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<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6030075" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Katie-Leung">Katie Leung</keyword> said publicists told her to deny racist abuse from the "<keyword id="6357995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Harry-Potter">Harry Potter</keyword>" fandom. </li><li>Leung starred as Cho Chang in the hugely popular franchise.</li><li>"I remember reading all the comments. And, yeah, it was a lot of racist s---," she said. </li></ul>The "Harry Potter" actor Katie Leung says publicists advised her to deny being the target of online racist abuse from the franchise's fans.Leung, a Scottish-born performer of Chinese descent, was cast in the role of Cho Chang in the hugely popular franchise at age 16 and starred in four films including "The Order of The Phoenix," where she was Harry Potter's love interest.Now 33 and speaking during a recent <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/chinese-chippy-girl/id1526895182">episode of the "Chinese Chippy Girl‬" podcast</a>, Leung said when she was first cast in the "Harry Potter" films she discovered several fan-dedicated websites where users shared abusive and racist messages about her."I was, like, Googling myself at one point, and I was on this website, which was kind of dedicated to the kind of 'Harry Potter' fandom. I remember reading all the comments. And, yeah, it was a lot of racist s---," Leung said. "Somebody had actually created a website, a hate site. It was like, if you disagree with this casting, click on this button, and it was like a count of who disagreed with the casting. It's so awful."<div type="image" title="Harry Potter" height="1400" width="2100" msid="81450016" hostid="261"></div>Leung said that she was not provided any media training to prepare for interviews and that when she approached her publicists about the online racist abuse they told her they had never seen such websites and advised her to deny their existence too."I remember them saying to me: 'Oh, look, Katie, we haven't seen these, these websites that people are talking about. And, you know, if you get asked that, just say it's not true, say it's not happening,'" she said. "And I just nodded my head. I was like, 'OK, OK,' even though I had seen it myself with my own eyes. I was like, 'OK, yeah, I'll just say everything's great.'"She added: "During that time, it was the kind of rise of the internet and fandoms and all that sort of stuff. Because I'm 16 and a teenager, I care what people think as it is in school, never mind what the whole world thinks. There was a lot of pressure there. I was so caught up in caring about what people thought of me."It's unclear whether the publicists worked for Leung personally or Warner Bros., which produced the franchise and continues to produce the "Fantastic Beasts" spin-off. The studio did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.<div type="image" title="harry potter cho chang kiss" height="599" width="799" msid="81450019" hostid="261"></div>Leung, who has gone on to star in films including "T2 Trainspotting," said that she was "really very f---ing grateful" to be involved in the film franchise but that her experience "wasn't great."In 2016 during an <a href="https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/14273569.katie-leung-on-life-after-harry-potter-and-battling-racist-stereotypes/">interview with The Herald newspaper</a>, Leung detailed similar racist abuse from "Potter" fans and said that the only way she was able to deal with the messages was to ignore them."I put it to the back of my mind. I don't know if that is the best way to deal with it, but that is naturally what I did in order to move on and be a good actor," she said."I was being judged purely on my looks because she" - Cho Chang - "is supposed to be a very beautiful girl. This all happened before the films even came out. I thought: 'Well, I can't do anything about the way I look, so I'm going to need to do the best acting to make up for it.'"

