‘Harry Potter’ stars are coming out of the woodwork to blast JK Rowling’s transphobia

Via Wikimedia Commons

With Harry Potter author JK Rowling penning a lengthy essay explaining the reasons for her repeated transphobic sentiments, Hollywood celebrities–including some key figures from the Harry Potter film series–have come out against the author.

Rowling published her essay June 10, in which she came out as a survivor of sexual assault and domestic violence, and in which she decried what she sees as an explosion of women transitioning to male, only to “untransition” later. The author embraced her labeling as a TERF–a transgender excluding radical feminist–and claims that most teens who experience gender dysphoria will grow out of it. Rowling makes it clear that she sees the rise of transgender rights as a threat to women orchestrated by men.

The argument didn’t land, at least not with several Potter alumni. The Harry Potter of the big screen, actor Daniel Radcliffe, released a statement defending the transgender community, and pushing back against Rowling’s essay.

“It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm,” Radcliffe wrote on The Trevor Project blog. “I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred.”

Potter star Emma Watson, who played Hermoine Granger in the film series, also chimed in. “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are,” Watson tweeted. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

Actor Eddie Redmayne, who plays the lead in the Potter spinoff series Fantastic Beasts, also shared his thoughts….

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