The charity group Fathers 4 Justice (F4J) have asked that Harry Potter author JK Rowling distance herself from the single parent charity she is a part of, Gingerbread. The group F4J states that Gingerbread supports the separation of millions of children from their fathers.
Posting on the Fathers 4 Justice Facebook page they said, “In the fantasy novels, Harry Potter lost his parents. Now, thanks to organizations like Gingerbread and their president, JK Rowling, nearly four million children in the UK have lost their fathers in real life.” The campaign was launched on the eve of Father’s Day.
JK Rowling has backed the organization Gingerbread since 2000 and she became president in 2007. The group says it provides advice and support for single parent families, as well as lobbying the government for law reform. Gingerbread has several other celebrity members including actress Arabella Weir, author Martina Cole and former basketball player John Amaechi OBE among its ambassadors, as well as a number of donors including Barclaycard and Marks and Spencer.
The Fathers 4 Justice appeal ended: “We hope that JK Rowling will reflect on her support for Gingerbread – the charity for single parenting, not shared parenting – because every child’s story deserves a happy ending with both their parents.”
It says there is “nothing magical about four million fatherless kids,” and has called on Ms. Rowling to abandon her support for the “anti-father, anti-shared parenting organization Gingerbread and her position as their President.” JK Rowling has declined to comment.