J.K. Rowling shot to literary superstardom with her Harry Potter series of children’s books that absolutely dominated the bestseller charts and in turn became a series of beloved films.
With the story of a boy wizard who attends a British wizarding school and saves the world from destruction, Rowling helped a generation of children believe in their own secret, untapped abilities, which is why her fans were shocked and disappointed when Rowling began tweeting anti-trans sentiments in 2020.
The backlash from fans was immediate and passionate, including celebrity fans like Sex & the City star Cynthia Nixon who, as US Weekly reported, said,
“We’re a Harry Potter family. The books seem to be about championing people who are different, so for her to select this one group of people who are obviously different and sort of deny their existence, it’s just … it’s really baffling.”
But nowhere was the reaction as strong as among the cast of the Harry Potter films themselves. Below are what the stars of the series had to say about Rowling’s bigoted statements:
Daniel Radcliffe – Harry Potter
In an essay on the website of The Trevor Project, a non-profit that focuses on suicide prevention among young members of the LGBTQ+ community, Radcliffe, who played the titular “Boy Who Lived” in the film series, disagreed with Rowling with respect and love.
“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken… I feel compelled to say something at this moment. 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. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”
Emma Watson – Hermione Granger
Watson, who played Harry’s best friend-cum-girlfriend Hermione in the series, took to Twitter to respond to Rowling’s comments, with a thread that to date has racked up over 900,000 likes.
“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.
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.
Happy #PRIDE2020 Sending love x”
Rupert Grint – Ron Weasley
Grint played Harry’s other best friend, and in a heartwarming example of art imitating life, gave an interview with The Times of London backing up Radcliffe and Watson and disavowing Rowling’s anti-Trans sentiments.
“I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”
Bonnie Wright – Ginny Weasley
Following in the footsteps of her fictional older brother, Wright took to her Twitter account to support the rights of trans women to exist.
“If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question. Transwomen are Women. I see and love you, Bonnie x”
Evanna Lynch – Luna Lovegood
Lynch took to Twitter to defend trans rights, and while she subsequently deleted the post, the Internet never forgets and so we can enjoy her very thoughtful and sincere words
“Feeling like you don’t fit in or aren’t accepted for who you are are the worst, most lovely feelings a human can experience and I won’t be helping marginalize trans women and men further.
“I applaud the immense bravery they show in embracing themselves and we should we all should listen to their stories, especially as it is Pride Month. I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts and I wish Jo wouldn’t.”
