Simu Liu is displeased with JK Rowling, all thanks to her anti-trans rhetoric. This is not surprising, considering that the Harry Potter author has faced a barrage of criticism in the past due to her comments about the transgender community. In June 2020, Rowling came under fire after she retweeted an op-ed piece that discussed “people who menstruate.” The icon took issue because the story didn’t use the word “women.”
“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she wrote.
A few days later, Rowling published a lengthy post on her website and sent out a tweet that read, “TERF Wars.” TERF is an acronym that stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminists. Over four years later, JK Rowling is facing criticism for her anti-trans rhetoric once again. On Aug. 1, 2024, the 59-year-old commented on Imane Khelif’s smirk in a viral picture taken during a match at the Paris Olympics. Recall that the Algerian boxer has been at the center of a gender firestorm for a while. In 2023, she was banned by the International Boxing Association for failing an unspecified gender test. In a controversial tweet, Rowling referred to Khelif as a man.
“Could any picture sum up our new men’s rights movement better? The smirk of a male who knows he’s protected by a misogynist sporting establishment enjoying the distress of a woman he’s just punched in the head and whose life ambition he’s just shattered,” she wrote.
Rowling’s tweet sparked a flurry of criticism from many, including Simu Liu. He responded to a Buzzfeed post on Threads, asking netizens about a celebrity they used to be a fan of but not anymore and why.
“Im really not feeling jk rowlings online discourse. I think the internet often jumps to conclusions and piles onto people who do not deserve it,” the Marvel star noted.
Liu revealed Rowling had been doubling down on anti-trans rhetoric, which had affected people in his life, including close friends. The actor then clarified that while he loved Harry Potter, he hated cyberbullying. “But very much dislike what she has become,” he added. Liu’s words quickly went viral, igniting a debate between Simu Liu and JK Rowling’s fans across various social media platforms. On one hand, many applauded Liu for speaking out against Rowling’s remarks. However, some slammed the 35-year-old, noting that he should have remained silent as Rowling was right.
