Emma Watson says transgender people "deserve to live their lives without constantly being questioned", following controversial comments from J.K. Rowling.
The 54-year-old author – who is best known for penning the ‘Harry Potter’ books – came under fire recently for seemingly invalidating transgender people, when she took to Twitter to slam an article for using the phrase "people who menstruate" rather than "women".
J.K’s tweet read: "’People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud? (sic)"
And Emma – who starred in the ‘Harry Potter’ movie franchise as Hermione Granger – has now publicly disagreed with the writer’s stance, saying transgender people "are who they say they are".
She wrote on Twitter: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.
"I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are."
The 28-year-old actress also revealed she has donated to two charities, Mermaids and Mama Cash, which both support the LGBTQ community.
Emma is the latest ‘Harry Potter’ star to condemn J.K.’s comments, with Daniel Radcliffe – who played the titular wizard – and Eddie Redmayne, who appears in the ‘Fantastic Beast’ spin-off movies, speaking out in support of transgender people.
Eddie said: "Respect for transgender people remains a cultural imperative, and over the years I have been trying to constantly educate myself. This is an ongoing process.
"As someone who has worked with both J.K. Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand. I disagree with Jo’s comments. Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid.
"I would never want to speak on behalf of the community but I do know that my dear transgender friends and colleagues are tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse. They simply want to live their lives peacefully, and it’s time to let them do so."
Whilst Daniel explained in part of a lengthy statement: "Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I."