'Matrix' Director Says Harry Potter Fans Support “Trans Genocide”

The legendary co-director of The Matrix, Speed Racer, and Jupiter Ascending, Lilly Wachowski, sharply criticized J.K. Rowling and her Harry Potter work. According to her, funding the British franchise is the same as funding the genocide of trans people. 

"She is funding trans genocide. J.K. Rowling funds trans genocide, full stop" Wachowski told Variety. "So, if you support 'Harry Potter,' you are supporting trans genocide. The money that goes into you enjoying these products, a portion of that money goes to J.K. Rowling and that money goes into her funding anti-trans legislation all over the world," she continued, speaking directly to fans of the British franchise.

Lilly cited examples from other social debates: "In the same way that if you are against Elon Musk, you boycott or don’t buy Tesla; and if you’re against global warming/climate change, you try not to buy as much gas, you try to mitigate your use of these products. It’s simple math. So, your enjoyment of these shows, and continued support of these shows, is supporting my eradication."

A brief summary of the J.K. Rowling case

The whole story began with a comment from J.K. Rowling about an article whose headline used the phrase "people who menstruate." The author criticized the use of those terms, implying that "women" would be enough to explain who the text was referring to. However, the article aimed to be inclusive, encompassing trans men who were born biologically female and therefore also menstruate.

After that, the author was criticized by various figures from TV and film and especially by the trans community. The problem, however, only escalated from there. The author began a crusade against gender transition issues, attacking everything from trans women's use of women's bathrooms to young trans people's desire to transition, saying that most of them "grow out of" that desire.

Tensions between the author and the trans movement reached their peak when she celebrated the UK Supreme Court's decision that ruled the legal definition of "woman" is based on biological sex. However, the issue became even more delicate when it was revealed that Rowling donated thousands of pounds to the crowdfunding campaign for the lawsuit that led to the ruling. For that reason, her critics now say that she finances transphobia.

Criticism of the author intensified with the announcement and now-approaching release of the Harry Potter reboot series. In addition to criticism of Rowling's views, there is also a movement calling for the show's "social cancellation" ahead of its premiere this Christmas. 

Meanwhile, Lilly, herself a trans woman, is joining forces with film programmer Sarah Marie Flores and producer Lawrence Mattis to found the Anarchists United Foundation and Anarchists United Studio, with the mission of championing stories from marginalized communities.