of adopting clear-cut positions, firms may now be navigating cancel culture with a higher emphasis on striking a balance between public opinion and creative contribution.”

Shaikh warns that Rowling might need to be more careful now that her name has been prominently attached to a major project, considering what’s at stake.

“Given the importance of the next Harry Potter television series, Rowling could be better off adopting a more subdued public persona and concentrating her efforts on the project’s artistic elements rather than reviving contentious debates,” Shaikh said.

“She may steer clear of pointless diversions and support Warner Bros.’ goal to maintain the series’ focus by refocusing attention on her contribution to creating the adored Harry Potter universe.”

Tide Turns in Transgender Debate

WBD’s defense of Rowling suggests a shift in the cultural landscape surrounding transgender rights. Earlier this month, Donald Trump triumphed over Kamala Harris in the presidential election with a campaign that put transgender issues center stage. “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you,” according to one Trump ad that ran over 15,000 times. Trump also vowed at an October rally in his native New York that he would “keep men out of women’s sports” if elected.

Americans are broadly supportive of preventing discrimination against transgender people. A Pew Research Center survey of 10,188 U.S. adults in May 2022 found that around 8 in 10 said there was discrimination against transgender people and a majority said they should be protected from discrimination in “jobs, housing and public spaces.”

However, on specific issues, such as the involvement in sports that Trump highlighted, there is less agreement. A YouGov poll conducted in January found that 59 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender athletes to play on sports teams that match their gender identity compared to 19 percent who support it. The same poll found 50 percent of Americans oppose allowing transgender people to use bathrooms that match their gender identity, compared to 31 percent that support it.

“Given Trump’s reelection, this shift is not surprising, and I anticipate that it will become the norm,” Nierman said.

Trump’s win comes amid a growing backlash to transgender rights in recent years. Bud Light’s decision to join forces with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney in 2023 prompted a boycott. Sales plummeted as a direct result. Target and other businesses faced similar attacks for their LGBTQ+ marketing, in some cases doing real damage to their profits.

Multiple companies shied away from supporting Pride month this year and are now rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies. Bud Light recently announced a new partnership with controversial comedian Shane Gillis, who was fired from Saturday Night Live after making a racial slur about Asian people. Oliver Bateman, writing for online news magazine UnHerd, described the move as “corporate America’s way of declaring that the progressive revolution is officially over.”

With Rowling’s public backing, corporate America appears to have spoken again. But according to Lindsey Chastain, founder and CEO of PR Agency The Writing Detective, Rowling herself is still seen as a pariah figure among her detractors.

“If you visit BookTok, Bookstagram, or Booktube, you will find that she is very much still considered a problematic author and is not widely promoted,” Chastain told Newsweek.

“Many millennials still mourn the loss of their favorite characters.”