Credit: ABCIn its penultimate episode, the podcast The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling finally features trans Guests who oppose the Harry Potter author.
J. K. Rowling is the author of the Harry Potter series, which has become one of the most popular media franchises in the world. It includes hit films, fantastical theme parks, and record-breaking video games.
But in the past few years, Rowling has faced scrutiny and backlash for statements that are seen by many as transphobic. This includes beliefs like it would be unsafe for “any man who believes he’s a woman” to enter women’s restrooms or changing rooms, and referring to trans women as women would erase women’s rights.
This has led many organizations and people associated with Harry Potter, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne, to condemn the author’s statements.
‘The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling’
Related: Rowling Compares Trans People to “Death Eaters,” Admits She Knew Potter Fans Would Turn Against Her
In response to the condemnations, host Megan Phelps-Roper, a former member of the hate group The Westboro Baptist Church, created the podcast The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling with the intent of “examining some of the most contentious conflicts of our time through the life and career of the world’s most successful author.”
Phelps-Roper firmly believes that people should be able to engage in debates about their beliefs instead of having one side silenced in favor of another. However, people have been critical of the podcast’s intent.
One significant criticism states that the name of the podcast, referring to the Salem Witch Trials from the late 1600s that led to the deaths of innocent people, already lends bias to Rowling, implying that the people who disagree with the author are conducting a “witch trial” against her.
Another criticism states that there hasn’t been a single person interviewed in the first five episodes of the seven-episode podcast that has an opposing viewpoint to Rowling, instead focusing on Rowling’s life and people who already agree with her.
Well, the time has come for those voices to be heard, and critics still aren’t satisfied, including one of the Guests herself.
“This Was a Serious Lapse of Judgement”
Related: Entire ‘Harry Potter’ Cast Replaced with American Actors
In the sixth episode of The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling, appropriately titled “Natalie and Noah,” Megan Phelps-Roper interviewed YouTuber Natalie Wynn, also known as ContraPoints, and 17-year-old Noah.
Noah is a teenager who recently transitioned and was interviewed about his parents’ reaction to him coming out as trans and the gender-affirming care he has received. When asked about Rowling, Noah said they “would have a great time talking,” but how she expressed her views was harmful.
“I think that there was bigotry veiled in what she was saying, or that things she was saying were reminiscent of bigoted ideas, and she expressed what are very reasonable emotions to a platform where they became interpreted as fact or used to support opinions that are bigoted or untrue or harmful.”
YouTuber Natalie Wynn, whose video criticizing the author has amassed over 6 million views, was much less kind to Rowling, stating that Rowling is accountable for how she presents herself due to her large audience.
“If you [pose these questions] in a way that’s harmful to trans people—as I consider beyond any question that the way J.K. Rowling has done it has been harmful—then I think it’s valid for people to be upset with you and criticize that.”
Wynn continued, “I’ve never really gotten the impression that she wants to know more about the experiences of trans people from the way that these questions are posed. It’s all about, ‘Isn’t this dangerous to all of the rest of us? Aren’t these people posing a threat to us? Isn’t this dangerous to children?’ I see that as a very loaded question.”
Last year I received an email from Megan Phelps-Roper, estranged daughter of the Westboro Baptist Church. She asked if I'd give an interview for a podcast on J.K. Rowling, the world's foremost champion of backlash to trans rights. I agreed. This was a serious lapse in judgment.🧵
— Dark Natalie (@ContraPoints) February 16, 2023
Overall, Wynn was unhappy with how the interview went, saying in a Twitter thread that “this was a serious lapse in judgment.”
“She’d spoken to JKR about me and thought it seemed only right to speak to me about JKR. This is what was pitched to me. I took the bait and consented to a pretty miserable three-hour interrogation about my own transition, as well as the usual “concerns” about trans rights.”
The final episode of The Witch Trials of J. K. Rowling airs on March 28, 2023.
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