Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe has launched a staunch defence of the transgender community after JK Rowling was accused of transphobia on social media.
The 54-year-old author came under fire over the weekend after a series of Twitter posts in which she lamented the "erasing the concept of sex", while in the past it has been reported that she liked a social media post referring to trans people as "men in dresses".
In a statement issued through the LGBTQ+ charity The Trevor Project, 30-year-old Radcliffe denied that there is any "in-fighting" with Rowling but nevertheless apologised for "the pain" the comments may have caused.
"I realise that certain press outlets will probably want to paint this as in-fighting between J.K. Rowling and myself, but that is really not what this is about, nor is it what's important right now," he wrote.
"While Jo is unquestionably responsible for the course my life has taken, as someone who has been honoured to work with and continues to contribute to The Trevor Project for the last decade, and just as a human being, I feel compelled to say something at this moment.
"Transgender women are women. 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 this subject matter than either Jo or I. According to The Trevor Project, 78% of transgender and non-binary youth reported being the subject of discrimination due to their gender identity. It's clear that we need to do more to support transgender and non-binary people, not invalidate their identities, and not cause further harm."
He continued: "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.
"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, non-binary, 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."
Rowling has been silent on Twitter since the last of her posts in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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