Is this is the stupidest attack on JK Rowling yet?

[IwantToRetire]

Canadians’ eagerness to please has left them hopelessly vulnerable to the #BeKind mantra.

As a result, they sometimes do and say some very silly things. For proof, see the story this week about the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation, whose members have issued a tearful public apology – for organising a “magical-themed forest walk” inspired by Harry Potter.

Trans activists were horrified, because Harry Potter was created by JK Rowling. So, to avoid causing them further trauma, the walk has been cancelled. At an emergency meeting, Brennan Bastyovanszky, a park board commissioner, promised to “do better in the future”. Later, his colleague Tom Digby tweeted: “Apologised to TGD2S [Transgender, Gender-Diverse and Two-Spirit] community after emotional discussion. Shared some tears. Disavowed JKR.”

Full article at https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/11/jk-rowling-trans-harry-potter-vancouver-canada/

Also at https://archive.is/M2j8H

Appropriating the language, huh.
Appropriating the restorative justice, huh.

On one hand it’s misogynistic, on the other it’s visibility for women . Like having female baddies - it’s sexist NOT to have them also

A quick update (from X). Gather the apology was about future events - too late to stop the one this year. It seems like ticket sales have been exceptionally high and Harry Potter is as popular as ever.

That is heartening to read. Thanks.

the people of Vancouver voting with their wallets and feet, into the (not yet) Forbidden Forest!😂

Hopes and prayers for all the people who are literally shaking and crying at the knowledge that all these families want them dead.

As a woman who grew up in Canada. I will say the overall vibe in Canada is that Harry Potter is okay, but J.K. Rowling is not. Some mums in Ontario started a group for buying Harry Potter items used so as not to give J.K. money directly, because so many kids loved the story and were upset when told they couldn't read/watch it. I personally do not support J.K. Rowling or her views, just giving my opinion on how it's viewed in Canada.

Ridiculous. Now I’ll buy her 8th Strike despite the price.

This is fascinating, thanks. What is it exactly about her views that you don't agree with?

Some mums in Ontario started a group for buying Harry Potter items used so as not to give J.K. money directly, because so many kids loved the story and were upset when told they couldn't read/watch it

seems a bit of a shame they don’t have the courage of their convictions….not giving their children the best example there

Thanks for that info from Canada, JesssIsCrazzzzzy.

I've never read a word of JKR's books, Harry Potter or the detective ones she writes, not my thing at all.

So I only know her for all the philanthropy she does, for children, for rape survivors, for multiple sclerosis sufferers, and so on, and the very reasonable things she says which support trans people having exactly the same rights as everybody else, but not having women's rights if they are not women.

The accusation that she is 'transphobic' has been disproved many times, so that's not a reason to think she's 'not OK.'

I just don't get all this JKR hating - given that she's demonstrably not transphobic, what else do people find to hate about her?

@Jux did you mean Riddikulus? "The spell that defeats a Boggart can be tricky, because it involves making the creature into a figure of fun, so that fear can be dispelled in amusement. If the caster is able to laugh aloud at the Boggart, it will disappear at once. The incantation is ‘Riddikulus’, and the intention is to force the Boggart to assume a less-threatening and hopefully comical form."

Very well said

It’s worst not worse.

🤣🤣🤣
She has created generational wealth.🤷‍♀️

You can support the removal of single-sex spaces and services.

But you should not take/use words you dont agree the meaning of.

As a woman human who grew up in Canada.

Yes, what is it that JKR has said that you have issue with @JesssIsCrazzzzzy ?

It's puzzling, isn't it? The only think I've ever heard said against her is that she's transphobic, but she's not - didn't somebody offer £1m to anyone who could come up with a quote from JKR that proved she was transphobic, and nobody has managed to find anything yet.

So if she's not transphobic, what's the problem?
I'm mildly irritated by the whole idea of Harry Potter, but only mildly; I'm somewhat more irritated by adults getting over-excited about children's books like Harry Potter, but hey, each to their own😄

But I'm not going to put a lot of energy into hating JKR because of that!

These mothers in Ontario are so against JKR that they find ways to circumvent giving her any money . . .

but go to lengths to enable their children to Read Her Books.

I know an author is not their work, but really, if you are talking about your vulnerable children and JKR is so awful, surely you wouldn't take the risk. Or perhaps these mothers have carefully read the books themselves first, and decided that yes, this is something they are happy for their children to read. In which case, I wonder if they have done any critical thinking, and some other reading, to resolve the dichotomy: for example, perhaps reading what JKR has actually written about her views and not just what people have said about her.

That high-jacking of ‘two spirit’ from Native Americans is particularly enraging.

I think you will find people in theUK who don't like her either but that's not representative. Canada is particularly captured - the media isn't telling people what is going on. Most of my family lives in Canada and they know they have to keep their heads down on trans issues but they think it's utterly daft. Your group of Ontario mums doesn't speak for the whole nation. See here for example https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/harry-potter-forbidden-forest-experience-stanley-park-vancouver-extension-2026

I'm also mildly irritated by Harry Potter - mostly because I've just been reading it to DC and had to do the voices from the films.

Bloody Moaning Myrtle! 🤣

That’s nice, dear.

Vancouver TRAs nailed a dead rat to the door of a women only rape crisis centre and successfully lobbied to have their funding removed because of their women only policy.

It beggars belief that anyone respects these thugs. So I suspect people are just too scared to stand up to them.

Interesting. Maybe you can be the first poster to answer the question asked in this thread?

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5402604-5402604-jkr-asking-similar-questions-to-what-i-have-been-asking-for-years-on-here?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

What do you not support about her views?