Another Harry Potter actress slams JK Rowling's "fascist" anti-trans views. Miriam Margolyes is the latest Harry Potter star to make a statement condemning Rowling's comments on trans people. Margolyes played Professor Sprout in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two. She follows a long line of actors and actresses from the Harry Potter film franchise that released statements saying that they did not condone Rowling's transphobic views, from Daniel Radcliffe to Emma Watson and more.
The controversy began when Rowling tweeted an article about creating a better post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate. Rowling quickly came under fire for her commentary regarding the story, where she implied that people who menstruated used to be called women. Her thoughts on the matter were slammed as yet another example of Rowling being transphobic. The Harry Potter author had faced criticism from the LGBTQ community last year for tweeting her support of a woman who was fired for saying trans women weren't women.
In an interview with The Times, Miriam Margoyles became the latest Harry Potter star to speak out against JK Rowling. Margoyles noted that she didn't agree with Rowling's conservative views on trans people. She also recalled the story of how her former (now deceased) Latin tutor came out to her as a trans woman. The actress had a strong statement regarding Rowling's continued transphobic comments.
"She [Rowling] has a rather conservative view of transgender people. I don’t think I do...It’s a matter of personal happiness for people and I think that’s what you should concentrate on...If you seriously want to become a woman you should be allowed to. You can’t be fascist about it."
The absurdity of the entire situation is astounding. While Rowling is entitled to her views, it's apparent that they have been harmful to fans who were inspired by the overarching themes of acceptance and love in the Harry Potter series. What obligation does an author have to fans after the story is over? Does the power of social media do more harm than good when it comes to fans of a beloved series separating the books from the author's views? Sadly, it's far too late for Harry Potter fans who were hurt by Rowling's seemingly constant slew of transphobic comments, including a lengthy essay Rowling published defending her views. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the sheer amount of Harry Potter stars that have spoken out defending the rights of trans people has been a glimmer of hope in this whole fiasco.
There's no doubt that the Harry Potter books and movies will continue to have a long-lasting legacy. JK Rowling created a world and characters that inspired so many people worldwide. Hopefully, the author will take a page from her own book and reconsider her transphobic views and exchange them for acceptance.
Source: The Times