What Daniel Radcliffe has said as JK Rowling said she will ‘not forgive’ him and he can ‘save his apology’
As the Harry Potter star turns 35 today, here is what Daniel Radcliffe has said about author JK Rowling and her views on trans rights.
"I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that and so seeing them hurt on that day, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way," he (Radcliffe) wrote. "And that was really important.”
This headline gave me an aneurysm.
Fuck that transphobic rich old bag. No one owes her anything, least of all an apology for being inclusive...
Does anyone know why she's extremely active in the transphobic rhetoric? Is she just bored now that she has all the money one could hope for? It's strange to me.
As far as I can make sense of the "why", she's been deeply affected by past abuse and has been an avid supporter of abused women for most of her life. And when she got push back in milder comments of hers about concerns on trans individuals in what she sees as exclusively cisgendered women's spaces, she chose to take it as an attack on the groups she values instead of a chance to adapt. Since then she's just dug in further and further. I'd like to think that one day she'll be able to see the common ground, but it seems unlikely at this point.
And fwiw, none of this is meant as a defense of her actions. Just an explanation.
Some people get a little success and think that that justifies being a condescending and cruel alleged expert on everything in the world, free from consequences.
See: The creator of Dilbert, Elon Musk, Shia LaBeauf, Andrew Tate, etc.
He didn't even offer an apology. This is just some fan and jkr coping.
"vulnerable women reliant on single-sex spaces" deserve help, and safe spaces, but that does not require abusing other vulnerable people. Casting all LGBTQ+ folks as potential predators is not okay.
Maybe, we could all install some privacy effective bathroom stall doors and all feel safer while we poop.
And let's legally mandate them. Folks installing an entire new business facility can afford a more expensive door. We don't have to keep sucking at this.
We should probably just get rid of the whole concept of gendered bathrooms. Just have stalls that offer privacy to everyone and you're good.
I was at a relatively large chain bar this weekend and that's how it was - one long normal halfway for the bathrooms with rows of normal doors on each side for "stalls". They also used those toilets that have the sink in the top.
It was AWESOME, especially as a lady in a bar setting. Felt much more public and protected in the ways that matter (well lit shared hallway with lots of visibility and traffic) and private and secure in the ways that mattered. Especially with the sink and mirror also in the room, it was so nice to take a second to freshen up without trying to get out of there ASAP or worrying about dealing with some belligerent drunk wandering into the wrong bathroom on accident (BTW, much larger issue than "fake" trans women).
Loved it. 10/10 no notes. Everyone should do this.
Edit to add - it was also really nice from a disability standpoint, I think! Partner recently injured himself in an awkward manner, and it was MUCH less awkward helping him get situated in that setup - there was just the one shared handicap stall and it was right at the front, and no one batted an eye at me helping him all the way to it. No awkward walk past the urinals, haha.
On that note I also think that would be a killer setup with kids - no taking your "slightly-too-young-to-be-alone daughter" into the men's room, no following her into the women's room, and vice-versa. Good stuff.
Worked well enough in Battlestar Glactica. Saves space and construction cost too compared to having two entirely separate rooms, or alternatively allowed for more toilets in the same space.
but you see, only one group can be vulnerable at a time, and this time it's women, so trans people have to be the ones we exclude and accuse of being the oppressors this time around, sorry
Also Rowling's argument is intrinsically conservative. "We fought hard for these rights. Giving these same rights to others erodes them"
Its literally viewing treating people as equals as a zero sum game. It's viewing liberty not as the freedom to live without interference from outside forces, but instead as existing in a privileged position over others
I just felt that her character has always been to advocate for the most vulnerable members of society. The problem is that there’s a disagreement over who’s the most vulnerable. -Evanna Lynch
This in itself wouldn't be a problem though, right? You can be an advocate to one group and not want to "cancel" another. But she goes all in on the Anti-Trans-Rights narrative and is less public about just women's rights.
Yes, its a polite way to say shes wrong and misguided but believes shes doing the right thing. Some have referred to her as like an aunt that's wrong. This would track. They dont want to be overly critical of someone whose work gave them their careers, but they dont agree with her or support her. Like an old racist famy member.
I this k their comments are all quite measured. It is clear who they support but they are not inflammatory. Bigots and terfs like JK crave attention but dont argue in good faith. Saying they are wrong and moving on is the best thing to do. Youre not going to change their mind, so dont give them a platform to poison others.
Just can’t wait for that hatful woman to croak.
The world is going to be a better place without people like her spreading hate.
This is what Radcliffe wrote. The article links to an article which links the text instead of including it directly. You might also not agree with their privacy statement.
Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It’s clear that we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm.
To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you. If these books taught you that love is the strongest force in the universe, capable of overcoming anything; if they taught you that strength is found in diversity, and that dogmatic ideas of pureness lead to the oppression of vulnerable groups; if you believe that a particular character is trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid, or that they are gay or bisexual; if you found anything in these stories that resonated with you and helped you at any time in your life — then that is between you and the book that you read, and it is sacred. And in my opinion nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.
Love always, Dan
I just wondered if she ever met a single trans person? Quite the mistake to die on that hill without even knowing what she's talking about. I have friends that I cannot possibly imagine being seen as their gaab, and it's hard to imagine for someone like Rowling to not at least experience some level of doubt when meeting one of them.
Lady, you are losing that PR battle, even among the assholes who still like you.
TERFs be TERFing!