Pedro Pascal, renowned for his roles in The Last of Us, The Mandalorian, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has publicly criticized Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for her ongoing opposition to the transgender community. His comments came in response to a video posted by writer and activist Tariq Raouf on April 17, which criticized Rowling's support for the UK Supreme Court's recent decision. This ruling legally defines "woman" as "a biological woman and biological sex" in the context of the country's equality legislation, thereby excluding transgender women from protections under the Equality Act.
Following the ruling, Rowling celebrated on Twitter/X with a photo of herself smoking a cigar and sipping a drink by the ocean, captioning it, "I love it when a plan comes together." This was a nod to her previous financial support for the organization For Scotland Women, which filed the lawsuit.
Pedro Pascal has been a vocal advocate for the transgender community. Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for The Walt Disney Company Limited.
In his response to Raouf's video, which described Rowling's actions as "serious Voldemort villain sht," Pascal echoed the sentiment, stating, "Awful disgusting SHT is exactly right. Heinous LOSER behavior."
Pascal's support for the transgender community is well-documented. He has previously shared strong statements on social media, such as, "I can’t think of anything more vile and small and pathetic than terrorizing the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except the right to exist," accompanied by an image of a sign proclaiming, "A world without trans people has never existed and never will." Additionally, he wore a "Protect the dolls" shirt to the premiere of Thunderbolts in London, a phrase used within the LGBTQIA+ community to refer to trans women.
His sister, Lux Pascal, came out as a trans woman in 2021, and Pedro has been openly supportive, celebrating her announcement with the message, "Mi hermana, mi corazón, nuestra Lux," translating to "My sister, my heart, our Lux."