‘Fantastic Beasts’ Star Eddie Redmayne Is Criticizing J.K. Rowling’s Anti-Trans Remarks

J.K. Rowling’s latest round of controversial comments about trans people (“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased”) arrived over the weekend. Before long, Daniel Radcliffe came forward to express disagreement with Rowling while declaring that “transgender women are women.” He went on to express how “deeply sorry” he felt for the pain being experienced by Harry Potter fans as a result of Rowling’s remarks, and Radcliffe’s stance is now being followed by that of Eddie Redmayne, star of Fantastic Beasts.

In a statement to Variety, Redmayne — who portrayed transgender artist Lili Elbe in biographical romantic drama The Danish Girl — wanted to make his position “absolutely clear.” He entirely disagrees with Rowling’s remarks:

“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. I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid. I would never want to speak on behalf of the community but I do know that my dear transgender friends and colleagues are tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse. They simply want to live their lives peacefully, and it’s time to let them do so.”

One can’t be more crystal clear than the statements made by both Radcliffe and Redmayne, who further stresses that trans people must be respected by culture, and that education on the subject must be a continual process. Rowling has (as of this writing) uttered no response that’s specific to either leading actor of her two film franchises. By midday Wednesday, however, she’d tweeted the below link to a lengthy essay, in which she elaborates upon her point of view. Her perspective has not changed. After stating that “accusations of TERFery have been sufficient to intimidate many people,” she outlines her “five reasons for being worried about the new trans activism.”

(Via Variety)