'Harry Potter' actor Katie Leung says she was told to deny receiving racist abuse from fans

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Ralph Fiennes said that J.K. Rowling has sustained "verbal abuse" over her transphobic viewpoints. </li><li>Rowling has come under fire in recent years for offensive comments about the trans community. </li></ul>"Harry Potter" actor Ralph Fiennes, who played Voldemort in the film series, said that "verbal abuse" directed at J.K. Rowling following her history of transphobic comments is "disgusting."In an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/22/style/ralph-fiennes-robert-moses.html">interview with the New York Times Magazine published October 22</a>, Fiennes spoke about the controversy surrounding the author, who over the past several years has repeatedly made polarizing and offensive statements about trans women and sustained subsequent backlash both from <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-harry-potter-stars-transphobic-comments-reactions-2020-6">other "Harry Potter" stars</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowlings-transphobia-devastated-trans-harry-potter-fans-2020-6">members of the transgender community. </a>"The verbal abuse directed at her is disgusting, it's appalling," Fiennes told the New York Times Magazine. "I mean, I can understand a viewpoint that might be angry at what she says about women. But it's not some obscene, über-right-wing fascist. It's just a woman saying, 'I'm a woman and I feel I'm a woman and I want to be able to say that I'm a woman.'"In 2020, Rowling increasingly began to espouse <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-is-terf-tweets-same-sex-attraction-feminists-lesbians-2020-6">controversial viewpoints about the transgender community on Twitter</a>, with some labeling her as a <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-what-is-a-terf-trans-exclusionary-radical-feminist-2020-6">"trans-exclusionary radical feminist"</a> ("TERF"). In June 2020, she <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-transgender-women-statement-response-2020-6">published a statement on her website</a> with the caption "TERF wars" on Twitter in which she attempted to explain her previous statements. In it, <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-says-explosion-of-young-women-have-transitioned-detransitioned-2020-6">as Insider previously reported</a>, she made claims about trans people that both furthered potentially harmful myths and were not supported by data. In the past, the author has <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-trans-activists-pipe-bomb-death-threat-2021-7">said that she had been threatened with violence</a> on the basis of her comments. In the wake of Rowling's comments over the past several years, members of the "Harry Potter" film cast have distanced themselves from her, while some like Fiennes and <a href="https://www.insider.com/hagrid-actor-robbie-coltrane-defends-jk-rowling-over-transphobia-claim-2020-9">the late Robbie Coltrane</a>, who <a href="https://www.insider.com/robbie-coltrane-hagrid-harry-potter-star-dies-at-72-2022-10">died in October</a>, have spoken out in support. <a href="https://www.insider.com/rupert-grint-jk-rowling-auntie-doesnt-agree-with-her-trans-views-2022-1">Rupert Grint</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/daniel-radcliffe-responds-to-jk-rowlings-twitter-comments-2020-6">Daniel Radcliffe</a>, who played Ron Weasley and Harry Potter in the films, have said that they don't agree with Rowling's views, while others like <a href="https://twitter.com/Kt_Leung/status/1269574865733988356">Katie Leung</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/EmmaWatson/status/1270826851070619649">Emma Watson</a>, who played Cho Chang and Hermione Granger, tweeted their support for trans people amid the backlash against Rowling. Rowling <a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-reunion-jk-rowling-transphobia-criticism-2021-12">only appeared via archival footage in an HBO "Harry Potter" 20th Anniversary special</a> titled "Return to Hogwarts," and the special did not address her past remarks.Fiennes has <a href="https://www.insider.com/ralph-fiennes-backlash-jk-rowling-disturbing-transphobia-2021-3">previously spoken about the backlash to Rowling</a>, saying in a <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/ralph-fiennes-back-theatre-will-emotional/">2021 interview with the Telegraph</a> that he couldn't "understand the vitriol directed at her.""J.K. Rowling has written these great books about empowerment, about young children finding themselves as human beings," Fiennes told the New York Times Magazine. "It's about how you become a better, stronger, more morally centered human being."

