Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne also spoke out, telling Entertainment Weekly that he disagreed with Rowling’s comments. “Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid,” he said in a statement. “I would never want to speak on behalf of the community but I do know that my dear transgender friends and colleagues are tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse. They simply want to live their lives peacefully, and it’s time to let them do so.”
Days after J.K. Rowling made a series of transphobic tweets, Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has spoken out in defense of trans people. In a written response for the Trevor Project, the actor wrote that “transgender women are women,” a statement that stands in direct opposition to Rowling's recent views.
Previously, Rowling tweeted an article that called attention to structural health care issues for people who have periods. Sharing the article, Rowling wrote, "I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Many on social media pointed out Rowling's error, noting that other people — such as transgender men and nonbinary people — can also menstruate (and that there are women who don’t). Rowling responded by continuing her series of anti-trans tweets, this time incorrectly conflating sex and gender.
For his involvement, Daniel wrote that his response isn't intended to be seen as “in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself.” Rather, he said that he had felt compelled to say something. He said that questioning the gender validity of trans people “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," he continued. "It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.”
Noting that he's still learning how to be a better ally to transgender people, Daniel pointed readers to additional resources. He then addressed longtime Harry Potter readers who had felt hurt by Rowling's comments. “I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you," he said. “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, nonbinary, 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.”