Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is moderating a transgender and nonbinary youth roundtable as part of a new series as the controversy surrounding author J.K. Rowling continues. Based on Rowling's hit novels, the Harry Potter franchise first hit the big screen back in 2001, introducing Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint as Harry, Hermione, and Ron, respectively. The franchise would go on to achieve major success, but Rowling would eventually find herself in hot water regarding controversial comments made about the transgender community.
Per a new report from THR, Radcliffe is set to moderate a roundtable with transgender and nonbinary youth as part of a new discussion series called Sharing Space. The upcoming series comes from The Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ young people. The Radcliffe-moderated episode of Sharing Space will premiere on The Trevor Project's YouTube channel at noon Eastern tomorrow, March 31, the International Transgender Day of Visibility. Check out Radcliffe's statement regarding the project below:
“We listen to so many people talk about trans youth and hear them talked about so often in the news, but very rarely do we actually hear from these youth directly. It was an absolute privilege to get to meet and listen to this incredible group of young people. At the end of the day, if you’re going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids.”
How Harry Potter Stars Have Responded To Rowling's Anti-Trans Controversy
The controversy surrounding Rowling largely began in 2020 when the author responded to an opinion piece in which she took issue with the phrase "people who menstruate," arguing that the piece should have said "women". The author's comments sparked backlash online, and she would continue to expand and double down on her beliefs over the next few months. She eventually shared a lengthy essay elaborating on her comments in which she also took issue with a British worker who was fired for tweets deemed transphobic.
A number of Harry Potter actors have since weighed in on the controversy, including Radcliffe who spoke out against the author and apologized to transgender fans whose love of the franchise was tarnished by Rowling's comments. Watson and Draco Malfoy actor Tom Felton would similarly make their disagreements with Rowling known. Other stars, however, have shared more nuanced or conflicted responses.
While disagreeing with the author's anti-trans opinions, Grint described Rowling as his "auntie," saying of the dynamic, "It's a tricky one." Jason Isaacs, who played Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter franchise, also made it clear that his beliefs differ from Rowling's, but was also reluctant to speak too negatively about the author. Luna Lovegood actor Evanna Lynch recently defended Rowling, joining the likes of Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes.
Source: THR