What is ‘JK Rowling is a Holocaust’ and why is it trending?

On March 13, 2024, JK Rowling was accused of Holocaust denial on X, and about a month later, British journalist Rivkah Brown posted a statement regarding the controversy, causing “JK Rowling is a Holocaust” to trend on the platform.

It started when Rowling, an outspoken critic of trans rights, challenged the assertion that Nazi Germany burned books related to trans healthcare and research. In response, Rowling said the person should check their sources, seeming to doubt that the Nazis destroyed books on those topics. As someone on X responded, however — just one of many who pushed back on the children’s author — Nazi Germany did target transgender people in their policies, citing Smithsonian Magazine for the information.

Rivkah Brown called JK Rowling a “Holocaust denier”

Among many others who called JK Rowling a Holocaust denier for her seeming refusal to believe that Nazi Germany persecuted transgender people in particular — deporting many trans people to concentration camps, according to the Museum of Jewish Heritage — British journalist Rivkah Brown from Novara Media accused Rowling of the same. The next day, Rowling responded, mentioning Brown’s controversial comments on the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel. (Rowling wrote the wrong date.)

Rivkah Brown’s X retraction

About a month after the JK Rowling Holocaust controversy erupted on X, on April 15, Brown posted this retraction on X, perhaps taking Rowling’s threat to see her in court seriously.

“On 13 March I tweeted that JK Rowling ‘is a Holocaust denier’. That allegation was false and offensive. I have deleted it and apologise to JK Rowling.”

via Rivkah Brown/X

Many pointed out that British libel law likely caused Brown to back off. Although Brown apologized likely due to the possibility of legal action, other netizens maintained their position that Rowling’s views on transgender rights are tantamount to Holocaust denial. As a result, “JK Rowling is a Holocaust” started trending. To be specific, it’s not the Holocaust itself that Rowling is doubting the existence of, but the historicity of transgender people being specifically targeted by the Third Reich — alongside Jews, Roma, homosexuals, political prisoners, the disabled, and other communities —that she stands accused by Brown, and many others, of wrongfully denying.

As of this report, Rowling had not yet posted on X about Brown’s apology. Given Rowling’s inability to keep her mouth shut on the platform, however, and the fact that her name combined with the Holocaust is once again trending, one can only imagine Rowling’s response is forthcoming. We’ll be watching.