Culture

Daniel Radcliffe Is Standing Up For Trans People After J.K. Rowling’s Transphobic Comments

"Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people..."

by Patrick Lenton  9 June 2020
Daniel Radcliffe

Want more Junkee in your life? Sign up to our newsletter, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook so you always know where to find us.

Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, has written a powerful statement in support of trans women, in response to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling’s transphobic Twitter comments over the weekend.

“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,” he writes baldly, for The Trevor Project. 

“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.”

Let’s hope Rowling takes note of that last sentence in particular.

Daniel Radcliffe, who has worked closely with The Trevor Project for the last decade, a resource for LGBTIQ youth, very clearly wants to position his comments as a statement of overwhelming support for trans people, and for trans and LGBTIQ Harry Potter fans who might feel disillusioned by Rowling’s reductive comments.

“I realise that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this 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.”

It’s hard to think of another author like J.K. Rowling who has worked so hard and consistently to ruin her own legacy and books — but somehow, despite the many years of being a public TERF, and adding needless additions to her books such as the canonical fact that wizards shit directly onto the floor, the Harry Potter franchise is still widely beloved and read.

Which is what makes her transphobic comments so breathtakingly cruel and dangerous for the LGBTIQ youth who take comfort and joy from her books.

So, it’s powerful for fans when Harry Potter himself refutes these statements.

“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.”

People are obviously thrilled with Radcliffe’s statements.