The statement comes after Rowling published an essay she had written about gender identity on her website. She immediately faced criticism and condemnation from LGBTQ + activists, who called it “devastating”.
Fan websites said they have implemented new policies to distance themselves from the author, stating that they will no longer cover her personal efforts (excluding her charity) and that they will not show photos or quotes from the author.
They also said they will not post purchase links or links to the author’s website.
In early June, several leading stars in the “Harry Potter” movie franchise spoke, and Emma Watson wrote on Twitter that: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they are not “Who they say they are.”
Fan sites said it was “difficult” to speak out against someone whose work they had “admired for so long”, but said it would be a mistake not to use their platforms to counter the damage Rowling has caused.
“Our stance is firm: transgender women are women. Transgender men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. Intersex people exist and should not be forced to live in the binary,” they said in their statement.
“While we do not approve of the mistreatment that JKR received for expressing their views on transgender people, we must reject their beliefs,” they added.
MuggleNet has over 800,000 Facebook followers and The Leaky Cauldron has over 230,000.
CNN has reached out to JK Rowling representatives for comment.
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