Daniel Radcliffe, 30, of London, England is one of the “Harry Potter” who responded to the controversial tweets of J.K. Rowling, 54, of Killiechassie, Scotland on gender identity. On June 7, 2020, the author took to social media to question the headline of an article about people who menstruate.
Because of the tweet, Rowling was labelled as a transphobe and a trans exclusive radical feminist (TERF). Still, she defended her concept of sex but claimed that she supports transgender people.
On June 8, 2020, Radcliffe gave his reaction through The Trevor Project. Founded in 1998, the organization provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people under 25.
“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.”
Radcliffe admitted that he himself is still learning how to be a better ally. He also has a message to the “Harry Potter” fans who were disappointed by the tweets of Rowling about gender identity.
“To all the people 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,” Radcliffe noted. “I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you.”
Born in London on July 23, 1989, Radcliffe was 10 years old when he made his acting debut in the BBC One film “David Copperfield.” In 2001, he played the title character in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” which as released in the United States as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
Radcliffe went on to reprise the role in seven sequels, which culminated with “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2” in 2011. Among his co-stars were Emma Watson, Joshua Herdman, Bonnie Wright, Oliver Phelps, James Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Robbie Coltrane and Devon Murray.
