Miriam Margolyes weighs in on JK Rowling: ‘I think her opinion is too harsh’
"I really just feel supportive about this tiny group of people who are trans"
By Aaron Sugg
Miriam Margolyes, known for her role as Professor Pomona Sprout in the Harry Potter films, has criticised author JK Rowling’s stance on transgender rights, describing her views as “too harsh.”
Speaking on a recent episode of the A Gay Old Time podcast, the out, proud lesbian said she disagreed with Rowling and called for more gentleness on all sides of the debate.
The actress told host Nigel May: “I think her opinion is too harsh.”
“If you can make people happy, do it” – Miriam Margolyes
She also expressed discomfort with the “fury” shown by parts of the trans community towards Rowling, encouraging kindness and understanding instead.
Margolyes emphasised her support for transgender people: “I really just feel supportive about this tiny group of people who are trans, and if they want me to use pronouns, I think it’s the right thing to do. If you can make people happy, do it.”
Rowling has long made headlines for her views on gender, drawing criticism from public figures such as Stephen Fry and actor Pedro Pascal. Fry recently called Rowling a “lost cause,” while Pascal said: “Bullies make me fucking sick.”
Can't say I feel very shut down, but keep at it, Pedro. God loves a trier. pic.twitter.com/xuyRGiquLx
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 28, 2025
Other Harry Potter cast members, including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, have also publicly supported the trans community in light of Rowling’s comments.
The row was reignited in April when Rowling took to X (formerly Twitter) to describe the UK Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definition of “sex” as “TERF VE Day.”
Since then, Rowling has continued to make controversial remarks, including praising BBC News presenter Martine Croxall after she swapped the phrase “pregnant people” for “women” during a live broadcast.
The author’s most recent comment on gender ideology, posted on X, reads: “Gender identity ideology is an unfalsifiable, quasi-religious belief system.”
Gender identity ideology is an unfalsifiable, quasi-religious belief system that demands absurdities of its adherents. Thus we see perfectly intelligent people pretending they’re not sure which sex they are, in the belief that this makes them virtuous. https://t.co/0f5O4IUAqg
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) July 16, 2025
The conversation around transgender rights is currently at the heart of political debate, most recently following this weeks update to the UK’s Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE) guidance.
The new guidance instructs schools to treat trans identities as a topic of “significant debate” and advises educators not to teach that all people have a gender identity.