Rupert Grint Says He Needed To ‘Stand Up’ Against JK Rowling’s Transphobic Letter
Published
Harry Potter star Rupert Grint has spoken out about why he felt compelled to weigh in on the JK Rowling transphobia row, explaining, ‘It’s important to stand up for what you believe in’.
Grint and many other high-profile stars from the franchise opposed transphobic comments made by Rowling in June last year.
Backing co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, Grint said he stood firmly with the trans community, doubling down on his support, writing: ‘Trans women are women. Trans men are men.’
Now, the 32-year-old, who recently became a father for the first time, has explained he why decided to speak out on the debate.
‘Social media can start conversations but if you put your opinions out there, you can get bombarded,’ he told The Times.
‘I do think it’s still important to stand up for what you believe in, and for people and communities that need our support and love. That’s why I spoke out last year, I wanted to get some kindness out there.’
Grint added:
We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.
It comes after Rowling published a number of concerning tweets, in which she suggested that gender identity invalidates biological sex.
She initially mocked a headline which included the phrase ‘people who menstruate,’ writing: ‘I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’
Following the backlash, the 55-year-old then released a 3,000-word essay on her website, titled ‘JK Rowling Writes about Her Reasons for Speaking Out on Sex and Gender Issues’.
She explained she was concerned about the ‘new trans activism,’ while documenting her own history of domestic abuse.
Rowling faced criticism from a number of activism groups, including LGBTQ+ suicide prevention charity The Trevor Project, for which Radcliffe is an ambassador.
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Topics: Celebrity, Harry Potter, JK Rowling, Rupert Grint, Transphobia
