Rupert Grint Joined His Fellow ‘Harry Potter’ Stars In Speaking Out Against J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Posts
Former Harry Potter stars are continuing to speak out after author J.K. Rowling posted a series of anti-trans tweets on Saturday, June 6. Shortly after Rowling's tweets went viral, Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson spoke up in support of trans rights, and now Rupert Grint completes the trio of the main stars in the HP series of films to let fans know they don't agree with Rowling's statement. Rupert Grint's response to J.K. Rowling's anti-trans tweets got straight to the point.
The incident, which has incited outrage and hurt among Harry Potter fans in the LBGTQ+ community, began when Rowling retweeted an article from Devex.com on June 6, titled, "Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate." ICYMI, Rowling had an issue with the term "people who menstruate," inferring women should've been the term the writers used instead. "'People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” she tweeted.
When fans expressed that her tweet was noninclusive and anti-trans, Rowling remain firm and posted a series of tweets about her beliefs in gender essentialism, following them up with a personal essay on her website in the aftermath on Wednesday, June 10. The litany only furthered convictions that her beliefs were anti-trans. Since then, a multitude of Harry Potter stars expressed their disapproval of Rowling's comments.
Grint spoke out on the issue in an interview with The Times. “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers. Trans women are women. Trans men are men," he said. He continued, "We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment." A brief, but blunt statement, Grint echoed the same sentiment of other stars who felt the duty to make their stance clear.
Radcliffe was one of the first to speak up, writing a statement on Monday, June 8, in a blog post for The Trevor Project, which is a non-profit organization that works to prevent suicide among LGBTQ+ youth. "Transgender women are women," he wrote. "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 (Rowling) or I."
His lengthy statement begged fans not to let Rowling's insensitive tweets change their opinion of the Harry Potter book series. "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," he wrote.
Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood, also wrote a similar sentiment on Twitter. Meanwhile, Watson responded to the ordeal, saying, "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," on Twitter on Wednesday, June 10. "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," she concluded.
Chris Rankin, who played Percy Weasley, also tweeted in support of the trans community:
On June 10, actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrays Newt Scamander in J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts franchise, told Variety he wanted to "make it absolutely clear" where he stood, considering he's worked both with Rowling and the trans community, most notably for his 2015 film The Danish Girl. “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.”
Rowling has not taken initiative to issue an apology statement, nor does it seem forthcoming at this time. But thankfully, it's clear the cast members of the Harry Potter films do not share the author's regressive views about trans community.
