On Monday, September 29, 2025, the debate over transgender rights took center stage on two continents, highlighting the deeply personal and political nature of the issue. In the United Kingdom, J.K. Rowling, the famed creator of the Harry Potter universe, reignited controversy by publicly criticizing actress Emma Watson and fellow Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe for their support of transgender rights. Meanwhile, in Japan, a landmark court ruling in Sapporo struck down a longstanding legal requirement that transgender individuals must alter the appearance of their genitals to change their legal gender, marking a significant step forward for trans rights in that country. Together, these events underscore the ongoing global struggle over the recognition and protection of transgender people.
Rowling’s latest comments came in response to Watson’s recent appearance on the podcast ‘On Purpose With Jay Shetty,’ where Watson addressed the rift between herself and the author. Watson, who has been an outspoken supporter of the transgender community since Rowling’s controversial remarks in 2020, expressed her nuanced feelings about their differences. “I will never believe that one negates the other and that my experience of that person, I don’t get to keep and cherish,” Watson said, referring to her relationship with Rowling. “I think it’s my deepest wish that I hope people who don’t agree with my opinion will love me, and I hope I can keep loving people who I don’t necessarily share the same opinion with.”
Rowling, however, was not swayed by Watson’s conciliatory words. Taking to social media, she posted a lengthy critique of Watson, suggesting that the actress’s privileged background rendered her out of touch with the realities faced by women in public spaces. “Like other people who’ve never experienced adult life uncushioned by wealth and fame, Emma has so little experience of real life she’s ignorant of how ignorant she is,” Rowling wrote on X (formerly Twitter), as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The author went on to argue that Watson’s support for the trans community had, in her view, harmed women’s rights. “Her ‘public bathroom’ is single occupancy and comes with a security man standing guard outside the door,” Rowling added, questioning whether Watson had ever faced the discomfort of “a newly mixed-sex changing room at a council-run swimming pool.”
Rowling’s post did not stop at Watson. She also called out Daniel Radcliffe and others who have publicly critiqued her views, accusing them of assuming “the role of de facto spokespeople for the world [Rowling] created.” According to Rowling, while Watson had privately sent her a letter expressing sympathy for the threats Rowling received following her anti-trans comments, the actress continued to publicly oppose her stance. Rowling noted, “Emma is rightly free to disagree with me and indeed to discuss her feelings about me in public — but I have the same right, and I’ve finally decided to exercise it.”
The rift between Rowling and the stars of her beloved franchise has become emblematic of a broader cultural divide over transgender rights in the UK and beyond. Rowling has consistently argued that only those assigned female at birth should be recognized as women, framing her position as a defense of women’s rights. Rather than acknowledging the reality of transgender identities, she has referred to the issue as an “ideology” and an “activist movement.” Her comments have sparked fierce backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and allies, while also finding support among some politicians and activists who share her concerns about the implications for women’s spaces and rights.
As the debate rages in the UK, Japan has been quietly undergoing its own transformation in the realm of transgender rights. On September 19, 2025, the Sapporo Family Court in Hokkaido issued a ruling that could reshape the legal landscape for trans people across the country. The court found that the legal requirement for transgender individuals to alter the appearance of their genitals in order to change their legal gender is unconstitutional, adding momentum to a nationwide push for greater respect for trans people’s fundamental rights.
Since 2004, Japanese law has imposed a series of stringent requirements on those seeking to legally change their gender. Under the Gender Identity Disorder Special Cases Act, applicants were required to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, be surgically sterilized, and possess genitalia “that closely resemble the physical form of an alternative gender.” Additionally, they had to be single and have no children under the age of 18. Critics have long argued that these requirements are invasive, discriminatory, and out of step with international human rights standards.
The tide began to turn in 2023, when Japan’s Supreme Court heard the case of a transgender woman who challenged the law’s sterilization requirement. In a rare move—the twelfth such decision in modern Japanese history—the court unanimously ruled that “being forced to undergo sterilization surgery ... constitutes a significant constraint on freedom from invasive procedures” and violated the constitution’s protections for the pursuit of happiness and protection against discrimination. The Supreme Court remanded the case to a lower court to review the related requirement for genital appearance.
In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision, lower courts began to interpret the law more liberally, allowing hormone treatment to satisfy the appearance requirement. However, this still placed a medical burden on transgender people seeking legal recognition. The Sapporo Family Court’s recent ruling went a step further, finding that requiring hormone treatment to change genital appearance also violated constitutional protections. This decision, according to reporting from Human Rights Watch, affirms that legal recognition of gender should not be tied to gender-affirming medical procedures, but instead should be based on individual choice.
The implications of the Sapporo ruling are significant, not just for Japan but for the international community. For two years, Japan’s national parliament, the Diet, has been debating how to implement the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision. The Sapporo court’s stance adds urgency to these discussions, making it clear that any resolution should align with international human rights norms and the global medical consensus. Legal gender recognition, the court suggests, must be separated from medical transition requirements, reflecting a growing international trend toward self-identification and bodily autonomy for transgender people.
The contrast between the UK’s fractious public debate and Japan’s slow but steady legal progress offers a window into the complexities of transgender rights worldwide. In the UK, high-profile cultural figures like Rowling, Watson, and Radcliffe have become lightning rods in a debate that is as much about personal values as it is about public policy. In Japan, change is emerging through the courts, with judges and lawmakers grappling with how best to respect the dignity and autonomy of transgender citizens.
As both countries wrestle with these issues, the voices of those most affected—transgender people themselves—remain at the heart of the conversation. Whether through the passionate advocacy of celebrities or the careful deliberations of judges, the struggle for trans rights continues to challenge societies to balance tradition, safety, and the fundamental right to self-determination.
With Rowling’s words still echoing across social media and the ink barely dry on the Sapporo court’s decision, the world is reminded that the fight for transgender rights is far from over. The path forward will undoubtedly be shaped by both fierce public debate and landmark legal rulings, as countries and communities work to define what equality and recognition truly mean in the 21st century.
