Robbie Coltrane, who played Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid across all eight Harry Potter films, has come to the defense of author JK Rowling over her anti-trans views. Recent months have seen Rowling come under fire for comments that many have taken to be transphobic. It first began in June, when Rowling responded to an article referring to "people who menstruate," and mocked the way it doesn't simply say women. The backlash was swift and later prompted Rowling to issue a lengthy defense on her website. However, that only served to reignite the controversy online.
While things had quieted for a while, Rowling has once again become the focus of the news. Her newest Cormoran Strike novel, which is written under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, reportedly features a cis serial killer who preys upon his victims while dressed as a woman. Early reviews shared this plot detail, thus setting off another wave of fierce backlash on social media. This time around, people have even begun to use the hashtag #RIPJKRowling.
Coltrane is the latest Harry Potter star to speak up about the ongoing controversy, but he's the first to actually defend the embattled author. Speaking to Radio Times, Coltrane stated he didn't believe Rowling's statements were offensive. "I don’t know why but there’s a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended," Coltrane said. He then continued by saying, "They wouldn’t have won the war, would they? That’s me talking like a grumpy old man, but you just think, ‘Oh, get over yourself. Wise up, stand up straight and carry on.’" Coltrane refrained from elaborating even further because he didn't wish to get caught up in "all the hate mail and all that shit, which I don’t need at my time of life."
At the time of Rowling's initial anti-trans comments in June, a slew of Harry Potter veterans spoke up against Rowling. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Fantastic Beasts' Eddie Redmayne were among the most prominent. Luna Lovegood actress Evanna Lynch defended Rowling as a person, but didn't condone the things she said. Warner Bros., the studio that produces Rowling's Wizard World films, also issued a statement regarding the controversy, but many found it ineffective and failing to actually address Rowling's behavior.
For her part, Rowling remains steadfast in her beliefs, regardless of those who have offered genuine explanations for how she is hurting people. Rowling recently returned a human rights award she received last year after the organization that gave it to her blasted her transphobic comments. It's clear the Harry Potter author has no intention of backing down, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the Wizarding World franchise going forward. After all, there are at least three more Fantastic Beasts films on the way, but they could suffer financially after all this. Until Rowling actually owns up to her views, however, this is likely to continue for a long time.
Source: Radio Times
