JK Rowling, the much disliked author of the Harry Potter series, who has seen her reputation as a beloved children's author left in tatters after becoming vocally anti-trans on social media, has pledged to use her vast wealth accrued from her work to fund court cases that would directly negatively impact transgender people and their rights.
The JK Rowling Women's Fund was announced by the billionaire writer over 24th May as most regular people were enjoying their Bank Holiday weekend with family and friends. Rowling says that the fund is designed to help with 'fighting to retain women's sex-based rights', including public venues, workplaces, and 'protected female spaces'. She also announced that all of the money for the fund would come from her own finances, which were reported to be at least £945 million as of 2025.
Information from the fund's website says that it is designed to help people who are 'facing tribunals because of their expressed beliefs', referring to people who would have engaged in transphobia in the workplace. It also claims that it will help those 'forced to comply with unreasonable inclusion policies regarding single-sex spaces', which would seem to indicate anywhere that Rowling and her fellow transphobes don't want trans inclusion.
This 'Women's Fund' is not the first time that Rowling has been involved in legal action against the trans population. It was reported that she personally donated at least £70,000 to the legal fund in the For Women Scotland case, where they took a case to the UK Supreme Court to redefine what woman meant in the Equality Act 2010. The case resulted in the Supreme Court, which excluded evidence from unbiased sources that supported trans people, as well as trans voices themselves, defining women in the Equality Act to mean 'biological women'; they have yet to clearly state what they mean by 'biological women', how this is determined, what happens when people do not fall into two neat binary boxes, or how this now acts in conflict with other laws and regulations.
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| JK Rowling engaged in Holocaust denialism on Twitter |
The website for the fund allows individuals to apply for Rowling's money, though it does make it clear that it will not provide a lawyer in legal cases, so those applying must already have sought legal representation themselves. Many people have taken to social media to share the content of their applications, with some pasting the script of The Bee Movie into the fields, whilst others have chosen to write out the lyrics of Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley, or quotes from film, TV, and books. A lot of people have claimed to have applied this way hundreds of times in an attempt to either overwhelm the system, or waste the time of those who have to examine each application. Whilst I cannot personally advocate for anyone to go to the website now and spam it like this I will say that it would be funny if people did. JK Rowling Women's Fund application form link.
John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister, has said that he's 'not worried' about the fund, or Rowling's continued efforts to erode legal protections across Britain. Swinney didn't express concern about the Scottish Government being sued by women over their laws that protect or include trans people. Swinney has also been one of the voices urging for public bodies not to make snap rulings on trans inclusion following the Supreme Court ruling, asking for clear legal directives to be handed down from the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission). The Scottish Daily Express asked him if he was worried about the fund and if it could lead to legal action being taken against the Scottish Government, but Swinney said 'No, because I always uphold the rule of law. Obviously people are free to set up whatever funds they want to set up.'
This seems to be the latest in a long line of anti-trans actions taken by Rowling, who is incredibly active on Twitter (X), where she frequently brings up trans people, shares comments from anti-trans sources, and has even on occasion made comments that are negative towards the trans community, including Holocaust denialism. Over the past several years Rowling has transformed from a person 'having a middle aged moment' and apparently accidentally liking a transphobic tweet, to now actively trying to finance legal cases against the trans community. And all of this with money that she has made from Harry Potter.
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| Rowling frequently tweets about trans woman India Willoughby, possibly indicating some form of obsession with her. |
Since Rowling's anti-trans views have become evident many people have outright abandoned the Harry Potter fandom, refusing to buy any merchandise, boycotting new projects, and destroying items that they already have. Many former fans made the decision that they could not support a woman who actively pushed transphobic conspiracy theories (her TERF Wars essay contained many), and used dehumanising language towards trans people. However, there have been some people who claim to support the trans community who still try to engage with Harry Potter, claiming that supporting the franchise and putting money into Rowling's pocket doesn't harm trans people. Well, they can't make that claim any more.
The smart people knew that supporting the franchise would support her views, whether by her seeing the sales as translating to people agreeing with her anti-trans actions (something she has claimed), or by literally being used to finance anti-trans action. Any pretence that that's not happening has been completely stripped away now. Rowling has made it clear that her own money, money she has because of Harry Potter and its fans, has been and will be used to target and harm trans people. If you think you can support Harry Potter and claim to not be against trans people you're a fucking idiot. Stop. Please, just stop one or the other. Either stop supporting her (the preferable option) or stop trying to pretend you're a trans ally.
Personally, I believe JK Rowling is one of the most damaging figures for the trans community. I think that she's been actively out to harm us for years, and she's been escalating towards action like this for a long time. And anyone who supports her fandom is helping her to do this. If you buy Harry Potter stuff you helped have the Supreme Court rule against trans people's rights, you set the stage for all of these organisations to try to enact trans exclusion and segregation. And if a single trans life is lost because of this Rowling and you have that blood on your hands.
It's time to choose, what matters more to you, the lives, rights, and dignities of trans people, or a children's story about a wizard; because you can't have both.
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