'Harry Potter' star Ralph Fiennes says 'verbal abuse' of J.K. Rowling over her transphobic comments is 'disgusting'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cho Chang actress Katie Leung has responded to the critcism <keyword id="44360" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="JK-Rowling">JK Rowling</keyword> has received over the past few days, initially sparked by her <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-is-terf-tweets-same-sex-attraction-feminists-lesbians-2020-6">comments about trans people.</a></li><li>On June 6, <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1269382518362509313?s=20">Rowling tweeted an article</a> that referenced "people who menstruate," writing: "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"</li><li>After her tweets sparked controversy, people then began to flag other times Rowling's work has been problematic, including naming her only East Asian "<keyword id="6357995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Harry-Potter">Harry Potter</keyword>" character Cho Chang.</li><li>On Sunday, <a href="https://twitter.com/Kt_Leung/status/1269574865733988356?s=20">Leung tweeted her response</a>: "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes...(thread)."</li><li>She then used her platform to promote links to <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wnbb/tony-mcdade-nina-pop-how-to-help">charities supporting black trans people.</a></li></ul>Katie Leung, the actress who played Cho Chang in the "Harry Potter" film series, has responded to recent criticism of JK Rowling, which was initially sparked by the author's <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-is-terf-tweets-same-sex-attraction-feminists-lesbians-2020-6">comments about trans people.</a>On June 6, the Rowling shared an article on Twitter with a headline that used the phrase "people who menstruate."She tweeted: "'People who menstruate.' I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?"Her tweet received plenty of criticism, and <a href="https://twitter.com/Aleen/status/1269394953299361793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1269394953299361793&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Fharry-potter-cho-chang-actress-katie-leung-jk-rowling-controversy-2020-620-6">one user pointed out</a> that "women are not defined by their periods."Rowling then doubled down on her position by posting a thread of tweets, writing that while she does "know and love trans people," "erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives."She wrote: "It isn't hate to speak the truth.""I respect every trans person's right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them," <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1269407862234775552?s=20">Rowling tweeted.</a> "I'd march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it's hateful to say so."Rowling's second round of comments received a considerable amount of backlash, with celebrities inlcuding <a href="https://twitter.com/MsSarahPaulson/status/1269425036365926400?s=20">Sarah Paulson</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/jvn/status/1269450099446427649?s=20">Jonathan Van Ness</a> criticizing her words.The conversation then led people to discuss other instances where Rowling's work has been deemed <a href="https://twitter.com/mrjaycoles/status/1269408889428152320?s=20">"problematic."</a>A number of people called her out for the "Harry Potter" character of Cho Chang, whose name was labelled <a href="https://twitter.com/Milkthiev/status/1269469430502903809?s=20">"lazy"</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ChipCheezum/status/1269419509934407681?s=20">"racist,"</a> with @kimmythepooh calling it "the name equivalent of ching Chong."Another Twitter user said the name "speaks for itself" when the "Harry Potter" world is full of "interesting" names like Nymphadora Tonks.Meanwhile, @angryasianman wrote: "Over 20 years after she was introduced in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,' people are expressing irritation that JK Rowling lazily named her only East Asian character Cho F------ Chang. Yes, we've been holding on to this one for a long time."Addressing the issue, on Sunday Leung tweeted: "So, you want my thoughts on Cho Chang? Okay, here goes...(thread)."She then used her platform to post links to charities and initiatives accepting donations to suppor black trans lives.Leung posted links to <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/homeless-black-trans-women-fund">Go Fund Me's Homeless Black Trans Women fund</a>, <a href="https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-more-protection-for-black-trans-women-uk?recruiter=1094856551&amp;utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&amp;utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&amp;recruited_by_id=4b662470-a0c8-11ea-a53d-6feefd63b6b0ea-a53d-6feefd63b6b0">Change.org's more protection for black trans women UK</a>, <a href="https://www.ukblackpride.org.uk/">UK Black Pride</a>, and a <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/n7wnbb/tony-mcdade-nina-pop-how-to-help">Vice article listing places to donate in support of black trans people</a>.She finished the thread with a tweet that read: "#AsiansForBlackLives."This is not the first time Rowling has been criticized for seemingly transphobic comments.