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An actress cast in the new Harry Potter audiobook series<\/a> has been forced to express support for transgender rights after facing a backlash on social media.<\/p>\n Michelle Gomez, who has been cast as Professor McGonagall in the upcoming venture, came under fire for choosing to work on one of the latest ventures based on JK Rowling\u2019s novels.<\/p>\n Social media users criticised the former Doctor Who star amid claims she is taking sides in the gender rights debate in which Rowling has played a pivotal role<\/a>. The author has received abuse and even death threats for expressing her opinion that sex is immutable.<\/p>\n Gomez, 58, has now issued a statement responding to the criticism she has faced. It reads: \u201cTo 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI 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 \u2013 fully and without hesitation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I accepted this role, I did so as someone who has always loved the stories and what they meant to so many \u2013 especially those who found comfort and identity in that world. I now understand more clearly how deeply complicated and hurtful this association can feel, and I take that seriously.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing an ally means listening even when it\u2019s uncomfortable and taking accountability where it\u2019s needed. I\u2019m committed to doing both.\u201d<\/p>\n Rowling\u2019s views have caused Harry Potter stars including Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson to turn on her<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n Radcliffe stated in 2020 he was \u201cdeeply sorry for all the pain\u201d caused by Rowling\u2019s comments on transgender issues.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Watson posted on X: \u201cTrans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren\u2019t who they say they are.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Potter films<\/a>, said of Rowling: \u201cThe only thing I always remind myself is that I\u2019ve been lucky enough to travel the world\u2026 and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter.\u201d<\/p>\n And she\u2019s responsible for that, so I\u2019m incredibly grateful.\u201d The actor was called \u201cspineless\u201d for expressing gratitude to Rowling.<\/p>\n