Actress Michelle Gomez addressed fans directly on Instagram after accepting a role in Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions last week. The newly-announced audiobooks will feature an all-star cast of actors voicing each major role, and Gomez will play the beloved Professor McGonnagall. Fans inevitably questioned why Gomez and the other stars would be willing to work with author J.K. Rowling, who has become an aggressive, outspoken opponent of rights for transgender people. Gomez issued a statement on her Instagram Story, assuring fans that she still stands with them, and is taking this outcry into consideration. In the meantime, she pledged to make a donation to a charity supporting the transgender community.
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“To my LGBTQ+ fans, and especially the trans community: I want to speak directly to the concerns that have been raised about my involvement in this project,” Gomez wrote. “I hear you, and I understand why this is painful for many. I want to be clear that I stand with trans people, and I support trans rights – fully and without hesitation.”
“When I accepted this role, I did so as someone who has always loved the stories and what they meant to so many – especially those who found comfort and identity in that world,” she went on. “I now understand more clearly how deeply complicated and hurtful this association can feel, and I take that seriously. Being an ally means listening even when it’s uncomfortable and taking accountability where it’s needed. I’m committed to doing both.”
Gomez has reportedly made a donation to Callen-Lorde, a New York-based charity that provides healthcare to the LGBTQ+ community in the city and around the world. Still, critics point out that any support of the Harry Potter franchise further enriches Rowling herself, and she has been turning her considerable fortune against LGBTQ+ advocates in recent years.
Other actors involved in this audiobook series include Hugh Laurie as Dumbledore, Riz Ahmed as Snape, and Matthew Mcfadyen as Voldemort. These aren’t the only stars facing backlash for association with Rowling — the stars of the upcoming TV adaptation of her books have been faced with similar disappointment. Comedian Nick Frost, who will play Hagrid, addressed the issue recently in an interview with The Observer.
“She’s allowed her opinion and I’m allowed mine, they just don’t align in any way, shape or form,” he said. “But maybe [the debate] shouldn’t blow over? We shouldn’t just hope it will go away, because it makes it easier. Maybe we should educate ourselves.”
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