Daniel Radcliffe Responds To J.K. Rowling's 'Transphobic' Tweets

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe penned an open letter to fans of the beloved franchise in response to J.K. Rowling's controversial thoughts on gender identity and, more particularly, followers who were disappointed by the author's comments, which were widely regarded as transphobic.

"Transgender women are women," Radcliffe, 30, wrote in a note, which was shared on Monday (June 8) via The Trevor Project. "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."

Elsewhere, the former child star, who is a big supporter of the non-profit aimed at providing support to LGBTQ+ youth, apologized to the longtime followers who "now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished."

"I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you," he continued in his open letter. "I really hope that you don't entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. 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."

In case you hadn't heard, Rowling took to Twitter on Saturday to mocking an article titled "Creating a More Equal Post-COVID-19 World for People Who Menstruate." "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" she tweeted, adding, “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. 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."

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