Daniel Radcliffe says JK Rowling’s stance on trans people ‘saddens’ him | Pop & Art

Actor Daniel Radcliffe said that writer JK Rowling’s stance on the rights of trans people “saddens” him, and added, in an interview, that he hasn’t spoken to the “Harry Potter” author in years.

Radcliffe, who played the unmistakable wizard Harry Potter in the successful film adaptation of Rowling’s popular books, differs from the writer on the delicate topic of gender identity.

Rowling has publicly repeated that biological sex is immutable, but Radcliffe, who campaigns for the LGBTQIA+ community, argues that trans women have the right to identify as women.

This “sads me very much,” Radcliffe told The Atlantic, which released his interview this week.

“Because I look at this person I knew, the time we spent, the books he wrote, the world he created, and all of that is, to me, so deeply empathetic.”

Gender identity is an issue that divides public opinion in many countries, including in Scotland, where Rowling was born, and in the United States, where Radcliffe is currently working on a play on Broadway.

Rowling argues that transgender rights advocates undermine women’s safety. As an example, she mentioned cases in which trans women caused problems in women’s locker rooms, bathrooms and prisons.

The British press echoed this public division, especially because the Harry Potter franchise is very successful among children around the world.

“Many people who deal with overwhelmed feelings, rejection from their families, or who live with a secret have found solace in these books and films,” Radcliffe said.

The British press tried to characterize him, as well as his colleagues Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who also star in the series, as “naughty brats”, said the actor.

Last month, Rowling appeared to attack the actors again when she responded to a comment on social media suggesting that she would forgive the actors if they apologized.

“Celebrities who have joined a movement that seeks to undermine women’s hard-won rights, and who use their platforms to applaud minors’ (gender) transition, can save their excuses for the traumatized and vulnerable women who depend on unisex spaces,” Rowling wrote.

“I will continue to support the rights of the LGBTQ community, and I have no further comment,” Radcliffe told The Atlantic.