<a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-is-under-fire-for-defending-womans-transphobic-comments-2019-12">Last year</a>, the author came under fire after she defended a UK-based tax expert who made transphobic comments and <a href="https://www.insider.com/uk-ruling-legal-fire-employee-said-trans-women-not-real-women-2019-12">was terminated from her job due to her statements</a>.In March 2018, she <a href="https://www.them.us/story/is-jk-rowling-transphobic">liked a tweet that referred to trans women as "men in dress,"</a> Them previously reported.And, in 2017, Rowling <a href="https://www.facebook.com/549800225039203/photos/a.775757485776808/1714016318617582/?type=3&amp;theaterater">liked another tweet</a> that promoted a transphobic <a href="https://medium.com/@GappyTales/me-too-now-what-sex-the-left-and-gender-identity-236b08f194b0" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Medium article.</a>Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-is-terf-tweets-same-sex-attraction-feminists-lesbians-2020-6">J.K. Rowling went on a Twitter rant about how transgender activism can hurt women and lesbians. Her 'TERF' stance is unpopular.</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/fantastic-beasts-jk-rowling-dumbledore-lgbt-backlash-2018-2">Why devoted 'Harry Potter' fans feel betrayed by J.K. Rowling and the 'Fantastic Beasts' franchise</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-theme-song-washing-machine-video-2020-6">'Harry Potter' fans re-created the theme song using a washing machine, and J.K. Rowling approves</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-movies-details-you-might-have-missed-2020-6">27 details you might have missed in the 'Harry Potter' movies</a>

The actress who played 'Cho Chang' in 'Harry Potter' responded after JK Rowling was called out for the character's name

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In a new interview, <keyword id="137102" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ralph-Fiennes">Ralph Fiennes</keyword> says he cannot understand the "vitriol" directed at J.K. Rowling.</li><li>"I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational," the actor <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/ralph-fiennes-back-theatre-will-emotional/amp/">told the Telegraph.</a></li><li>Rowling's statements on trans people are unsupported by data, <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-says-explosion-of-young-women-have-transitioned-detransitioned-2020-6">and they perpetuate dangerous myths.</a></li></ul>"<keyword id="6357995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Harry-Potter">Harry Potter</keyword>" star Ralph Fiennes has weighed in on the ongoing conversation around author J.K. Rowling and the debate around her transphobic personal views. In a new profile from UK publication the Telegraph, Fiennes said he can't "understand the vitriol directed at her.""I can understand the heat of an argument, but I find this age of accusation and the need to condemn irrational," the Lord Voldemort actor said. "I find the level of hatred that people express about views that differ from theirs, and the violence of language towards others, disturbing."Last year, Rowling's <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-what-is-a-terf-trans-exclusionary-radical-feminist-2020-6">pattern of supporting </a><a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-what-is-a-terf-trans-exclusionary-radical-feminist-2020-6">trans-exclusionary radical feminists</a> came to a head when she published a lengthy essay about her beliefs (many of which were not supported by science) when it came to <keyword id="6358953" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Transgender">transgender</keyword> people."Rowling's claims are not only unsupported by data, but perpetuate dangerous myths about trans people that can inhibit their access to life-saving care," Insider's <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-says-explosion-of-young-women-have-transitioned-detransitioned-2020-6">health reporters Anna Medaris Miller Canela López wrote last summer.</a>Some people responded heatedly to her public posts on social media, and at one point <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-rip-jk-rowling-trending-but-author-is-still-alive-2020-9">#RIPJKRowling was trending on Twitter</a>.