You needn’t live on the internet to know that J.K. Rowling hasn’t exactly been doing her public image any favors over the last couple of years. The Harry Potter author, once universally loved for gifting bookworms the wonderful Wizarding World, has repeatedly come under fire for comments accused by many of being deeply transphobic, a hill Rowling seems intent to die on instead of providing an apology for any offense caused and moving well along.
There are, of course, many who still support the writer, a seemingly large group that’s recently been provided what’s undoubtedly an accidental outlet from an unlikely source to show that support. U.K. publication The Guardian recently ran an open poll for readers to register their ‘Person of the Year’ which, it turns out, threw the gates wide open for Rowling to come out on top.
It’s impossible to know if votes registered for Rowling were done so in jest or out of genuine admiration, but suffice it to say that it swiftly became clear where the results were headed. It’s worth pointing out that The Guardian has yet to provide an explanation for why the poll was closed — the reason could be wholly unrelated to Rowling — but that hasn’t stopped users on social media from accusing the publication of pulling the survey for that very reason. Check out some reactions for yourselves below.
As for the final result; votes are presumably still being tallied. Look out for an update in the near future.