Another day, another ‘Harry Potter’ star speaking out to show their support for trans people. This time, we have actress Emma Watson voicing her support for trans folks after the transphobic comments and essay from Wizarding World creator JK Rowling.
After comments by Daniel Radcliffe and ‘Fantastic Beasts’ star Eddie Redmayne, Watson took to social media to also voice her support for the trans community.
READ MORE: ‘Harry Potter’ Creator J.K. Rowling Doubles Down On Transphobic Message In A New Essay
Watson tweeted, “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are. I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are. I donate to @Mermaids_Gender and @mamacash. If you can, perhaps you’ll feel inclined to do the same. Happy #PRIDE2020 Sending love x”
As mentioned, this comes after JK Rowling, the author behind the ‘Harry Potter’ novels and the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films, wrote a lengthy essay further clarifying her anti-trans statements and defending her previous social media messages that were controversial.
However, Watson wasn’t the only person to speak out in support of diversity and inclusivity in light of Rowling’s words. Warner Bros., the studio behind the ‘Potter’ films, also released a statement. That being said, the studio’s words are much less specific in regards to the trans community and, instead, offer a promise to foster a “diverse and inclusive culture.”
Here’s what WB said in a statement to Variety:
“The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult societal issues. Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world. We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all. We recognize our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content.”
Interestingly, neither comments by Watson or WB mention Rowling by name, nor do they mention the anti-trans messages released by the author. Redmayne and Radcliffe both specifically talked about disagreeing with Rowling. In the case of WB, the lack of specifically mentioning trans folks and the generality of the statement is surprising.
Many are curious if the studio will continue to work with Rowling after her comments and essay, considering she’s the screenwriter behind the first two ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films and is expected to be in the same position for the future films.
Perhaps there’s a future statement in the works that will strongly condemn the words of Rowling and show support for the trans community which she targeted. We’ll have to wait and see.