Daniel Radcliffe explains why it's important to stand up for the inclusion of the trans community

On the 2023 Transgender Day of Visibility, Daniel Radcliffe made it clear that he continues to be an unwavering ally of LGBTQ+ communities. In fact, he went a step further and facilitated an insightful conversation on LGBTQ+ rights and allyship with six young transgender and nonbinary individuals, which was captured by The Trevor Project for their "Sharing Space" video series.

Radcliffe expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunity to engage with people from the queer and trans community, emphasizing the importance of listening to trans youth when discussing their needs and experiences, reports HuffPost. "If you're going to talk about trans kids, it might be useful to actually listen to trans kids," he stated.

Throughout the conversation, Radcliffe addressed a range of important topics, including the need to challenge condescending attitudes towards trans and nonbinary youth, as well as the problem of people claiming to be allies without truly embodying that support in their daily lives.

While he acknowledged that some people may be unwilling to engage in this conversation in good faith, he also pointed out that education and awareness could help overcome such reluctance. "So much of the world hinges on a gender binary," he noted, highlighting the need for greater understanding and inclusivity.

According to Entertainment Weekly, he also explained his issue with the word "ally," which he feels is used by people who do not embody this claim in real life. "I said this to you all earlier, about my weird little problems with the word 'ally,'" he told the trans and non-binary individuals present, "Just because anytime you hear somebody self-refer to themself as an ally, I'm always like, 'I'm suspicious of you,'" Radcliffe admitted. "But there is an original meaning to that word, and there [are] some people who embody that very powerfully."

In stark contrast to Radcliffe's message of inclusivity and support, J.K. Rowling, the author of the "Harry Potter" series, has recently been making controversial comments about the transgender community. On a recent episode of the podcast "The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling," she characterized the trans rights movement as using illiberal methods.

Rowling's comments have been widely criticized by LGBTQ+ advocates and allies, including Radcliffe, who has distanced himself from her views on many occasions.

Despite acknowledging the pivotal role that Rowling played in shaping his career through the creation of the character of Harry Potter, Radcliffe has been steadfast in his opposition to her statements on transgender issues. He told IndieWire last year, "The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was that, particularly since finishing 'Potter,' I've met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that."

Radcliffe added, "And so seeing them hurt on that day, I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important."