‘Harry Potter’ star Robbie Coltrane defends JK Rowling in transgender rights row

"There’s a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended"

Harry Potter star Robbie Coltrane has defended author JK Rowling in an ongoing debate about transgender rights.

The actor, who played Hagrid in Rowling’s franchise, spoke out in defence of comments Rowling made on social media, in which she first said: “‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”

Detailing her original comments, JK Rowling wrote back in June: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased.

“I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”

“I don’t think what she said was offensive really,” Coltrane told Radio Times.”I don’t know why but there’s a whole Twitter generation of people who hang around waiting to be offended.

“They wouldn’t have won the war, would they? That’s me talking like a grumpy old man, but you just think, ‘Oh, get over yourself. Wise up, stand up straight and carry on.’”

Explaining why he would not comment further, Coltrane added: “I don’t want to get involved in all of that because of all the hate mail and all that s***, which I don’t need at my time of life”.

JK Rowling
J.K. Rowling. CREDIT: Rob Stothard/Getty Images

The author has since been criticised by a number of actors from the Harry Potter franchise including Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie Wright, and Daniel Radcliffe, as well as Eddie Redmayne who plays the lead role of Newt Scamander in the ongoing Fantastic Beasts franchise.

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