J.K. Rowling quickly responded to Vladimir Putin after the Russian president compared the world’s response to his country’s invasion of Ukraine with previous public backlash faced by the “Harry Potter” author.
Ms. Rowling took to Twitter Friday, saying critiques of cancel culture shouldn’t be made by those “currently slaughtering civilians.”
Critiques of Western cancel culture are possibly not best made by those currently slaughtering civilians for the crime of resistance, or who jail and poison their critics. #IStandWithUkraine https://t.co/aNItgc5aiW
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) March 25, 2022
Ms. Rowling also shared a link to information about her children’s charity, Lumos, in Ukraine and thanked people for donating.
“Children trapped in orphanages and other institutions are exceptionally vulnerable right now. Thank you so much to everyone who has already donated to Lumos’s Ukraine appeal,” she tweeted.
Mr. Putin compared Western sanctions against Russia to cancel culture and likened it to the angry reaction that has met Ms. Rowling for her past comments on transgender issues.
“They are now trying to cancel our country. I’m talking about the progressive discrimination of everything to do with Russia,” Mr. Putin said.
Ms. Rowling has taken heat on social media recently for her opposition to a Scottish Parliament bill that would make it easier for transgender persons to get legal recognition of their preferred gender identity and would lower the minimum age to do so from 18 to 16. The novelist said she supported transgender rights but did not believe in “erasing” biological sex.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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