Bright Nights may be cancelled, but that isn’t the only thing that some Vancouverites are angry about.
Announced on September 3 was the relocation of Stanley Park’s iconic Bright Nights holiday celebration. In its place, another event has sparked much controversy amongst LGBTQ2IA+ groups.
VANCOUVER’S HARRY POTTER: A FORBIDDEN FOREST EXPERIENCE
While the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience has already garnered a fair amount of disappointment from many Vancouverites who were looking forward to the Bright Nights season, the event is attracting more controversy due to its creator.
For a number of years, Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has publicly voiced her opinion on transgender rights, with many of them being posted on social media. When the U.K. Supreme Court ruled that biological sex defines a woman earlier this year, Rowling announced on X about her excitement.
I love it when a plan comes together.#SupremeCourt #WomensRights pic.twitter.com/agOkWmhPgb
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 16, 2025
UNDER FIRE
Rowling has gained much backlash for her opinions on transgender people– specifically transgender women. Not only have members of the LGBTQ2IA+ group dismissed her comments as transphobic, but even Harry Potter’s actor Daniel Radcliffe admonished Rowling for her comments.
“Transgender women are women,” said Radcliffe on a blog post for the Trevor Project, which is an LGBTQ youth suicide prevention group. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
A number of Vancouverites are now calling for the cancellation of the Harry Potter: A Forbidden Forest Experience. Aside from the opinion that Bright Nights is more beneficial for Vancouver’s community, many are also angry due to J.K. Rowling’s position on the transgender community.
In a post on X, Vancouver City Councillor Lucy Maloney wrote that, “Vancouver is a city for all its people. Trans people included. I am calling on the Park Board to rethink this event and make it right.”
I support a democratically elected park board. Part of democracy is ensuring that the government’s decisions match the city’s values.
Vancouver is a city for all its people. Trans people included. I am calling on the Park Board to rethink this event and make this right. pic.twitter.com/4gk6JougEX
— Lucy Maloney (@Lucyincanada) September 8, 2025
With Bright Nights’ relocation and the controversy stirred by the Harry Potter attraction, the future for each event appears unclear.
