Daniel Radcliffe defends his opposition to JK Rowling’s transphobia: “Otherwise I couldn’t have looked in the mirror”

Daniel Radcliffe achieved worldwide fame for his starring role in “Harry Potter”. Many would argue that he owes everything to JK Rowling, author of the novels, but Radcliffe has never been intimidated by this, going so far as to openly respond against his statements about the trans community.. In an interview with IndieWire, Radcliffe states this It was very important for him to take a stand on it: “I don’t think I would have been able to look in the mirror if I hadn’t said anything”.

Radcliffe has posted a letter stating this “trans women are women” on the website of The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that supports the LGTBQ + community, in particular for suicide prevention, where the actor has been collaborating for more than ten years. “The reason I felt very, very strongly that I had to say something when I did it was because, especially after I finished “Harry Potter”, I met so many queer people, boys and young trans people who identified a lot with Potter.”He says. “So when I saw them hurt that day, I wanted them to know that not everyone in the franchise felt that way. And that was very important.”

Radcliffe wasn’t afraid to show his opposition, despite claiming it wasn’t a fight between him and the writer at all: “It’s not about that, nor is it the most important thing right now”. In her letter, she supported the identity of trans women and affirmed it “any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against any advice given by professional health associations that have much more experience on this topic than Jo or I”. He also cited that the organization itself said that 78% of transgender and non-binary youth reported being discriminated against, so: “It is clear that we need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not invalidate their identities and not cause more harm.”

The letter was a direct consequence of the JK Rowling’s controversial views of June 2020 on Twitter that question the identity of trans people and reaffirm biological sex. “If sex is not real, there is no same-sex attraction”published, “If sex isn’t real, the reality of women around the world is eliminated. I know and love trans people, but eliminating the concept of sex eliminates the possibility of meaningful discussion of their lives for many.”. Rowling has been heavily criticized for her tweets, which have placed her under the label of TERF, which stands for trans-exclusive feminist, an entire movement that rejects the identity of the trans collective for claiming they tarnish the oppression and the identity of women.

The actor concluded his letter with a sign of hope: “To all people who now feel that their experience with books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you.. I really hope you don’t completely lose what was precious to you in these stories … “he concluded. “If you have been taught that strength lies in diversity and that dogmatic ideas of purity lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, non-binary or gender fluid, or that he is gay or bisexual; if you have found something in these stories that has resonated with you and helped you at some point in your life then this is between you and the book you have read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion no one can touch it. “

What is Radcliffe now?

Daniel Radcliffe is currently on a promotional tour with “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”, a comedy based on the life of Al Yankovic and in which plays the American musician and comedian, which will premiere on November 3 in the United States.