Fury over Oxfam's Pride cartoon over 'JK Rowling Terf character'

Oxfam is forced to delete Twitter Pride month cartoon depicting angry ‘Terf’ character ‘resembling JK Rowling’ after furious backlash – as an ex-volunteer says she was hounded out of charity for defending Harry Potter author

  • The video was released for Pride Month and proudly shared by Oxfam online
  • But a ‘Terf’ character said to bear an uncanny resemblance to author JK Rowling 

Oxfam was this morning accused of ‘disgusting propaganda’ amid a row over its Pride month cartoon – which appeared to base an anti-trans ‘villain’ on JK Rowling.

The animated video, proudly shared with charity’s millions of supporters, featured three figures, two men and a woman, all with evil-looking eyes.

But the woman appeared to look like the world famous Harry Potter writer. Ms Rowling is understood to have seen the cartoon and liked a tweet criticising the depiction of the cartoon character. She declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

The graphic displayed what seemed to be like her usual haircut and style, as well as a green dress she is frequently pictured wearing.

A memorial poppy she has donned in the real image – taken at a 2018 film premiere – is replaced with a badge, bearing the word ‘Terf’.

The acronym stands for Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist, a view the author has denied having.

This picture of JK Rowling at the Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald premier in Paris in 2018 is very similar to the cartoon

The video is less than a minute long and was made for Oxfam by Bangalore-based Falana Films

Today supporters of the Robert Galbraith author said she should consider legal action against the multi-million-pound raising cause.

Asked about the similarities between the cartoon and the writer, Oxfam said it would respond to MailOnline shortly. But it took down the film around an hour later, declaring ‘We have removed the post because of concerns raised with us. We will re-post shortly.’

The video, which was made by Bangalore-based Falana Films, is less than a minute long.

It tells the story of LGBTQIA+ people around the world and how they are deprived of basic safety.

The film then continues to say that they are ‘preyed on by hate groups online and offline’ and shows depictions of social media sites. 

JK Rowling, 57, is attacked online by extremist pro-trans campaigners regularly over her views

JK Rowling has previously described former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as a ‘destroyer of women’s rights’

Three people are then shown – including the ‘Rowling character’ –  pointing at the LGBTQIA+ people.

Falana Films did not respond as to why the figure had been portrayed like that.

READ MORE: Irvine Welsh says JK Rowling has been ‘demonized’ as ‘some kind of witch’ in bitter transgender debate

It did not address whether it had been specifically commisioned to appear that way.

The depiction was not unnoticed by her supporters online.

One wrote: ‘I hope JK Rowling sues Oxfam’.

Another said it was an ‘Utterly disgusting piece of propaganda’ and added ‘Using the word TERF on what is obviously meant to be JK Rowling’.

A further commentator agreed: ‘The similarity was intentional. I immediately recognised that drawing as a caricature of JK Rowling.’

It came as  

JK Rowling has repeatedly been branded transphobic over her views surrounding the LGBT+ debate on social media.

She came under fire in early June 2020 over tweets she posted.

Referring to an article that referenced ‘people who menstruate’, the author tweeted: ‘I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’

The stance prompted some Harry Potter stars such as Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe to speak out against her views.

In fact the author has been campaigning for women’s rights and female-only spaces amid safety fears predatory men could poses as trans women to use them.

Miss Watson made her remarks after Miss Rowling wrote an essay to address the controversy, revealing she was sexually assaulted in her 20s and still felt the scars of ‘domestic violence’ in her first marriage.

Watson said at the time: ‘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.’ 

She went on to say that she was proud to donate to charities such as Mermaids – who are now at the centre of huge controversy – and Mama Cash before encouraging her fans to do the same.

Miss Watson concluded: ‘Happy #Pride2020 Sending love x.’  

Radcliffe also felt compelled to make a statement.

He insisted: ‘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.

‘Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. 

‘While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.’

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