Miriam Margolyes [pictured with JAKE organiser, Simon], the veteran actor known for her role as Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films, has expressed her unease with J.K. Rowling’s remarks about the transgender community, describing the author’s stance as ‘too harsh’. Speaking candidly on the podcast A Gay Old Time, Margolyes called for a gentler approach to discussions around trans issues, critiquing both Rowling’s comments and the trans community’s sometimes furious reactions to them. ‘We should be gentler with each other. We’re all oppressed by sections of the community. Let’s just be kinder,’ she urged, emphasising the importance of mutual respect and understanding in these contentious debates.
Margolyes further expressed sympathy for transgender people, stating her willingness to use preferred pronouns if it means making individuals happy. ‘If they want me to use pronouns, I think it’s the right thing to do,’ she said. Her comments reflect a nuanced stance compared to Rowling’s vocal and often polarising views. While Rowling denies being transphobic, her statements have sparked significant backlash due to her calls for spaces reserved exclusively for biological women, public challenges to police over alleged misgendering policies, and suggestions that the transgender community may harbour sexual predators.
The backlash has seen several key members of the Harry Potter cast publicly distance themselves from Rowling. Daniel Radcliffe, who portrayed Harry Potter, led the charge in 2020 by affirming, ‘Transgender women are women,’ in a statement released via The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention charity for LGBTQ+ youth. Radcliffe acknowledged Rowling’s role in his life but felt compelled to counter her narrative. His statement was soon backed by co-stars Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, with Watson later making a pointed, if subtle, remark at the 2022 BAFTAs by saying she was ‘here for all the witches’, a line widely interpreted as a direct rebuttal to Rowling.
Other cast members, such as Eddie Redmayne, have also openly supported the transgender community, emphasising the validity and dignity of trans and non-binary identities. These actors’ statements have consistently reaffirmed the rights and recognition of transgender individuals, marking a clear rejection of Rowling’s rhetoric.
The divide has not been limited to the recent generation of actors, either. Stephen Fry, a long-time advocate for LGBT+ rights, has described Rowling as having been ‘radicalised’ by trans-exclusionary feminist ideology and the vitriol directed at her, which he fears has rendered her unreachable on the issue. Fry labelled some of Rowling’s comments as ‘cruel’ and lamented that the hostility she faces only serves to entrench her views.
Margolyes’ approach appears to strike a balance between criticism of Rowling’s tone and a call for compassion all around. While she disagrees with the author’s views, she also warned against the ferocity of the backlash. ‘I didn’t like the fact that the trans community has reacted with such fury,’ she said, advocating for kindness and solidarity in a social climate often marked by divisiveness.
Source: Noah Wire Services
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