The controversy of J.K. Rowling’s reported transphobic comments has rumbled on since 2018, and it doesn’t seem to show any signs of going away anytime soon. The latest star of the Harry Potter movies, which are based on Rowling’s multi-million selling novels, to give their take on the issue is Harry Melling. Melling appeared in the Potter franchise as Dudley Dursley, and although he was happy to give his own opinion on the subject, he was also quick to point out that it is just that.

Rowling’s historical comments on the transgender society have divided her fans as well as stars who have played her fictional creations on screen. While some, such as Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have opposed Rowling’s opinions, others have, while not necessarily agreeing with the author, expressed a belief that the backlash against her has been extreme.

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While speaking with The Independent, Melling made his feelings clear on the subject of transgender men and women, but would not be drawn into commenting directly on Rowling’s own comments. He said:

“I can only speak for myself, and what I feel, to me, is very simple, which is that transgender women are women and transgender men are men. Every single person has the right to choose who they are and to identify themselves as what’s true to themselves. I don’t want to join the debate of pointing fingers and saying, ‘That’s right, that’s wrong,’ because I don’t think I’m the correct spokesperson for that. But I do believe that everybody has the right to choose.”

J.K. Rowling Has Previously Tried To Explain Her Views

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Following the initial backlash against J.K. Rowling’s transgender-related comments, including the use of the line “people who menstruate,” the author attempted to explain her feelings in a long essay piece published in 2020. In the piece, Rowling talked about her personal sexual encounters, as well her own curiosity as to whether if she has “been born 30 years later” she too “might have tried to transition.”

The world is constantly changing when it comes to terms of gender and sexuality, and attitudes don’t always catch up as quickly. When diversity and equality in movies is always a hot topic, movies and TV shows are forever attempting to evolve to meet the demands of minority groups in many ways. For many people, the constant need to label actors as “trans actors” only serves the purpose of putting a barrier between them and their chosen gender.

For now, there is no middle ground on the subject, with everyone having an opinion that is seen as wrong by those with opposing thoughts. When it comes to J.K. Rowling, it is clear that there are still plenty of those who have worked on projects involving the author that have yet to air their views on her continued online comments. In the case of Melling, he has managed to voice his opinion on the subject while negating away from directly commenting on Rowling herself, something that many others could likely do in the future.