"So many queer and trans kids and young people had a huge amount of identification with Harry Potter", said Daniel Radcliffe.
British actor Daniel Radcliffe has opened up about why it was important for him to make a public statement about Harry Potter author JK Rowling for her views on the transgender community.
During the summer of 2020, Rowling came under fire for candidly expressing her views about gender identity, which was perceived as transphobic by many. One of her tweets from back then reads, "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."
According to Variety, recently in an interview with IndieWire, Radcliffe said, "The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was that, 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. 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," he added.
Back in 2020, after Rowling's anti-trans sentiment drew backlash, the actor penned an open letter that was shared by the Trevor Project website. He wrote, "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 healthcare associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. It's clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm, " as per Variety.
Meanwhile, Fox news reported that actor Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, was less critical of Rowling's comments, telling The Times of London, "I can`t speak for what other individuals have said. I am quick to remind myself and others that Potter for some reason has brought more people together across the world and more generations than probably anything else has in the past 20 years, and I'm quick to celebrate that. It came from one person, and that's her, so I'm very grateful."
READ | Harry Potter author JK Rowling breaks silence on her absence from reunion special
JK Rowling wasn't seen in the Harry Potter reunion special 'Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts', which was aired on January 1, 2022, and commemorated the film franchise's 20th anniversary. The author was only seen in the archival footage. Though her absence was speculated by many to be due to the controversy around her controversial comments, Rowling revealed in a recent podcast that she was asked to participate in the reunion, but chose not to appear in the same as she reasoned that the special episode was "about the films more than the books".
(With inputs from ANI)
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