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Websites The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet said
they would no longer provide links to the British author's
personal website, use photos of her, or write about achievements
that do not relate to the Wizarding World she created.
The joint statement by the fan sites said Rowling's views on
"marginalized people (are) out of step with the message of
acceptance and empowerment we find in her books and celebrated
by the Harry Potter community."
It follows a lengthy personal essay by Rowling last month in
which she detailed her research and beliefs on transgender
issues, including examples of where she thought demands by
transgender activists were dangerous to women.
The essay was widely criticized by LGBTQ advocacy groups as
divisive and transphobic.
Rowling's seven "Harry Potter" novels about a boy wizard have
sold more than 500 million copies worldwide and were turned into
eight blockbuster movies. She followed up with a spin-off movie
franchise "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them."
The fan sites, which together have more than one million
Facebook followers, said they found it difficult to speak out
against Rowling because they had admired her work for so long,
but said "it would be wrong not to use our platforms to
counteract the harm she has caused.""While we don’t condone the
mistreatment JKR (Rowling) has received for airing her opinions
about transgender people, we must reject her beliefs," the
statement added.
Rowling's representatives declined to comment on Friday's
statement.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
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