Pedro Pascal has called out J.K. Rowling for her “heinous loser behavior” after the Harry Potter author shared a celebratory post following a U.K. court decision ruling about the definition of “woman.”
The Last of Us actor commented on a video posted to Instagram, calling for a boycott of Rowling’s Potter franchise after she was “reveling” in the U.K. Supreme Court’s ruling on April 16, which claimed that a woman is someone born biologically female, excluding transgender people from the legal definition.
Activist Tariq Ra’ouf shared the video on social media on April 17 after the U.K. Supreme Court’s ruling under the U.K. Equality Act, which means trans women can be excluded from some groups and single-sex spaces such as changing rooms, homeless shelters, swimming areas and medical or counselling services provided only to women.
Pascal commented on the video, writing, “Awful disgusting S— is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior.”
In the video, Ra’ouf explained that Rowling financially backed the campaign group For Women Scotland, which brought the case to the Scottish government to exclude transgender people from the legal definition.
After the ruling on April 16, Rowling posted a photo of herself on X, smoking a cigar and holding a drink. The author wrote: “I love it when a plan comes together. #SupremeCourt #WomensRights.”
Rowling, who reportedly donated tens of thousands of dollars to For Women Scotland, said she was “so proud” of the “extraordinary, tenacious” campaigners who took the case on a years-long battle through the courts.
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She wrote on X that “in winning, they’ve protected the rights of women and girls across the U.K.”
By April 24, the author had received backlash for sharing the celebratory photo with a drink and a cigar on X. She took to social media to address the criticism, writing, “If I’d known how much I’d enrage embittered misogynists by smoking a cigar, I’d have had six.”
Pascal doubled down on his support for the transgender community at a movie premiere in London for the launch of Thunderbolts on April 22.
He wore a T-shirt with the statement “Protect the dolls” written across the front while posing on the red carpet for the new Marvel movie.
The T-shirt is designed by Conner Ives and the slogan is a show of solidarity with trans women, who are affectionately referred to as “dolls” in the LGBTQ2+ community.
According to Ives’ website, proceeds from the sale of the T-shirt are being donated to Trans Lifeline, which is a trans-led U.S.-based charity that offers support to trans people in crisis.
Pascal is a vocal supporter of the transgender community and has spoken about his sister, Lux Pascal, who publicly came out as transgender in February 2021.
Lux did an interview with Chilean magazine Ya in 2021 and her brother shared the magazine cover on Instagram, writing, “Mi hermana, mi corazón, neustra Lux,” which translates to “My sister, my heart, our Lux.”
Lux had previously come out as non-binary, but in the interview, she revealed that she had been in the process of transitioning for a year. In the interview, she credited the Narcos actor for his support during her transition.
“(He) has been an important part of this. He’s also an artist and has served as a guide for me. He was one of the first people to gift me the tools that started shaping my identity,” she said of her brother. “Moving through the world as a woman is much more simple for me. But I still advocate for non-binary identities to have a space in society.”
Lux also recalled coming out to her brother during a FaceTime call.
“[He] asked me how I felt, because I remember he was a little worried,” she recalled. When she told him that she was happy, her brother said, “Perfect, this is incredible.”
In an interview with Esquire in 2023, Pascal said his sister has “always been one of the most powerful people and personalities I’ve ever known.”
He also said his “protective side is lethal, but I need her more than she needs me.”
— With files from The Associated Press
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