Published 08:49 IST, June 11th 2020
Now, Emma Watson & Eddie Redmayne oppose JK Rowling's take on non-binary gender identities
'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling has been facing flak for a series of tweets where she has argued that discussion of gender identity invalidates biological sex.
Stars of movies based on Harry Potter and his magical world, created by author JK Rowling, have been voicing their disapproval of the author's recent controversial statements about the gender identities of transgenders. After Katie 'Cho Chang' Leung and Daniel Radcliffe's opposition to Rowling's allegedly problematic point of view, Little Women actor Emma Watson and The Danish Girl star Eddie Redmayne have also argued against her position.
On Wednesday evening, Emma Watson, who played the role of Hermione Granger in all Harry Potter films, took to Twitter and wrote, “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.”. She followed it up with another tweet that read, “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.”
Eddie Redmayne, who plays Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie franchise, told an international magazine that it remains a cultural imperative to respect transgender people. He also said that he has been constantly trying to educate himself over the past years about their existence. Redmayne has, in fact, portrayed the role of Danish painter Lili Elbe, one of the first known recipients of sex reassignment surgery, in the 2015 biopic drama The Danish Girl. He even earned a nomination in the Best Actor category of the Academy Awards that year for his performance as Elbe.
He issued a statement that read, “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.”
On Tuesday, Daniel Radcliffe has also expressed his stand on the 'Harry Potter' author's alleged "anti-transgender" tweets and even apologized for the pain Rowling's comments had caused. “Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe 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 or I.”
Updated 08:49 IST, June 11th 2020