Actor Daniel Radcliffe apologized to the transgender community for Harry Potter author JK Rowling‘s comments about male-to-female transgender people.
Rowling objected to an article referring to biological 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 tweeted on June 6.
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
“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 nonsense.”
In response, the 30-year-old Harry Potter star released a statement to The Trevor Project insisting MtF trans people are women.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Radcliffe said.
He acknowledged that Rowling is responsible for his career and he said certain press outlets will probably paint his statement as “in-fighting between JK Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what’s important right now.”
Below are Rowling’s tweets that sparked the firestorm.
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.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
I’ve spent much of the last three years reading books, blogs and scientific papers by trans people, medics and gender specialists. I know exactly what the distinction is. Never assume that because someone thinks differently, they have no knowledge. https://t.co/5kxnH3mZPf
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
@jk_rowling has pinpointed why so many gay peeps are concerned about the new version of trans activism. We used to be comrade-in-arms with our trans mates until some extremists insisted biological sex was an illusion. Our legal protections and our identities are based on it. https://t.co/dag9xwNINf
— Malcolm Clark (@TwisterFilm) June 6, 2020