Pedro Pascal isn’t holding back when it comes to his thoughts on J.K. Rowling’s support of an anti-transgender ruling in the U.K.
The Last of Us star, 50 — whose sister Lux Pascal, came out as transgender in 2021 — recently shared a comment under an Instagram video criticizing Rowling, 59, who celebrated the U.K. Supreme Court’s April 16 ruling that transgender women should not be recognized as women under Britain’s Equality Act.
In the Instagram video, activist Tariq Ra’ouf explains Rowling’s role in the ruling — she financially backed the campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought the legal challenges to court — and called for a boycott of “Harry Potter-related” projects and experiences.
Ra’ouf also called out Rowling’s recent post celebrating the ruling with a cigar and drink in hand on X: “I love it when a plan comes together. #SupremeCourt #WomensRights.”
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In response, Pascal wrote under the video: “Awful disgusting SH– is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”
The actor, who has long been an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and has publicly supported his sister Lux’s transition, doubled down on his support for the group by attending the U.K. premiere of Marvel’s Thunderbolts* in London Tuesday, April 22 while wearing a white T-shirt emblazoned with the message “PROTECT THE DOLLS.”
The T-shirt is a part of a larger campaign by American designer Conner Ives. Ives, 28, designed the piece to call attention to the global anti-transgender sentiment that trans women are experiencing in several countries. “Dolls” is an affectionate term coined by the LGBTQ+ community to refer to transgender women.
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Pascal frequently shows public support for Lux’s transition, and she has accompanied Pascal to several red carpet premieres. Lux is an actress and activist who graduated from The Juilliard School in New York City in 2023.
The U.K.’s recent ruling is a controversial one, as it allows for single-sex services to exclude transgender women. The U.K. government said the ruling brought “clarity and confidence” for women and service providers, per The Athletic.
Pascal isn’t the only celebrity to speak out in opposition to Rowling, who first came under fire in 2020 for making comments that were widely condemned as transphobic. Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan slammed the author for her support of the anti-transgender law on her Instagram Stories following the ruling, writing, “This Is a New Low for J.K. Rowling.”
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“Keep your new Harry Potter lads,” referring to HBO’s new series that is adapting each of Rowling’s seven books into their own season. She added that she “wouldn’t touch [the series] with a ten-foot pole” due to the author’s anti-trans beliefs.
The cast of the original Harry Potter movies Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson spoke out in support of the trans community amidst the backlash. Radcliffe, who played the main protagonist, even penned an essay for the Trevor Project, writing, “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you.”
Watson, for her part, wrote in a tweet: “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are. I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”