The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal has called out JK Rowling for celebrating the Supreme Court’s ruling that women refers to ‘biological women’ only under the Equality Act.
The UK’s top judges decided last week that the term “women” in the 2010 Equality Act referred to “biological women”.
The ruling followed legal action by gender-critical group For Women Scotland, who had the backing of Harry Potter author Rowling. After the verdict was announced, she posted a photo on social media of herself celebrating with a cigar and a cocktail. “I love it when a plan comes together,” she wrote, before stating her husband has dubbed the announcement date ‘TERF VE Day’.
Rowling has made her gender-critical views on the trans community very clear, often attracting criticism, and her latest move certainly didn’t go down well with some people.
In one viral video post, writer Tariq Ra’ouf branded her celebration “serious Voldemort villain sh*t”.
He went on to say: “[It should be] our mission as the general public to make sure that every single thing Harry-Potter-related fails.
“That means posting in every Harry Potter TV show update, in every article, that trans rights are human rights, that trans women are women. It means not buying a ticket to Universal to see Harry Potter World.
“That awful, disgusting sh*t [the celebration], that has consequences”.
And Pascal, soon to be seen in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, clearly agrees. “Awful, disgusting sh*t is exactly right. Heinous loser behaviour,” he wrote in response.
Pascal has long been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. His sister, actress Lux Pascal, is a trans woman, and his The Last of Us co-star Bella Ramsey identifies as non-binary. He is also good friends with gay Plainclothes actor Russell Tovey.
At the UK premiere of Thunderbolts* earlier this week, Pascal arrived on the red carpet wearing one of Conner Ives’ Protect The Dolls t-shirts, with “dolls” being used as a reference to transgender women.
Pascal first wore the t-shirt at his 50th birthday party, where he posed alongside trans DJ Honey Dijon.
Sales of the top have raised tens of thousands of dollars for US trans charity Trans Lifeline, after it was worn by Pascal and subsequently by singer Troye Sivan, who came out as gay in 2013.
In February, Pascal reshared a speech by activist Cecilia Gentili, in which she declared that those who are anti-trans “can do nothing to erase us or to make us disappear”. The actor, who will reprise his Fantastic Four role of Reed Richard in next year’s Avengers: Doomsday, added: “Progress is inevitable.”
He later shared a photo of a post which read: “A world without trans people has never existed and never will”. Attempts to strip the transgender community of rights were “vile” and “pathetic”, he added.
After trolls said they would be unfollowing him because of his stance, Pascal quipped: “That’s too bad. Wait, no I don’t give a sh*t.”
Other stars have also been vocal about their disapproval of the Supreme Court ruling and Rowling’s continued remarks about the trans community.
Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan said she has “never been made to feel unsafe” by a trans woman, and slammed actors who have signed up to appear in HBO’s Harry Potter TV reboot, which Rowling is producing. “Keep your new Harry Potter, lads. Wouldn’t touch it with a 10ft pole,” she wrote on Instagram Stories.
Couglan, seen recently in Doctor Who, has raised more than £120,000 ($160,000) for UK trans charity Not A Phase.
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