J.K. Rowling Vs. The Trans Agenda: Here’s What ‘Harry Potter’ Cast Members Have Said About The Ongoing Battle

Amanda HardingNovember 3, 2022

Author J.K. Rowling became a billionaire thanks to her brilliantly conceived story of a young wizard named Harry Potter.

Not too long ago, the book and movie franchise had one of the most dedicated fandoms in the world, with Rowling as their beloved matriarch. But then the British born author made the fatal error of veering from the mainstream narrative regarding transgender ideology. In no time, Rowling became a target of effusive hatred normally reserved for conservatives.

Fans came after the “Harry Potter” creator, blasting her publicly on social media and private messaging death threats. Rowling has leftist views on most social issues. But insisting that biological men could not become women earned her the scorn of so many fans and former supporters.

Among those were the movie stars who arguably owed their careers to the success of the “Harry Potter” franchise. While most turned against Rowling, ignoring the more sinister threats she was receiving daily, others were brave enough to stand up for her, even when they claimed to disagree with her stance on the trans issue.

It all started in 2020 when the “Harry Potter” creator tweeted the link to an article that referred to women as “people who menstruate.”

“‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” Rowling wrote.

“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth,” she continued in a follow-up.

“The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense,” Rowling wrote, confirming that while she doesn’t believe in discrimination against trans-identifying people, she also doesn’t “believe it’s hateful” to observe biological reality.

Rowling’s tweets got her labeled as a TERF, which stands for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist.” Then the “Harry Potter” actors began to turn on her.

British star Daniel Radcliffe played the titular character in the film series and decided to pen an essay for LGBTQ nonprofit The Trevor Project in the wake of Rowling’s viral tweets.

“While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honored to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment,” Radcliffe wrote in 2020.

“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 33-year-old actor doubled down on that sentiment in 2022. “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,” Radcliffe told IndieWire during a recent interview.

“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… I don’t think I would’ve been able to look myself in the mirror had I not said anything. But it’s not mine to guess what’s going on in someone else’s head.”

Some of Radcliffe’s co-stars felt the same way.

“I firmly stand with the trans community,” Rupert Grint, the actor who played Ron Weasley, said in a statement to Us Weekly in June 2020. “Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.”

“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,” Emma Watson, who played Hermione, shared on Twitter in June 2020.

“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.”

“Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” star Eddie Redmayne pledged his allegiance to the trans community but also said critics were being way too hard on Rowling.

“As someone who has worked with both J.K. Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand,” the actor said in a statement in June 2020.

“I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid. I would never