Daniel Radcliffe is speaking out.
The actor responded to controversy surrounding “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling and her recent tweets that drew backlash from the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Rowling came under fire over the weekend for taking issue with an op-ed using the phrase “people who menstruate,” and seemingly poked fun at the non-gendered language.
“I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. someone help me out. wumben? wimpund? woomud?” she wrote.
In a lengthy statement published on The Trevor Project’s website on Monday, Radcliffe acknowledged that Rowling is “unquestionably responsible” for his success and he doesn’t wish to perpetuate the idea that he and the writer are at odds personally. However, the 30-year-old clarified that he felt “compelled” as a Trevor Project contributor and “just as a human being” to share his take on Rowling’s position.
“Transgender women are women. 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,” he wrote in part.
The “Miracle Workers” star went on to address “Harry Potter” fans who may feel conflicted about their connection to the beloved books and films amid Rowling’s posts, sharing why he believes it’s possible to continue holding the series close to their hearts regardless of Rowling’s public persona.
“To all the people who now feel that their experience of the [Harry Potter] books has been tarnished or diminished, 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 those stories to you,” he continued. “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. And in my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.”
Rowling stood by her original comment in multiple follow-up tweets on Saturday, explaining that she considers herself a trans supporter whose opinion on biological sex versus gender identity doesn’t make her “hateful” or a “TERF” – an acronym for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
“The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense,” she wrote.
Adding, “I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
Celebrities including Sarah Paulson and Jonathan Van Ness slammed Rowling’s remarks with their own social media reactions, and GLAAD issued a response in which they encouraged followers to direct their support to initiatives helping black transgender people amid the current climate.
“JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans. In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people,” GLAAD tweeted.
Access Hollywood has reached out to The Trevor Project for comment on Radcliffe’s statement.
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