Harry Potter star says JK Rowling is ‘too harsh’ on the trans community

Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes has said that series author and gender critical activist JK Rowling is ‘too harsh’ on the transgender community.

Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, who portrayed Herbology Professor Pomona Sprout in two of the film adaptations of JK Rowling’s series, appeared on the A Gay Old Time podcast, where she addressed author’s continued criticism of the transgender community.

Rowling frequently expresses her ‘gender-critical’ views on the trans community online, and recently celebrated ‘TERF VE Day‘ after the UK Supreme Court ruled the legal definition of a woman to be trans-exclusionary.

“I don’t agree with her about the trans issue – I think her opinion is too harsh,”  Margolyes told podcast host Nigel May.

Margolyes also added that she “didn’t like” that “the trans community has reacted with such fury” towards Rowling in turn.

Continuing, Margolyes explained: “It’s not good to be so furious. We should be gentler with each other. We’re all oppressed by sections of the community. Let’s just be kinder.”

Margolyes finished by adding: “I really just feel supportive about this tiny group of people who are trans, and if they want me to use pronouns, I think it’s the right thing to do. If you can make people happy, do it.”

The Harry Potter author, by contrast, has previously said that she would “happily” go to prison rather than using a trans person’s preferred pronouns.

Miriam Margolyes is not the only Harry Potter star to publicly disagree with Rowling’s views.

Stephen Fry, who narrated the audiobooks for all seven Harry Potter titles, said that he believes the author is a ‘lost cause’ who’s been ‘radicalised by TERFS’ in June, and Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint have all publicly backed trans people.

As HBO’s new Harry Potter series begins production, a new cast is under scrutiny for their views on trans people.

Katherine Parkinson, who is set to play Molly Weasley, has said she refuses to ‘add to [the] debate’ and Nick Frost, who will star as Hagrid, recently said Rowling is “allowed her opinion” but said her thoughts on the trans community “don’t align in any way, shape or form” with his.

After the UK Supreme Court’s ruling, Paapa Essiedu, who will play Professor Snape in the TV series, signed an open letter pledging solidarity with the trans community.

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