Rupert Grint is the last of the famous Harry Potter trio to respond to J.K. Rowling's recent comments about trans people, and he stands firmly with his former co-stars. The series' author caused quite a stir last week when she yet again expressed transphobic sentiments about biological sex and the term "people who menstruate." Since then, several stars of the Harry Potter film franchise, including Emma Watson, Bonnie Wright, Katie Leung and Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, have come forward to offer their support to the trans community. Now, Rupert Grint, who played Ron Weasley in the HP films, is expressing similar sentiments.
"Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment," Grint said to The Times in a statement. "I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers.”
In her original tweets, Rowling questioned the term "people who menstruate" before explaining why she thinks the concept of biological sex is important. "‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" she tweeted.
"If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction," she wrote. "If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth."
"The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense," she continued. "I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so."
She went on to double down on her stance in a 3,000-word essay in which she opened up about her own experiences of sexual abuse and domestic violence.