Warner Bros. has issued a statement in response to ‘Harry Potter’ author J.K. Rowling’s comments about the transgender community, insisting that the studio is committed to "fostering a diverse and inclusive culture".
The 54-year-old author – who penned the books about the boy wizard that Warner Bros. turned into a major box office movie franchise – 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" and also argued about the need to recognise the reality of biological sex.
Rowling has since released a lengthy essay via her website admitting she has concerns about the effect transgender activism is having on children across the world.
Addressing the matter, Warner Bros. was adamant that the company values "the work of our storytellers" and did not criticise Rowling for her stance but was adamant that it is committed to promoting inclusivity and diversity.
The statement read: "The events in the last several weeks have firmed our resolve as a company to confront difficult societal issues. Warner Bros.’ position on inclusiveness is well established, and fostering a diverse and inclusive culture has never been more important to our company and to our audiences around the world.
"We deeply value the work of our storytellers who give so much of themselves in sharing their creations with us all.
"We recognise our responsibility to foster empathy and advocate understanding of all communities and all people, particularly those we work with and those we reach through our content."
Since Rowling’s row with the transgender community erupted cast members from the ‘Harry Potter’ films have spoken out in support of trans people.
Daniel Radcliffe – who portrayed the titular protagonist in the franchise – rejected Rowling’s comments in an open letter on The Trevor Project website.
He said: "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."
And Emma Watson – who played Hermione Granger in the series – spoke out to say that transgender people "deserve to live their lives without constantly being questioned".
The 28-year-old actress 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."