<div type="image" title="jk rowling premiere" height="825" width="1101" msid="81560473" hostid="261"></div>Last summer, notable philosopher and <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/international/2020/09/judith-butler-culture-wars-jk-rowling-and-living-anti-intellectual-times">gender theorist expert Judith Butler spoke with another UK publication</a>, the New Statesman, about the going conversation around Rowling and people's reactions to her statements. When asked what she had to say about "violent or abusive language used online against people like J.K. Rowling," Butler said the following:"I am against online abuse of all kinds. I confess to being perplexed by the fact that you point out the abuse levelled against J.K. Rowling, but you do not cite the abuse against trans people and their allies that happens online and in person. I disagree with <keyword id="44360" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="JK-Rowling">JK Rowling</keyword>'s view on trans people, but I do not think she should suffer harassment and threats. Let us also remember, though, the threats against trans people in places like Brazil, the harassment of trans people in the streets and on the job in places like Poland and Romania - or indeed right here in the US."In 2021 so far, 28 states have proposed anti-trans bills, which range from <a href="https://www.insider.com/over-half-of-us-states-tried-passing-anti-trans-bills-2021-3">"banning trans children from playing on sports teams to prohibiting doctors from giving trans youth life-saving care."</a>Fiennes isn't the only "Harry Potter" actor who has taken a public stance on Rowling's statements and transgender rights. Days after Rowling's essay was published, Daniel Radcliffe (who played Harry Potter) <a href="https://www.insider.com/daniel-radcliffe-responds-to-jk-rowlings-twitter-comments-2020-6">wrote a letter for the Trevor Project</a>, a nonprofit organization aimed at supporting LGBTQ+ youth.<div type="image" title="daniel radcliffe" height="2050" width="2733" msid="81560474" hostid="261"></div>"Transgender women are women," he wrote. "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."Katie Leung (Cho Chang), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), and <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-harry-potter-stars-transphobic-comments-reactions-2020-6#bonnie-wright-tweeted-out-her-support-for-trans-people-as-well-7">more all voiced support for trans people</a> in the days following Rowling's letter. Fans of the "Harry Potter" series have also been <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-transgender-comments-show-reality-wizarding-world-harry-potter-2020-6">vocal about their disappointment in the author.</a>Others, like Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid) have made statements similar to Fiennes in recent interviews. "I don't think what she said was offensive really," Coltrane <a href="https://www.insider.com/hagrid-actor-robbie-coltrane-defends-jk-rowling-over-transphobia-claim-2020-9">said during an interview with the Radio Times</a>. "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?"<h3>You can <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/ralph-fiennes-back-theatre-will-emotional/amp/">read the Telegraph's full profile of Ralph Fiennes here »</a></h3>

Voldemort actor says the backlash J.K. Rowling received for being transphobic is 'disturbing'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Insider, "<keyword id="6357995" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Harry-Potter">Harry Potter</keyword>" actress <keyword id="481818" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Evanna-Lynch">Evanna Lynch</keyword> spoke about her animal rights activism, her connection with autistic Potter fans, and how <keyword id="44360" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="JK-Rowling">JK Rowling</keyword> handled Dumbledore's sexuality.</li><li>Lynch, who played <keyword id="481819" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Luna-Lovegood">Luna Lovegood</keyword> in the fantasy franchise, is currently <a href="https://headlines.peta.org/johns-hopkins-university-owl-experiments/">campaigning against John Hopkins University for their experiments on owls</a>. She's even <a href="https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EvannaLynch-Letter-TheJohnsHopkinsUniversity.pdf">written a letter urging them to stop.</a></li><li>The actress said that she gets a lot of letters from autistic fans expressing their love for Luna, and believes that it's Luna's self-acceptance in the face of being deemed an "outsider" that connects with them.</li><li>Lynch also said that Rowling handled Dumbledore's sexuality "sensitively" despite backlash against the non-explicit scenes between him and Grindelwald in the second "Fantastic Beasts" movie.</li><li>Lynch said: "I don't want him to emerge in rainbow flag robes and be like 'I'm finally liberated,' that would sensationalize it. So I think it has to be handled with delicacy."