Daniel Radcliffe Doesn’t Let Gratitude for ‘Harry Pottter’ Silence His Stand Against JK Rowling’s Anti-Trans Rhetoric

In the realm of magic and muggles, where Daniel Radcliffe once wielded a wand as Harry Potter, he now brandishes the power of his voice against the anti-trans rhetoric of J.K. Rowling. Despite the fond memories and gratitude Radcliffe harbors for the world Rowling created — a world that launched his career and shaped the childhoods of millions — the new father finds himself in profound disagreement with her harmful TERF, or trans-exclusionary radical feminist, beliefs.

“It makes me really sad, ultimately,” Radcliffe shared with The Atlantic, reflecting on his relationship with Rowling and the empathy he once felt was inherent to her stories. “Because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.”

Rowling’s public descent into statements undermining transgender identities since 2020 has not only disillusioned many fans but also starkly contradicted the themes of acceptance and understanding celebrated in the Harry Potter series. Her assertion that the trans-rights movement endangers the concept of biological sex has been criticized for promoting divisiveness and misunderstanding — a far cry from the messages of love and unity that Harry Potter himself stood for.

In the wake of Rowling’s remarks, Radcliffe felt compelled to speak out, driven by a deep sense of responsibility and advocacy for the LGBTQIA+ community. “I’d worked with the Trevor Project for 12 years and it would have seemed like, I don’t know, immense cowardice to me to not say something,” he explained.

This sadness, however, did not lead him to silence. Instead, Radcliffe has actively voiced his disagreement, aligning himself with the truth that transgender women are women and that transgender men are men, a stance he eloquently shared in his essay for The Trevor Project following Rowling’s remarks in June 2020.

This act of solidarity and his ongoing work with LGBTQIA+ organizations reinforce the critical message that empathy and understanding must guide our actions, especially when they come from figures with significant influence. “I wanted to try and help people that had been negatively affected by the comments. And to say that if those are Jo’s views, then they are not the views of everybody associated with the Potter franchise,” he said.

Cheering on Radcliffe for his valorous stance feels both natural and necessary. Engaging tirelessly with organizations such as The Trevor Project, Radcliffe goes beyond mere advocacy; he lives the principles of compassion, bravery, and unconditional respect that define the Harry Potter series at its core. His efforts to challenge and rectify Rowling’s harmful rhetoric remind us that heroes exist not just in the realms of fantasy but in the real world where their courage can effect tangible change.

Before you go, click here to see all the celebrities who have talked about being bisexual, sexually fluid, pansexual, or queer.