Why have Oxfam removed a tweet amid furore from JK Rowling fans during Pride Month 2023?

Fans and supporters of Harry Potter author J.K Rowling have taken to social media in force today, as Oxfam have deleted a recent tweet that was alleged to caricature the author. The post, as part of Oxfam’s celebrations regarding Pride Month 2023, was subsequently removed as the organisation took to Twitter to acknowledge that “we have removed the post because of concerns raised with us. We will re-post shortly #ProtectThePride.”

The “offending” advert depicted three people pointing fingers and a smaller character, with a female in the middle wearing a “TERF” badge. Many believed that the choice of dress, the look of the character and the “TERF” badge was a hardly-veiled dig at Rowling, who has previously been deemed a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” due to her comments about women's and trans rights previously. 

Oxfam have yet to reveal what their report will be, but took down their original post this morning - however, the internet being an archive of everything great and awful that’s ever been posted online, still has the image floating around social media, as more fans have taken the charity to task for their alleged depiction.

“No. No! No this is not good enough. This advert would have gone through EXTENSIVE reviews at  @oxfam and yet you STILL published it. This is not about this advert. This is about the culture at Oxfam,” one Twitter user wrote, while another reposted the image stating that “The video with its offensive slur is still on your website as of 2 minutes ago.”

JK Rowling’s views on trans people have become a controversial topic since a series of tweets she posted in June 2020, alongside publishing a lengthy post on her website.

In these statements, she expressed concerns about gender identity, the concept of sex, and allowing trans women into women-only spaces. Her views were perceived by some as transphobic, leading to backlash and calls to boycott the Harry Potter franchise.

Rowling has been criticised by fans, fellow actors from the Harry Potter movies like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, and various advocacy groups for her stance on trans rights.

However, she has defended her position, asserting that she respects every trans person's right to live authentically and without discrimination, while also expressing concerns about the impact of trans activism on women's rights.

Despite the backlash, Rowling has remained steadfast in her beliefs. In a podcast titled ‘The Witch Trials of JK Rowling,’ she stated that she is not concerned about how the backlash will affect her legacy and that she cares more about the present and the well-being of the living. She has also revealed that she has received direct threats of violence as a result of her stance.