ACTOR Daniel Radcliffe has responded to JK Rowling's controversial tweets about transgender women.
The Harry Potter star clapped back at the author for mocking a headline about "people who menstruate" in a blog post published for the Trevor Project on Monday.
The non-profit group focuses on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.
Here's why the Boy Who Lived slammed the author's remarks about gender identity.
What did JK Rowling tweet about transgender people?
The Harry Potter writer ridiculed the headline of an opinion piece on Saturday titled Creating a More Equal Post-COVID-19 World for People Who Menstruate.
"'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" she said.
Rowling immediately faced backlash from social media users, many of who slammed her as transphobic.
Although she hasn't issued an apology, she continued to defend her statement in a string of follow-up tweets on Saturday.
Rowling wrote in quotes phrases that she had been called as a result of the fallout, including "TERF", an acronym which stands for trans-exclusionary radical feminist.
"Times change. Woman-hate is eternal," she wrote.
What was Daniel Radcliffe’s reaction?
Radcliffe defended trans people in a heartfelt op-ed for The Trevor Project.
The 30-year-old actor began by saying "it's clear we need to do more" to support trans and nonbinary people.
He then encouraged readers to check out the organization's Guide to Being An Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth, noting that he's "still learning how to be a better ally."
"Transgender women are women," he wrote.
"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 the subject matter than either Jo (Rowling) or I."
Radcliffe also apologized to Harry Potter fans who were hurt or offended by Rowling's comments.
"I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you," he wrote.
"I really hope that you don't entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you…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."
What other controversial things has JK Rowling said?
Rowling sparked fury last year for supporting a researcher who was fired for tweeting that transgender people can't change their biological sex.
The 54-year-old author tweeted: "Dress however you please, call yourself whatever you like. Live your best life in peace and security."
"But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real?" she wrote before adding #IStandWithMaya, a hashtag referring to sacked researcher Maya Forstater.
Forstater, who worked at the think tank Center for Global Development, was fired in March 2019 after posting a string of tweets questioning the government's move to let people declare their own gender.
When did JK Rowling and Radcliffe work together?
Rowling and Radcliffe worked together on the Harry Potter film series from 2001 to 2011.
In his piece, the actor asserted that his rebuttal wasn't a sign of "in-fighting" between him and the author, whom he said is "unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken."
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