Daniel Radcliffe speaks out against J.K. Rowling amid ongoing transphobia allegations
Daniel Radcliffe has criticised J.K. Rowling in a new interview, declaring he “wouldn’t be able to look (himself) in the mirror” if he didn’t speak out against her claims.
It’s been two years since Daniel Radcliffe took a public stance against J.K. Rowling’s alleged transphobia after her comments about gender identity and biological sex saw the tide sensationally turn on the author.
Now, the Harry Potterstar, who stars in the upcoming Weird Al Yankovic biopic, has doubled down on the open letter he penned in solidarity with the transgender community, opening up about his motive behind distancing himself from Rowling despite her work being the driving force behind his early career.
In a new interview with IndieWire, Radcliffe said he felt strongly about making his own beliefs clear to protect fans of the Harry Potter film franchise, declaring he “wouldn’t have been able to look (himself) in the mirror” had he stayed silent.
“The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with ‘Potter’ on that,” Radcliffe said.
“And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”
Radcliffe’s letter was aired on the website of The Trevor Project, a non-profit organisation which focuses on suicide prevention efforts in the LGBTQI+ community.
“It was really important as I’ve worked with the Trevor Project for more than 10 years, and so I don’t think I would’ve been able to look myself in the mirror had I not said anything,” Radcliffe added.
“But it’s not mine to guess what’s going on in someone else’s head.”
Rowling, 57, has come under fire over the past few years amid accusations of making transphobic comments linked to a June 2020 tweet in which she disparaged use of the inclusive term “people who menstruate”.
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
While claiming she has been “empathetic to trans people for decades”, the multi-millionaire went on to argue the concept of biological sex must be upheld to avoid erasure of “the lived reality of women globally,” making reference to male violence.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction,” the author wrote. “If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.”
She went on to publish an essay addressing the controversy, revealing she was sexually assaulted in her 20s and still felt the scars of alleged domestic violence in her first marriage, which has contributed to her continuing to “fight for women”.
In it, Rowling explained that her interest in biological sex and trans issues has always been “intensely personal”.
“I’m concerned about the huge explosion in young women wishing to transition and also about the increasing numbers who seem to be detransitioning (returning to their original sex), because they regret taking steps that have, in some cases, altered their bodies irrevocably, and taken away their fertility,” she wrote.
“Some say they decided to transition after realising they were same-sex attracted, and that transitioning was partly driven by homophobia, either in society or in their families.
“The more of their accounts of gender dysphoria I’ve read, with their insightful descriptions of anxiety, dissociation, eating disorders, self-harm and self-hatred, the more I’ve wondered whether, if I’d been born 30 years later, I too might have tried to transition.
“The allure of escaping womanhood would have been huge,” she wrote as she revealed the pain of her past as a victim of assault.
Rowling has continued to double down on her position over the years since.
Responding shortly after the essay, tweet and subsequent comments went viral, Radcliffe wrote in his own piece addressing the saga: “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.”
Radcliffe added, “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 these stories to you.”
Emma Watson, who famously played Hermione Granger in the films, has also made it clear she stands with the trans community, even appearing to take a subtle swipe at Rowling onstage at the BAFTAs last year.
Most recently, Tom Felton, the actor behind Draco Malfoy, raised eyebrows with his comments that Rowling should be “celebrated” for her work, while distancing the film franchise from her books.
“I’m pro-choice, pro-discussion, pro-human rights across the board and pro-love. And anything that is not those things, I don’t really have much time for,” Felton told The Independent last month.
“It is also a reminder that as much as Jo is the founder of [these] stories, she wasn’t part of the filmmaking process as much as some people might think. I think I only recall seeing her once or twice on set.”
However, he added to Radio 4, “I am quick to remind myself and others that ‘Potter’ for some reason has brought more people together across the world and more generations than probably anything else has in the past 20 years and I’m quick to celebrate that.
“It came from one person and that’s her so I’m very grateful.”