Daniel Radcliffe Responds to J.K. Rowling’s Transphobia

Actor Daniel Radcliffe has called out author J.K. Rowling for her transphobic comments in a powerful essay for The Trevor Project.

The Trevor Project is a non-profit organisation founded in 1998 by the makers of the Academy Award winning short film Trevor, provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQI youth.

“Transgender women are women,” said Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter in the films based on the books written by Rowling. “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 (Rowling) or I.”

Radfcliffe pointed to studies by the Trevor Project that showed that 78% of transgender and non-binary youth had reported that they had been subjected to discrimination based on 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.”

 Radcliffe sought to discourage speculation that he was taking on Rowling saying press may paint it “as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now”. However, the title of the essay made it clear that the actor’s statement was in response to Rowling’s tweet.

Over the weekend Rowling in response to an opinion piece titled ‘Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate’, tweeted “People who menstruate. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

The tweet attracted swift condemnation for trying to erase trans identities. One social media user pointing out that “transgender men can menstruate. Non-binary people menstruate. I, a 37-year old woman with a uterus, have not menstruated in a decade. Women are not defined by their periods.”

https://twitter.com/Aleen/status/1269394953299361793

Rowling followed the tweet with a thread that claimed she empathised with and had loved trans people for decades and would march if they felt discriminated against. “At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”

 This is not the first time Rowling has invited backlash for anti-trans comments. In December 2019, Rowling tweeted in support of researcher Maya Forstater who lost her job for making transphobic comments on social media.

“Dress however you please. Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?  #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill” Rowling had tweeted.

Dress however you please.
Call yourself whatever you like.
Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you.
Live your best life in peace and security.
But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) December 19, 2019

The fact that Rowling had once been considered as an ally was not lost on her LGBTQI fans. She had in the past confirmed that the character of Dumbledore was gay and had taken on homophobes inclusing the Westboro Baptist Church. However, as previously reported by the Star Observer members of the trans community have long suspected her to be a Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist.

Following Rowling’s 2019 tweets, Switchboard Victoria had posted a link to an article on Barnesandnoble.com about 11 novels with positive transgender representation.

Radcliffe was not the only actor from the Harry Potter films to take on Rowling. Katie Leung the actor who portrayed the character of Cho Chang had her take after social media posts called out Rowling for racism in her naming of the only Asian character in the Potter novels.

“So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes…,” Leung tweeted with a thread about the Black Lives Matter protests and the hashtag #AsiansForBlackLives.

So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes…(thread)

— Katie Leung (@Kt_Leung) June 7, 2020

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