Rupert Grint made a rare statement to respond to J.K. Rowling’s transphobic comments
Update, June 15th, 2020, 9:51 a.m. ET: In response to J.K. Rowling’s transphobic tweets and Medium post, many Harry Potter stars are coming out in support of trans women and the entire trans community. Now, Rupert Grint has spoken out with his own message.
Grint—who has shied away from the public eye in recent years—made a rare statement to the U.K.’s The Times in response to Rowling’s comments, according to the BBC.
“Trans women are women. Trans men are men,” Grint said.
“We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment,” he continued. “I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers.”
The peers he’s referring to are the several other Harry Potter stars who have spoken out in love and validation for trans women and men: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, Katie Leung, and Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne.
Original post, June 11th, 2020: In recent days, various Harry Potter stars have responded to J.K. Rowling’s transphobic tweets with messages of love and support for the trans community. On Saturday, June 6th, Rowling posted tweets in which she took issue with the more inclusive phrase “people who menstruate” and implied that trans women are not women. Most recently, Emma Watson (who played Hermoine Granger), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), and even Warner Bros., the studio that produced the franchise films, added more voices to the conversation.
On Wednesday, Watson tweeted out an affirming message: “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 added more to the thread, writing specifically to her trans followers, “I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.” Then Watson directed her followers to trans inclusive resources.
“I donate to @Mermaids_Gender and @mamacash,” she wrote. “If you can, perhaps you’ll feel inclined to do the same.” You can donate to each of these resources on their websites here: Mermaids and Mama Cash.
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 (@EmmaWatson) June 10, 2020
I donate to @Mermaids_Gender and @mamacash. If you can, perhaps you’ll feel inclined to do the same. ❤️
— Emma Watson (@EmmaWatson) June 10, 2020
Wright responded both in support of the trans community and addressed hurt Harry Potter fans.
With many left hurt and upset at Rowling’s transphobic comments, some Harry Potter fans aren’t sure how to feel about the franchise they’ve known and loved for so long. Wright’s answer? “If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question,” she wrote. “Transwomen are Women. I see and love you, Bonnie x.”
If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, that love is infinite and there to take without judgment or question. Transwomen are Women. I see and love you, Bonnie x
— Bonnie Wright (@thisisbwright) June 10, 2020
Warner Bros. joined the conversation by releasing a statement of its own on Wednesday. “The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult societal issues. Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world,” the company said in a statement, IndieWire reports. The statement went on, emphasizing the company’s responsibility to “foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities” failing to specifically mention the trans community, but still leaning more toward inclusion than Rowling’s recents comments.
Earlier this week, Katie Leung, who played the controversially named Cho Chang, Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne, and Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe all spoke out against Rowling’s harmful messages, as well. Leung used the conversation around her character’s name to direct followers to places to donate to support Black trans women.
So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes…(thread)
— Katie Leung (@Kt_Leung) June 7, 2020
Unfortunately, Rowling didn’t end the conversation at her tweets. Instead, she released a lengthy blog post on Wednesday, defending her position and doubling down on transphobia—and you can read it at your own risk.
GLAAD President Sarah Kate Ellis added her voice to the conversation, noting how this is nothing new, explaining that Rowling has a history of making transphobic comments and that her status as an author shouldn’t give her a pass.
“No one is untouchable, especially when you’re spewing hate. And the challenge here is that’s what happened,” Ellis stated in an Entertainment Tonight live special. “She has such power and influence…and the trans community is constantly in danger, especially Black trans women. So her festering and creating this environment that delegitimizes or devalues these people—these are human beings—is very dangerous.”
