Harry Potter‘s Evanna Lynch is the most recent castmember of the major franchise to address J.K. Rowling’s trans controversy.
In an interview with the Telegraph, the Luna Lovegood actress said she was shocked by the backlash Rowling has faced since she made comments on Twitter that many considered to be transphobic.
“I just felt that her character has always been to advocate for the most vulnerable members of society,” Lynch said of the author. “The problem is that there’s a disagreement over who’s the most vulnerable. I do wish people would just give her more grace and listen to her.”
Lynch addressed Rowling’s initial comments in 2020, where she questioned the use of the phrase “people who menstruate” and said, “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
The author then doubled down on her comments with a Twitter thread about how “if sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
At the time, Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint came forward and defended trans women and trans men, saying “they are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned.” Lynch later chimed in, adding that she did not want to marginalize the community further, especially not on Twitter.
“I think it’s irresponsible to discuss such a delicate topic over Twitter through fragmented thoughts and I wish Jo wouldn’t,” she tweeted at the time, adding, “That said, as a friend and admirer of Jo I can’t forget what a generous and loving person she is.”
In her conversation with the Telegraph, Lynch addressed the comments she made then, which resulted in her deleting her Twitter account when fans came after her for defending Rowling.
“I was very naive when I was dragged into that conversation,” she told the publication. “I didn’t even know there were two sides. I had a view of, like, good and bad. I do have compassion for both sides of the argument. I know what it was like to be a teenager who hated my body so much I wanted to crawl out of my skin, so I have great compassion for trans people, and I don’t want to add to their pain.”
Harry Potter stars like Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes have come forward to defend the author’s comments and the backlash she’s received. Succession’s Brian Cox also backed Rowling and called her critics “high and mighty.”
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