Eddie Redmayne reacts to JK Rowling’s tweets about trans people: ‘Trans women are women’

‘I disagree with Jo’s comments’

Eddie Redmayne has responded to JK Rowling’s tweets about transgender people, saying he disagrees with the Harry Potter author’s stance.

“Respect for transgender people remains a cultural imperative, and over the years I have been trying to constantly educate myself,” Redmayne, who portrays Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts film series, told Variety in a statement released on Wednesday.

“This is an ongoing process. As someone who has worked with both JK Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand. I disagree with Jo’s comments.”

Rowling has recently come under criticism for a series of messages pertaining to transgender people and their experiences.

In one of them, she linked to an op-ed that included the phrase “people who menstruate”, adding: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

While Rowling insisted she supports transgender people and their rights, many viewed the message as being dismissive of transgender people who do not identify as women but also menstruate, including transgender men as well as genderqueer and non-binary people.

“Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid,” Redmayne added in his statement.

The actor went on to say that while he doesn’t want to “speak on behalf of the community”, he knows of transgender friends and colleagues who are “tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse”.

Over the past few days, several celebrities, including Daniel Radcliffe and Evanna Lynch, have also publicly opposed Rowling’s views.