Ralph Fiennes expressed support for JK Rowling in a recent interview with The Telegraph (via The Hollywood Reporter). The actor, who played as the evil Lord Voldemort in the “Harry Potter” movie franchise, said he was upset about Rowling’s treatment of her controversial views on gender identity and biological sex. Rowling’s views are condemned as transphobic, and Fiennes’ “Harry Potter” co-stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and others all showed support for the transgender community in the aftermath of Rowling’s comments.
“I do not understand the vitriol aimed at her,” Fiennes told The Telegraph about Rowling and the setback she has encountered over the past year. ‘I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this era of accusation and the need to condemn irrationally. I find the level of hatred people express about views that differ from them, and the violence of language towards others disturbing. ‘
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Setback against Rowling caught fire on June 6, 2020 after she posted a series of comments on Twitter in which she argued that the discussion of gender identity ignores biological sex. “If sex is not real, then there is no same-sex attraction,” the author wrote. ‘If sex is not real, the living reality of women worldwide is being wiped out. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to discuss their lives meaningfully. Rowling later published an essay on the case.
Radcliffe, who led Harry Potter’s film franchise in the title role, published a statement a few days later via The Trevor Project’s website in which he stood up to support the transgender community.
“Transgender women are women,” Radcliffe wrote in his open letter. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and is contrary to all advice given by health care professional associations, which have much more on this subject than Jo or me.”
Radcliffe continues, ‘To all the people who now feel that their experience of the [‘Harry Potter’] books have been affected or reduced, I am very sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope you do not lose all that was valuable in these stories … if they taught you that power is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas about purity lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, non-binary or sexually explicit, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you have found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life, then it is between you and the book you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion no one can touch it. ”
Rowling’s setback has grown to such an extent that Warner Bros. issued a statement on June 10, 2020. Warner Bros. is still working on Rowling on the franchise “Fantastic Beasts”, the third film of which is back in production.
“The events of the past few weeks have confirmed our determination as a company to tackle difficult social issues,” the studio said. Warner Bros. ‘The position on inclusivity is well established, and the promotion of a diverse and inclusive culture has never been so important to our company and to our audiences around the world. We appreciate the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves to share their creations with all of us. We recognize our responsibility to promote empathy and understanding for all communities and all people, especially those we work with and those we reach through our content. ”
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