Harry Potter Movies Writer Breaks Silence on J.K. Rowling's Anti-Trans Comments

The writer of the Harry Potter movies has broken his silence on J.K. Rowling's transphobic comments. Steve Kloves was the screenwriter for the Harry Potter franchise and producer on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He talked to Variety and came out on the side of the young stars of the franchise in supporting transgender people. The entire Harry Potter fanbase was weighing in on these comments for much of the week. Some feel betrayed and others support the author no matter what. At this point, the entire fandom might here from all the main actors about their response to her tweets and Medium post. The conversation will probably crop up again when the latest Fantastic Beasts movie begins production again after being shut down for the coronavirus pandemic.

"Our diversity is our strength," Kloves told Variety in a statement. "In these challenging times, it's more important than ever that transgender women and men, and people who are non-binary, feel safe and accepted for who they are. It seems very little to ask."

The response to this letter and comments has stretched across all facets of the franchise. GLAAD issued its own statement about the Potter scribe's words and challenged Warner Brothers to respond.

"J.K. Rowling proactively spreads misinformation and has refused conversations with LGBTQ leaders who merely want to have a dialogue and let her know the negative impact that these tweets have," Anthony Ramos, GLAAD's head of celebrity talent said via Variety. "A generation raised on J.K.'s own books about embracing differences is now making their voices loud and clear and if she refuses dialogue, then companies that partner with her should tell the community where they stand. Studios, networks, and brands affiliated with J.K. Rowling owe it to their transgender employees and consumers to speak out against her inaccurate and hurtful comments."

Series star Daniel Radcliffe posted a thoughtful response on The Trevor Project website as well.

"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," a part of Radcliffe's op-ed read. "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."

Are you still looking forward to the next Fantastic Beasts movie? Let us know in the comments!