JK Rowling Says Her Views Haven’t Changed Despite “An Avalanche Of Threats” As She Calls “Trans Activism” “Elitist”

JK Rowling has published another essay six years on, revisiting her views on transgender rights, while insisting her position hasn’t changed despite “an avalanche of death, rape and torture threats”.

The Harry Potter author described “trans activism” as “elitist to its core”. 

Rowling argued that “trans activism doesn’t impact all women negatively,” criticising “wealthy women who repost the vogueish mantras while sitting in dressing rooms guarded by private security guards” and “headline-hungry female politicians”.

In the essay, published on Wednesday (21 October), Rowling said she was “shocked and disgusted” that “large numbers of women” had “spent the last few years vilifying members of their own sex for fighting to retain their hard-won rights and single-sex spaces”.

Doubling down on her position, she acknowledged that her views hadn’t changed, adding, “but the landscape certainly has, and my own involvement in the issue has become practical as well as theoretical, so I thought it was time for an update.”

“Men as a group pose a risk to women and girls, as a group,” she wrote, adding: “Of course, all men aren’t rapists, voyeurs or flashers, but enough are to make safeguarding necessary.”

Rowling argued that this is why women and girls want single-sex facilities, insisting it is “not because we hate trans people, not because we want them dead, not because we want them somehow eradicated from existence, but because women and girls have specific issues and needs that men do not, even if they’re calling themselves women and even if they’ve taken cross-sex hormones”.

The author, who strongly denies being transphobic, rounded off her essay by saying: “I’ll continue to speak out, continue to use my money to help women who otherwise couldn’t afford to go to court, and continue to ensure that women in my area can still access female-delivered, female-centred support after rape.”

And, as you might expect, her latest essay has prompted plenty of reactions online.

I think we're way past the point where we need to hear what JK Rowling thinks https://t.co/H6zhl9Ohgv
— Lizzie 💫 (@lizziethat) October 22, 2026

Lizzie 💫 / Via x.com

JK Rowling, pictured fighting the elitists. pic.twitter.com/JWWEJWBgAr
— Aidan Comerford (@AidanCTweets) October 22, 2026

Aidan Comerford / Via x.com

Thank you for saying that you don’t necessarily want me to die, billionaire misanthropist JK Rowling https://t.co/fVmRLDYONQ
— Stacy Cay (@stacycay) October 21, 2026

Stacy Cay / Via x.com

Loathed as I am to comment but JK Rowling did that rich person thing

Group all working class people together as if they have a hive mind and are all in need of saving by people who have yachts

That mindset is the definition of elitist https://t.co/HqzFd2Tbzb
— Selina j 🧚🏻🌙⚒ (@OfSelina) October 22, 2026

Selina j 🧚🏻🌙⚒ / Via x.com

I am honestly just sick and tired of hearing about this gigantic piece of sh*t. WE EXIST JK ROWLING AND THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE, so please, just kick rocks already! https://t.co/eQ2GjAzQGa
— Bree Ryan🌹🚀 (@Bree_WCM) October 21, 2026

Bree Ryan🌹🚀 / Via x.com

JK Rowling calling others elitist is peak irony https://t.co/cioUfRVucm
— Loden ☭ 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 (@Captian_Loden_4) October 21, 2026

Loden ☭ 🏳️‍🌈🇵🇸 / Via x.com

You have to laugh, really, because she's earnestly deluded herself into believing it.

One of the richest human beings on planet earth, who uses that obscene wealth to force her own warped bigotry on society, insists that LGBTQ people wanting equality is in fact "Elitist" pic.twitter.com/xvS7QqGKnU
— Bad Writing Takes 🖊️🏳️‍🌈 (@BadWritingTakes) October 21, 2026

Bad Writing Takes 🖊️🏳️‍🌈 / Via x.com