Author J.K. Rowling has responded to the Vancouver Park Board’s apology to the community for hosting an official Harry Potter event this fall.
Rowling took to social media on Thursday afternoon to reply to commissioner Tom Digby, who introduced a motion urging the Park Board to apologize to transgender, gender-diverse, and Two-Spirit (TGD2S) individuals for the harm caused by the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience.
The novelist mocked Digby and the Park Board’s disavowal of her, stating that she didn’t even know she had been “avowed.”
To be honest, I didn’t even know Vancouver Parks and Recreations had avowed me, so the disavowal hasn’t been much of a blow. Next time, send me a certificate of avowal, wait until I’ve proudly framed it, hung it over my PC and taken a selfie with it, THEN revoke it. pic.twitter.com/3dpWWCAXsF
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 9, 2025
“To be honest, I didn’t even know Vancouver Parks and Recreations had avowed me, so the disavowal hasn’t been much of a blow,” Rowling posted on X.
“Next time, send me a certificate of avowal, wait until I’ve proudly framed it, hung it over my PC and taken a selfie with it, THEN revoke it.”
There has been considerable outcry surrounding the associations between the Harry Potter event and the author behind the franchise, which Digby acknowledged in his motion.
“Deep concerns about the event have arisen because the original author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, has, since at least 2018, used her platform and the wealth gained from the Harry Potter franchise to fund and amplify anti-transgender political campaigns, and her actions have caused harm to trans communities worldwide, including here in Vancouver,” he wrote in the motion.
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. (Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences)
“The potential negative effects on an important part of our community by the decision to host the Harry Potter event in Stanley Park opening in November 2025 has called into question the reputation of the Park Board regarding, specifically, its commitment to the TGD2S community, and more generally, whether it intends to profit from events which are associated with the targeting of any of our diverse equity seeking groups in Vancouver.”
The motion, which passed unanimously on Tuesday, Oct. 7, requested that the Vancouver Park Board instruct staff to report back and confirm that the Harry Potter event will run for only one season, with no extension or renewal.
It was moved that the Park Board publicly disavow J.K. Rowling’s political activity and directed the Chair to send letters of apology to members of the community.
Vancouver Park Board is also asking staff to report back on concrete actions that they can undertake to “repair trust and address the harm” caused by hosting the Harry Potter event.
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. (Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences)
Rowling mockingly posted that she’ll need a few years of therapy and family support before being able to hear the words “Vancouver Parks and Recreations” and not suffer a breakdown.
I wouldn’t say ‘never’, but with time, therapy and the support of my family, I anticipate that I’ll be able to hear the words ‘Vancouver Parks and Recreations’ without suffering a serious breakdown within two to three years.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) October 9, 2025
Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience is set to open on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Stanley Park. The experience will lead guests along a lit pathway filled with interactive moments from the Wizarding World.
Event organizers estimate that the entire walk will take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete, with the walking trail itself taking 45 to 75 minutes to complete.