Harry Potter and the curse of the author
Star hopes JK Rowling’s trans tweets haven’t tarnished the books for fans
HARRY Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has waded into the transgender row involving author JK Rowling and said he hopes her comments will not “taint” the series for fans. Rowling attracted criticism for tweets posted over the weekend. She took issue with a headline on an online article discussing “people who menstruate,” and said: “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” She was accused of transphobism, an allegation Rowling strongly denies. Daniel, who became a star after playing boy wizard Harry in the adaptations of the books, has commented on the row, stating “transgender women are women”.
He shared a statement through the LGBT suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project, saying while Rowling “is responsible for the course my life has taken... as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment”.
Writing that the issue is not about “in-fighting between JK Rowling and myself,” Daniel added:
“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.”
He cited statistics from The Trevor Project, claiming 78 per cent of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being discriminated against due to their gender identity. He said: “We need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not cause further harm. “To all the people who feel their experience of the books has been tarnished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused.” Rowling, 54, stood by her comments, arguing: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”