Daniel Radcliffe apologises to fans over Harry Potter author JK Rowling’s tweets on transgender identity

Harry Potter author JK Rowling and boy wizard actor Daniel Radcliffe have been brought together in a new drama.

Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe, left, and author JK Rowling.

The author of the Harry Potter books and the actor who played the boy wizard have been brought together in a new drama. This time, however, the magic has been replaced by accusations of transphobia.

Daniel Radcliffe, who appeared in the eight Harry Potter films, has apologised on behalf of JK Rowling after she tweeted about the importance of biological sex. In a show of support for those offended by Rowling’s comments, the actor said he hoped that it would not “taint” the stories after the author attracted criticism from trans groups.

Rowling wrote on June 6 that she was puzzled by a headline on an article about creating a more equal world that referred to “people who menstruate”.

“I’m sure there used to be a word for those people,” she wrote. “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” When others replied that she was being transphobic, she argued that biological sex was meaningful to her and other women despite claims by some trans commentators that it is unimportant.

‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?

Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020

Radcliffe, who supports the suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project, responded that “transgender women are women” regardless of biology.

“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,” he wrote in a blog post for the project.

The actor said that he owed his career to the author and that his response was not intended as “in-fighting between JK Rowling and myself”.

He cited figures from the charity that suggested 78 per cent of transgender and non-binary youth had reported being the subject of discrimination because of their gender identity.

“It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm,” he added.

Radcliffe, 30, told fans of Rowling’s Harry Potter books: “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you.”

He added: “I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, non-binary or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life – then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.”

Rowling’s comments were described as a “slap in the face” by Scarlet Marie, a Harry Potter fan who recently came out as a trans woman. “Harry had all of this power and a world awaiting him, but he hid away. I related to that,” she told Radio 1 Newsbeat.

The debate attracted further attention when the broadcaster Jonathan Ross first endorsed, then withdrew support for Rowling. Defending the author, Ross had tweeted that she was both right and magnificent. “For those accusing her of transphobia, please read what she wrote. She clearly is not.”

Then after one of his daughters, Honey Kinney Ross, had criticised Rowling, he added: “Those who know me will concede I try to be thoughtful & not a dick. Having talked to some people (OK, my daughters) re my earlier tweet, I’ve come to accept that I’m not in a position to decide what is or isn’t considered transphobic. It’s a wildly sensitive subject. Let’s keep talking.”

Rowling did not respond publicly to Radcliffe’s statement, but has said she stands by her comments. She tweeted: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. 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. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. 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. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.

— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020

In December Rowling, 45, who has 14.5 million followers on Twitter, was accused of being transphobic when she supported a researcher who was sacked after tweeting that transgender people cannot change their biological sex.

The Times