</li></ul>Evanna Lynch is definitely a Gryffindor. The actress, who portrayed Luna Lovegood in four "Harry Potter" films, said she's a lot more fierce than the character she played to quirky perfection."My initial reaction to things — I can get very fiery and angry," Lynch told Insider while discussing her activism, which isn't the sort of lightweight Hollywood activism that is often seen with stars simply sharing photos and videos on social media.Instead, Lynch is more of the take-action, hands-on brand of activism that a number of young Hollywood stars are embodying. In fact, the actress is in a WhatsApp group chat with fellow "Potter" actors Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), and Katie Leung (Cho Chang), she told Insider where they "have conversations" about the issues that keep them fighting."We all sort of have our things, you know? Bonnie is an environmentalist. Emma is a feminist. Katie is fighting for racial equality — and they're all interlinked. They're all about social justice and equality," Lynch said. "Certain things lately have triggered us to be more in contact with each other and to talk about what are meaningful ways to address the issues."One such thing that Lynch is currently fighting is a series of <a href="https://headlines.peta.org/johns-hopkins-university-owl-experiments/">experiments on owls being conducted at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland in an effort to conduct ADHD research</a>. It's no wonder why PETA tapped the actress to lend her voice in amplifying the issue. In "Harry Potter," owls were often seen communicating with the wizards. It's why Lynch has found her own connection to the birds.<h2>'When I read things that upset me, I think that Gryffindor hero kicks in,' Lynch said of why she's involved in animal rights advocacy</h2><div type="image" title="Harry Potter and Hedwig" height="1200" width="1600" msid="78720964" hostid="261"></div>In her <a href="https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/EvannaLynch-Letter-TheJohnsHopkinsUniversity.pdf">letter to the president of Hopkins,</a> urging the university to shut down the "vicious" laboratories with immediate effect, Lynch writes that scientists cut into the owl's brains and insert electrodes, forcing them to listen to sounds in order to record their brain activity."When I read things that upset me, I think that Gryffindor hero kicks in," Lynch told Insider, referring to the experiments. "I can get very fiery and angry, but I strongly don't believe that's the most powerful place to do activism from."Insider reached out to a rep for Hopkins, but didn't immediately hear back.Lynch believes that "effective activism is about finding commonality rather than just placing blame and saying you're on the wrong side."Although the 29-year-old actress can't help but stand up for what she believes in, the same can't be said about her "Harry Potter" character, she admitted. "I always wondered about that — would Luna have been an activist? Because she's not a fiery character. She very much accepts the present moment and kind of seems to go with the flow," Lynch said. "I don't know how much good that would have done the animal rights movement."<h2>Lynch said she gets a lot of fan mail from Potter fans with autism because they 'relate to Luna a lot'</h2><div type="image" title="Luna Lovegood lion hat" height="1200" width="1600" msid="78720972" hostid="261"></div>While Luna may not have been an activist, it doesn't mean the quirky Hogwarts student isn't having a positive impact on a completely different community. In fact, Lynch's character means a lot to a certain group within the Potter fandom."I always get a lot of letters from people with autism who relate to Luna a lot," Lynch said.The Irish actress explained that, while she can never fully understand autism as it's not her lived experience, she certainly knows what it's like to be misunderstood and struggle to communicate."You just want people to kind of see your heart, to see how you feel, but it's hard to communicate that," Lynch added. "Growing up, I always felt so out of place. And I just couldn't put my finger on it. Why do I feel different to other people? Why do they have an easier time just fitting in? How do they know how to be funny, how to be cool? I felt that way but felt bad about it." "But then Luna comes along and she is that way to society, but she doesn't feel bad about it. She just completely accepts herself," Lynch continued. "I think it's similar to autistic people. Obviously, everyone's very different and every case of autism is different, but I think that they see that Luna is somebody who doesn't quite fit in."In the "Harry Potter" franchise, Luna is a Ravenclaw. And although Hogwarts students constantly make fun of her for being different, even calling her "Loony Lovegood," she's still courageous and brave. And it's her confidence that leads her to becoming a key part of Harry's friendship group and Dumbledore's Army. It's a pretty powerful message for anyone who has ever felt ostracized."She's just a little bit off-center and more of a misfit, yet she manages to accept herself despite being ostracized for being 'weird.' That to me was so inspiring growing up. I feel that might be what fans with autism are connecting with as well," Lynch said.It's also a uniting message for the Potter fandom at a time where controversy and hurt are rife. Back in June, Rowling tweeted an article about "people who menstruate." She added, "I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?" The message, which she continues to double-down on, has not only hurt the trans community, but Potter actors and fans. Lynch has already <a href="https://www.insider.com/jk-rowling-harry-potter-stars-transphobic-comments-reactions-2020-6">spoken about JK Rowling's comments</a> about the trans community, saying she was "saddened" by how it's affected those who are trans. "I was talking to a few friends about what can we do about this? But then it was kind of like, no, we shouldn't be the ones trying to speak up for these people," Lynch said, referring to Rowling. "It should be about amplifying those voices ... There should be more of that and less of people trying to say the right thing because you can do more damage than good sometimes."