J. K. Rowling adds to her divisive views on transgender identity

J. K. Rowling has reaffirmed her views on transgender issues in update to her 2020 essay

J. K. Rowling has said her views on transgender issues have not changed in six years, reaffirming her position in an update to an essay she published in June 2020.

The Harry Potter author addressed criticism and death threats she says she has received over her opposition to what she describes as trans activism.

On Wednesday, October 21, Rowling published an update to her original essay on her personal website, defending her decision to speak publicly about what she believes are risks to women's rights.

"What to me represents no change at all in my political or ideological outlook has, in recent years, seen me and women like me subject not only to criticism but also to death threats," she wrote.

Rowling argued that the effects of trans activism differ depending on a woman's circumstances, claiming that more privileged women are less likely to experience its consequences.

She also criticised women in media, publishing and academia who support prevailing trans activism positions, arguing that working-class women may face different concerns about access to women's changing rooms.

The British author also addressed the rights and safety of transgender people, stating that she did not believe they should be "stripped of their human rights or denied personal safety".

She said she would continue supporting women who could not otherwise afford legal action and helping ensure access to support services for women who have experienced rape.

"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," Rowling wrote.

Her comments have drawn criticism from people who consider her views transphobic. The stars of the original Harry Potter films, including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, have previously publicly disagreed with her position.