Evanna Lynch, the actress best known for her role as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films, has recently addressed JK Rowling’s trans controversy in an interview with the Telegraph. Lynch, who has been a long-time friend and admirer of Rowling, expressed her shock at the backlash the author has received since she made comments on Twitter that many considered to be transphobic.
Evanna Lynch discussed Rowling’s initial comments
In her interview, Lynch discussed Rowling’s initial comments in 2020 where she questioned the use of the phrase “people who menstruate”, and then doubled down on her comments with a Twitter thread about how if sex isn’t real there’s no same-sex attraction and the lived reality of women globally is erased.
At the time, Harry Potter stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint came forward and defended the trans community, while Lynch tweeted her support for Rowling. However, Lynch soon after deleted her Twitter account due to the backlash she received.
In her interview, Lynch addressed her tweet and her support for the author. She stated, “I didn’t even know there were two sides. I had a view of like good and bad. I do have compassion for both sides of the argument. I know what it was like to be a teenager who hated my body so much I wanted to crawl out of my skin. So I have great compassion for Trans people and I don’t want to add to their pain.”
Other Harry Potter stars like Helena Bottom Carter and Ray Fines have come forward to defend the author’s comments and the backlash she’s received. Succession’s Brian Cox has also backed Rowling and called her critics “high and mighty”.
The trans controversy has been a heated topic of discussion since Rowling’s initial comments, and Lynch’s interview has sparked more debate. While Lynch has expressed her compassion and understanding for both sides of the argument, it is clear that the debate over who is the most vulnerable in society is far from over.
