JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, has spoken out against Russian President Vladimir Putin, when he had referred to her during his speech on the West’s cancel culture.
The author went on to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Friday and wrote, “Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics,” and added the hashtag #IStandWithUkraine,” Rowling stated, also tagging an article by jailed critic Alexei Navalny.
At a televised meeting, from Friday, Putin spoke about the cancellation of Russian literature from textbooks and programs in western countries, especially in the US.
He went on to refer to the author, and said, “JK Rowling, the children’s writer, whose books are published all over the world was cancelled recently, just because she didn’t satisfy the demands of gender rights.”
Earlier, Rowling had come under fire for her controversial remarks on the trans community. Her problematic ideas with respect to gender came to the forefront, after she tweeted an opinion piece on menstrual hygiene in June 2020 and took a dig at the use of the inclusive phrase “people who menstruate.”
In a subsequent tweet, she then went on to say, “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased.” Her statements drew criticism from several quarters and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) organisation termed them as “anti-trans comments”. A self-proclaimed Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist (TERF), someone who believes trans women should not be categorised as women, Rowling has continued to express opinions against trans people, despite receiving backlash on social media platforms.
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Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, through a three-pronged attack. The step garnered international criticism of Russia with economic sanctions levied on the country.
Netflix, the global streaming giant, has suspended its service in Russia in protest over the ongoing conflict.
Earlier, Google-owned YouTube barred Russian channels from earning ad revenue on the video streaming platform. Soon after, major Hollywood studios such as Warner Bros, Disney, Sony, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures also distanced themselves from Russia, halting the release of their films in the country.