Transgender rights recently suffered a massive blow in the United Kingdom, when the U.K. Supreme Court decided that the term "women" in the 2010 Equality Act referred solely to "biological women.
Unfortunately, not everyone was upset by this news, with Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling even finding it cause for celebration.
The author, who has openly expressed views that heavily criticize the transgender community (particularly transgender women), took to X (formerly Twitter) on the day of the ruling and posted celebratory pictures.
One post featured a picture of two glasses, with the caption reading "We toasted you @ForWomenScot. Neil says it's TERF VE day."
@ForWomenScot is the X page of For Women Scotland, a Scottish activist group whose mandate claims they are "working to protect and strengthen women and children's rights," but who share Rowling's staunch "gender critical" ideologies, and for whom Rowling has been an active supporter and donor.
Neil is Rowling's husband, Neil Murray, TERF is an acronym for "trans-exclusionary radical feminist" and VE day references the annual celebration of Europe fighting the Nazis, held on May 8.
A second post featured Rowling holding a cocktail and smoking a cigar while sitting somewhere with an ocean view, the caption reading, "I love it when a plan comes together".
Rowling's views and opinions have been met with criticism from both the transgender community and the larger entertainment industry, including the stars of the hugely successful Harry Potter films.
In a viral Instagram post, actor and activist Tariq Ra’ouf called Rowling's celebration of the U.K. Supreme Court ruling "serious Voldemort villain sh*t," and called for a boycott of all things Harry Potter:
“[It should be] our mission as the general public to make sure that every single thing 'Harry-Potter'-related fails."
“That means posting in every Harry Potter TV show update, in every article, that trans rights are human rights, that trans women are women."
"It means not buying a ticket to Universal to see 'Harry Potter' World."
“That awful, disgusting sh*t, that has consequences”.
In agreement with Ra’ouf's stance was film and TV star Pedro Pascal, who responded to the post.
Pascal wrote, "Awful disgusting 'SH*T is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior."
@tariq_raouf/Instagram
Pascal has been an outspoken supporter of transgender and LGBTQIA+ rights.
Pascal's sister, actress and activist Lux Pascal, is a transgender woman, and the actor was recently seen on the red carpet at the U.K. Premiere of Marvel's Thunderbolts* wearing a T-shirt designed by Connor Ives reading "Protect The Dolls."
Dolls references transgender women, and all proceeds from the shirts, first seen at London Fashion Week, raised money for the non-profit TransLifeline.
This past February, Pascal posted a speech by activist Cecilia Gentili to his Instagram page in which she declared that those who are anti- trans "can do nothing to erase us or make us disappear."
Pascal wrote in the caption:
"Know who you are."
"Progress is inevitable."
Known for playing warrior and/or heroic roles in Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, and The Last Of Us, X users found Pascal equally heroic off-screen for taking Rowling to task:
Not everyone was in favor of Pascal's response, particularly those on the far-right, as well as some die-hard J.K. Rowling fans, with some wondering if his support of transgender rights could damage his leading man status.
Pascal, however, is used to people with anti-trans beliefs trolling or attacking him on social media.
When the actor expressed his support in an Instagram post showing a sign that read "A world without trans people has never existed and never will," he was met with opposition from the far right.
But the actor buckled down, responding to one Instagram user who said he would unfollow the actor "That’s too bad. Wait, no I don’t give a sh*t," while making his stance even clearer in the post's comments section:
"I can't think of anything more vile, small, and pathetic than terrorizing the smallest, most vulnerable group of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist."
It seems clear that Pascal will likely be unfazed by those who choose to boycott his upcoming participation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Mr. Fantastic in the latest Fantastic Four reboot.
Just as one can equally assume that Pascal will not be tuning in for HBO's upcoming series of the Harry Potter books.
