Warner Bros., the studio behind the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, has finally issued a statement regarding writer J.K. Rowling's anti-transgender comments.
"The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult societal issues," the company told Variety. "Warner Bros.' position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world. We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all. We recognize our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content."
Though Warner Bros.' statement addresses Rowling's latest anti-trans controversy, it does not mention her or trans rights by name. There is no indication that the studio plans to take any actions for or against her at this time. It also did not address whether or not this has impacted Warner Bros.' plans for the third Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them film.
On June 6, Rowling posted a series of tweets viewed by many as transphobic. One tweet had Rowling respond to an article about COVID-19 that used the phrase "people who menstruate." "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" she responded. Since then, she has also written a lengthy letter doubling down and defending these comments and others.
Her recent comments even drew criticism from Harry Potter fans and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe himself, who posted an essay defending trans people on the blog of the LGBT rights group the Trevor Project. Hermione Granger actor Emma Watson, Cho Chang actor Katie Leung and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne have also spoken out in support of trans rights.
This is not the first time that Rowling, who has 14.5 million followers on Twitter, and her beliefs about transgender identity sparked a social media firestorm. In December, she was criticized for tweeting her support for Maya Forstater, a researcher fired for tweeting that an individual cannot alter their biological sex.