Taking a stand. J.K. Rowling‘s controversial transphobic remarks have left both Harry Potter‘s fans and cast members feeling conflicted.
The author first came under fire in June 2020, when she shared multiple posts on Twitter that appeared to slam the trans community. “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased,” Rowling wrote at the time, arguing that she had researched the topic for meany years before sharing her opinion. “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.”
Her posts earned a great deal of backlash from social media users, many of whom accused Rowling of being a “TERF,” which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist. The writer, however, defended her stance in a lengthy essay in June 2020.
“Accusations of TERFery have been sufficient to intimidate many people, institutions and organisations I once admired, who’re cowering before the tactics of the playground,” she claimed at the time. “Speaking as a biological woman, a lot of people in positions of power really need to grow a pair (which is doubtless literally possible, according to the kind of people who argue that clownfish prove humans aren’t a dimorphic species).”
As the controversy continued, several members of the Harry Potter universe including Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, appeared to distance themselves from Rowling. “I firmly stand with the trans community,” Grint said in a statement to Us Weekly in June 2020. “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”
While many of the franchise’s stars opened disagreed with the producer, others have maintained that they still respect Rowling and her impact on their careers. Jason Isaacs, for his part, opened up about his “complicated” feelings about the Casual Vacancy author in a January 2022 interview with The Telegraph.
“There’s a bunch of stuff about Jo. You know, I play complicated people, I’m interested in complicated people,” the actor, who portrayed Lucius Malfoy throughout the series, said at the time. “I don’t want to get drawn into the trans issues, talking about them, because it’s such an extraordinary minefield. She has her opinions, I have mine. They differ in many different areas.”
Despite their opposing points of view, Isaacs wanted to acknowledge all of the “good” Rowling has done over the years through the Harry Potter series and her charity work. “One of the things that people should know about her too — not as a counter-argument — is that she has poured an enormous amount of her fortune into making the world a much better place, for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children, through her charity Lumos,” he explained, adding that his former costars have volunteered with Lumos and “seen on the ground the work that they do.”
The philanthropist, however, has continued to double down on her opinions. Rowling reacted to a report by The Sunday Times alleging that Scottish police will “record rapes by offenders with male genitalia as being committed by a woman if the attacker ‘identifies as a female,'” in December 2021. “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. The Penised Individual Who Raped You Is a Woman,” the screenwriter wrote on Twitter.
Amid all of her controversies, Rowling did not take part in HBO’s recent Harry Potter 20th Anniversary reunion special but was instead featured in archival footage shot in 2019.
Keep scrolling to see what other Hogwarts alums have said about Rowling over the years.
The British actor, who played the titular role in all eight Potter films, is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and referenced his work with The Trevor Project in an essay condemning Rowling's June 2020 tweets. "While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment," the Miracle Workers star wrote amid the backlash. “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." In October 2022, the Lost City star explained why he felt it was so “important” for him to take a stance against the Silkworm author’s anti-trans stance. “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 explained during an interview with IndieWire. He added: “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.” Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock
"Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are," the Little Women actress wrote via Twitter in June 2020. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are. I donate to @Mermaids_Gender and @mamacash. If you can, perhaps you’ll feel inclined to do the same. Happy #PRIDE2020 Sending love x.” Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
The Servant star reflected on his decision to speak out in support of the trans community in a May 2021 interview with Esquire. “Sometimes silence is even louder," Grint said at the time. "I felt like I had to [speak] because I think it was important to ... I think it’s a valuable group that I think needs standing up for." Though he doesn't agree with her beliefs, the actor, known for playing Ron Weasley, acknowledged that he still has respect for Rowling and the effect she's had on his career. "I liken J.K. Rowling to an auntie," Grint wrote in a January 2022 piece for U.K.outlet The Times. "I don’t necessarily agree with everything my auntie says, but she’s still my auntie. It’s a tricky one." Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
The actress, who played Ginny Weasley, stated her beliefs that "Transwomen are Women" in June 2020, before addressing fans who may have felt conflicted about their love for the series. "If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or questions" she wrote on social media at the time. Matt Baron/Shutterstock
"As someone who has worked with both J.K. Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand," the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them star said in a statement in June 2020. "I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid. 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." Three months later, Redmayne told the Daily Mail that he was upset by the "vitriol" directed at Rowling even though he disagreed with her stance. The Tony-winning actor explained that he has many "trans friends and colleagues" who are "having their human rights challenged around the world and facing discrimination on a daily basis," but disavowed the "absolutely disgusting" attacks being hurled at Rowling online. "Similarly, there continues to be a hideous torrent of abuse towards trans people online and out in the world that is devastating," the Oscar winner added in September 2020. Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
Fiennes has stated that he finds the amount of hate that Rowling received in response to her tweets upsetting. “I can’t understand the vitriol directed at her," the actor, known for playing Voldemort, said in a March 2021 interview with The Telegraph. "I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational. I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language toward others, disturbing." The Schindler's List actor doubled down on his statements in an October 2022 interview with The New York Times. “J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings. It’s about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being. The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it’s appalling," he told the outlet. Gregory Pace/Shutterstock
The OA alum explained in January 2022 that he won't turn his back on Rowling, despite their different opinions. "For all that she has said some very controversial things, I was not going to be jumping to stab her in the front — or back — without a conversation with her, which I've not managed to have yet," Isaacs told The Telegraph. Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock
Coltrane, who played Hagrid in the Harry Potter franchise, defended the author to the Radio Times in a September 2020 interview. "I don’t think what she said was offensive, really," he said at the time. “I don’t know why, but there’s a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended. They wouldn’t have won the war, would they?" He continued, "That’s me talking like a grumpy old man, but you just think, ‘Oh, get over yourself. Wise up, stand up straight, and carry on.’ I don’t want to get involved in all of that because of all the hate mail and all that s--t, which I don’t need at my time of life." Joel Ryan/AP/Shutterstock
The Scottish actress, who played Cho Chang, seemingly responded to Rowling's anti-trans tweets by sharing resources to organizations and charities that help to support Black transgender people on social media. "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes..." Leung wrote to draw attention toward her Twitter thread. She concluded by adding the hashtag "#AsiansForBlackLives. Maja Smiejkowska/Shutterstock
"I'm so saddened to see trans people feeling abandoned by the HP community," Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood, wrote on Twitter in June 2020. "I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts and I wish Jo wouldn’t. That said, as a friend and admirer of Jo I can’t forget what a generous and loving person she is." At the time, Lynch reiterated that "trans women are women." However, the actress was also quick to clear up rumors that the cast had turned against Rowling in response to her tweets. "I've talked to all the cast, they all have great respect for her even if they don't agree with her beliefs. I really strongly disagree with the narrative that there's a rift," the Dancing With the Stars alum said during a January 2022 appearance on GB News. "She has her beliefs and she's doing her thing. We all have strong beliefs and it's been a very difficult conversation. I want there to be healing and I don't want us to keep fighting." MediaPunch/Shutterstock
The actress, who portrayed villain Bellatrix Lestrange, stood up for Rowling during a November 2022 interview. "It's horrendous, a load of bollocks. I think she has been hounded," she claimed to The Times. "It's been taken to the extreme, the judgmental-ism of people. She's allowed her opinion, particularly if she's suffered abuse. Everybody carries their own history of trauma and forms their opinions from that trauma and you have to respect where people come from and their pain. You don't all have to agree on everything — that would be insane and boring. She's not meaning it aggressively, she's just saying something out of her own experience." Bonham Carter added that her former costars who've denounced the author "should let her have her opinions," arguing, "I think they're very aware of protecting their own fan base and their generation." Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock
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