Daniel Radcliffe and J. K. Rowling.
Theo Wargo/J Hogan/Getty Images Daniel Radcliffe said J. K. Rowling’s views don’t represent those of everyone in the franchise.
The star spoke to IndieWire about why he wrote a letter supporting the trans community in 2020. Radcliffe explained it was “really important” to reassure fans. In the last few years, “Harry Potter” author J.
K. Rowling has faced criticism over her history of offensive comments about the transgender community, which has shocked fans of the popular franchise, largely because the books and movies preach acceptance and tolerance. At the height of the controversy surrounding the author, leading man Daniel Radcliffe wrote a letter about supporting the transgender community in a piece published on The Trevor Project’s website.
Now, the actor is discussing why he felt he needed to write the letter in a recent interview with IndieWire. Radcliffe explained that he’s met a number of “Harry Potter” fans who identify as queer and transgender over the years, and he wanted to make sure they felt supported by him. The actor said: “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 went on to say that he also felt it was important to make sure fans knew that while Rowling’s views were dominating the headlines, not everyone involved with the Wizarding World cinematic franchise shared her opinions. He added: “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,”The actor also pointed out that he’s supported The Trevor Project for over a decade, which is why he wrote the touching letter for the charity.
He said: “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. But it’s not mine to guess what’s going on in someone else’s head. “In 2020, Rowling increasingly began to espouse controversial viewpoints about the transgender community on Twitter, with some labeling her as a “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” (“TERF”).
In June 2020, she published a statement on her website with the caption “TERF wars” on Twitter in which she attempted to explain her previous statements. In it, as Insider previously reported, she made claims about trans people that both furthered potentially harmful myths and were not supported by data. In the past, the author has said that she had been threatened with violence on the basis of her comments.
Radcliffe isn’t the only “Harry Potter” star to discuss Rowling in the last few weeks, as Lord Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes recently spoke out against the backlash the author has received because of her inflammatory comments. He told The New York Times that he can’t understand the “disgusting” verbal abuse leveled against her. Radcliffe’s costars have previously expressed their support for the trans community, with Rupert Grint explaining how he respects Rowling’s work but disagrees with her opinions.
Meanwhile, Emma Watson took to Twitter to say trans people shouldn’t be questioned simply for being who they are. Read the original article on Insider.
From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-daniel-radcliffe-jk-rowling-transphobic-comments-2022-11