<h2>Rowling told Lynch that Dumbledore was gay well before it was announced, and clarifies the author wasn't 'trying to get on the woke train'</h2><div type="image" title="Luna Lovegood 1" height="1200" width="1600" msid="78720980" hostid="261"></div>Another topic that has divided fans is Dumbledore's sexuality.The former headmaster of Hogwarts was revealed to identify as gay by Rowling back in 2007 despite it not being stated or even referenced in the franchise.While memes and Twitter jokes have emerged, criticizing what some view as Rowling trying to retroactively make her work more inclusive, Lynch insists that is not the case"Years before the Grindelwald franchise, she told me he was gay, and years before it was even announced, she told me that he was gay," Lynch told Insider. "I was trying to ship Luna with someone, asking, 'Can Luna be with someone like Dumbledore? Can you make someone like that?' And she was like, 'No, I don't think so. I really think Dumbledore would be gay.'"Lynch continued: "So people saying, 'Oh, it's just exploitative. It's just trying to get on the woke train,' it's absolutely not. I think it was such an integral part of his character that she thought deeply about, and I think they're handling it sensitively because she doesn't want to sensationalize it."As many Potter fans will know, Dumbledore had a relationship with Grindelwald, considered to be one of the most dangerous wizards. Their relationship actually transcended friendship — they were in love. It was the deterioration of Dumbledore's relationship with Grindelwald that broke the wizard.Still, fans felt short-changed by the suggestive plot points. In 2018's "The Crimes of Grindelwald," which Rowling wrote, the first time we see Dumbledore and Grindelwald together, we see the two young wizards make a blood pact. In it, the two hold hands and Jude Law's Dumbledore declares that they were "closer than brothers."It's much more than a hint at their intimate relationship, but far less than an explicit "coming out" that some fans may have wanted. <h2>Lynch didn't want Dumbledore 'to emerge in rainbow flag robes.' She added, 'It has to be handled with delicacy'</h2><div type="image" title="Grindelwald and Dumbledore" height="1200" width="1600" msid="78720984" hostid="261"></div>"It's not about Dumbledore coming out and being a huge gay icon because that would kind of be reductive. It would be reducing him down to his sexuality, whereas I think it's more interesting if it's like, this is a person who happens to be gay and this is not a defining characteristic," Lynch continued.She added, "I don't want him to emerge in rainbow flag robes and be like, 'I'm finally liberated.' That would sensationalize it. So I think it has to be handled with delicacy, which JK has."Lynch said that if Rowling "returns to the Wizarding World," she'd like to see more representation of the LGBT community "in her writing."And the actress knows the power of the British author's writing. It's Rowling's pen that made Lynch aware of the issue that's so dear to her heart, owls. "'Harry Potter' made me aware of these creatures — they're not just mythical creatures. They're real intelligent animals," Lynch said, before adding, "All animal testing is inhumane and there has to be better ways."It seems the Gryffindor hero is coming out.Read more:<a href="https://www.insider.com/surprising-actors-who-auditioned-for-harry-potter-roles-2020-10">13 famous actors who were nearly cast in major 'Harry Potter' roles</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-surprising-fun-facts">13 surprising things you probably didn't know about 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/big-differences-between-harry-potter-books-and-movies">25 important details from the 'Harry Potter' books that were left out of the movies</a>

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'Harry Potter' actor Katie Leung says she was told to deny receiving racist abuse from fans

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Voldemort actor says the backlash J.K. Rowling received for being transphobic is 'disturbing'

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Luna Lovegood actress Evanna Lynch takes us inside 'Harry Potter' controversies and explains why she's a true Gryffindor

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