Daniel Radcliffe shares why it was important to denounce JK Rowling's transphobic remarks

Daniel Radcliffe opened up about why it was important to denounce Harry Potter author JK Rowling's transphobic comments and stand in solidarity with all fans who felt wronged by the remarks. Daniel mentioned that it was imperative for the world to know that not everyone in the Harry Potter franchise echoed Rowling's views, explaining that 'many queer and trans kids' had a huge amount of identification with Potter. 

Daniel Radcliffe explains why he addressed JK Rowling's transphobic comment

Radcliffe told IndieWire in an interview, "The reason I was 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." 

He continued, "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 star also mentioned that he would've not been able to "look" himself "in the mirror" if he hadn't said anything. 

For the unversed, Daniel had earlier penned an open letter that was shared by the Trevor Project website. He stressed the need to support transgender and nonbinary people instead of 'invalidating their identities' and causing further harm. 

"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," the actor shared back in 2020. 

On the other hand, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the wizard franchise, maintained neutrality on JK Rowling's controversy. He told The Times Of London that he can't speak for what other people have said, adding that he was 'grateful' to the author for bringing about Harry Potter. 

JK Rowling's remarks that stirred up a controversy

JK Rowling faced major backlash online for her transphobic tweets while sharing an article on equality. She reposted an op-ed piece that discussed 'people who menstruate', apparently taking issue with the fact that they didn't use the word 'women'. She mentioned, "‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure they're used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate."

Many called out Rowling for her remarks and stressed that a person’s gender can be different from what they are assigned at birth.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Daniel is gearing up for the release of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Daniel takes on the titular role, while Evan Rachel Wood stars as Madonna and Rainn Wilson as Dr Demento. It will release on November 4. 

(IMAGE: AP)