Daniel Radcliffe is standing behind the trans community after J.K. Rowling made yet another series of transphobic tweets on June 6. In a statement published by The Trevor Project, the non-profit organization that focuses on crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth, the actor apologized for the pain caused by the Harry Potter author’s comments and called on fans to support transgender and nonbinary people.
“Transgender women are women,” he wrote. “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.”
In the statement, Radcliffe cautioned press outlets against painting his statement as “in-fighting” between Rowling and himself. He also linked to The Trevor Project’s introductory Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth and concluded his statement by addressing fans “who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished.” Read the full text here.
Radcliffe isn’t the only Harry Potter star speaking out in support of trans people in the wake of the author’s comments. As Forbes reported, Noma Dumezweni (who played Hermione Granger in the original Broadway/West End Harry Potter and the Cursed Child productions), Katie Leung (who played Cho Chang in the films), and Chris Rankin (who played Percy Weasley in the films), have all tweeted in response.
2. As I honour mine, and the trans friends in my life. I’ll defer to THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES, not their erasure. And these are just the WOMEN! There is Magic in listening. This 🌍 has stories for millennia. I know You Know All this…with love. Nx #TransRightsAreHumanRights pic.twitter.com/dvkS14rIVL
— Noma (@MissDumezweni) June 7, 2020
— Katie Leung (@Kt_Leung) June 7, 2020
— Katie Leung (@Kt_Leung) June 7, 2020
— Katie Leung (@Kt_Leung) June 7, 2020
My beautiful, brave, strong, trans friends and house of #ChrisNess family. We love you. I can’t say it enough. You’re wonderful, and deserve to be treated as such.
Please know that.
Be proud of who you are. We are proud of you ❤️
— Chris Rankin (@chrisrankin) June 6, 2020
