Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter franchise, had a “big wake-up call” after showing public support for author J.K. Rowling.
Summary
- Evanna Lynch faced backlash after showing support for J.K. Rowling, which was unexpected for her and served as a wake-up call.
- Lynch has a more nuanced view of the issue, expressing compassion for trans people but also wishing people would listen to Rowling with more grace.
- Lynch emphasizes the importance of acknowledging diverse perspectives and encourages people to approach Rowling’s views with openness and understanding, even if they disagree.
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Harry Potter actress Evanna Lynch had a “big wake-up call” after showing public support for J.K. Rowling. The Harry Potter author has been under fire for years for numerous comments that have been widely criticized as transphobic. Lynch, who played the quirky Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter, was one of the few cast members to show some support for the embattled author. Her comments were in stark contrast to other Harry Potter cast members like Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint, who all unequivocally denounced the author.
Now, during a recent interview with the Daily Mail at the Irish Post Awards, Lynch opened up about the backlash she faced after showing support for Rowling. “It was a big wake-up call,” the Harry Potter star said, suggesting she did not expect the online backlash for showing some support for the author.
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Evanna Lynch’s Stance On J.K. Rowling Explained
Rowling first came under fire in 2020 for a controversial tweet that mocked an article for using the phrase “people who menstruate,” adding that women’s rights would be “erased” if “sex isn’t real.” Her comments have been widely criticized as transphobic, including by Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint who publicly denounced the author and showed support for the transgender community, though Lynch shared more of a mixed reaction to Rowling’s comments. While she has “great compassion for trans people,” Lynch “wishes” that “people would just give [Rowling] more grace and listen to her.”
I was very naive when I was dragged into that conversation. 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. I understand being too triggered to be able to have a conversation. If you put me in a room with one of my doctors who treated me in the past, ooh, I’d kick off. Like, I would want to scream and yell names. I do also think it’s important that JK Rowling has been amplifying the voices of detransitioners. I had this impulse to go, ‘Let’s all just stop talking about it’, and I think probably I’m a bit braver now about having uncomfortable conversations…
I just felt that her character has always been to advocate for the most vulnerable members of society. The problem is that there’s a disagreement over who’s the most vulnerable. I do wish people would just give her more grace and listen to her.
By her own admission, Lynch was “very naive” when she first entered the conversation about Rowling’s controversial comments on transgender people. While she originally had a simplistic view of the issue, over time, she developed compassion and an enhanced understanding of both sides of the argument, drawing from her own experiences of struggling with body image as a teenager. Despite this, the Harry Potter actress emphasizes the importance of acknowledging diverse perspectives and urges people to listen to Rowling with an open mind, even if they may not agree with her.
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Source: Daily Mail
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