John Cleese angered fans over the weekend with a series of tweets defending Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlings controversial views on transgender people.
In September, the Monty Python actor and comedian signed an open letter in solidarity with Rowling, who has repeatedly made headlines this year after implying on social media and in a lengthy essay that the idea of gender identity invalidates her experience as a cisgender woman.
Cleese, who played Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, was asked about his support for the author on Twitter Sunday. He responded, Im afraid Im not that interested in trans folks, before adding glibly, I just hope theyre happy and that people treat them kindly.
He went on to list a series of other topics he was more [focused] on.
I'm afraid I'm not that interested in trans folks
I just hope they're happy and that people treat them kindly
Right now I'm more focussed on threats to democracy in America, the rampant corruption in the UK, the appalling British Press, the revelations about police brutality... https://t.co/y6l33FBQNL
I'm afraid I'm not that interested in trans folks
John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 22, 2020
I just hope they're happy and that people treat them kindly
Right now I'm more focussed on threats to democracy in America, the rampant corruption in the UK, the appalling British Press, the revelations about police brutality... https://t.co/y6l33FBQNL
...Covid19, the incompetence of the British government, China's complete disregard for the necessity to abandon fossil fuels, the developments in France between Macron and Islamicists, diabetes, and the recent deaths of several of my close friends
Does than sound hard-hearted ?
...Covid19, the incompetence of the British government, China's complete disregard for the necessity to abandon fossil fuels, the developments in France between Macron and Islamicists, diabetes, and the recent deaths of several of my close friends
John Cleese (@JohnCleese) November 22, 2020
Does than sound hard-hearted ?
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Deep down, I want to be a Cambodian police woman, he noted elsewhere in the exchange. Is that allowed, or am I being unrealistic?
And later, he added , When a woman who was once a man is competing against women who have always been women, I think she has an advantage, because she inherited a mans body, which is usually bigger and stronger than a womans.
Needless to say, Cleeses comments received a blistering response on Twitter. Among those to chime in was Queer Eye grooming guru Jonathan Van Ness , who is nonbinary and who noted that trans & non binary people arent being treated kindly and told him to worry about the staggering inequality your country faces.
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Dear @JohnCleese youve made several transphobic comments here. You do seem to not only be interested in trans folks, but also adding to transphobia at a time when trans people are being murdered world wide. Trans & non binary people arent being treated kindly. https://t.co/7rzztvadoL
Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Jonathan Van Ness","author_url":"https://twitter.com/jvn","cache_age":86400,"description":"Dear @JohnCleese youve made several transphobic comments here. You do seem to not only be interested in trans folks, but also adding to transphobia at a time when trans people are being murdered world wide. Trans & non binary people arent being treated kindly. https://t.co/7rzztvadoL Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Jonathan Van Ness on 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Voices","slug":"queer-voices"},"topic":{"title":"Transphobia","slug":"transphobia","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/voices/topic/transphobia"},{"name":"J. K. Rowling","slug":"j-k-rowling","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/j-k-rowling","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/j-k-rowling","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/j-k-rowling"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/j-k-rowling"},{"name":"John Cleese","slug":"john-cleese","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/john-cleese","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/john-cleese","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/john-cleese"},"relegenceId":2807669,"url":"https://action.news/topic/john-cleese"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">Dear @JohnCleese youve made several transphobic comments here. You do seem to not only be interested in trans folks, but also adding to transphobia at a time when trans people are being murdered world wide. Trans & non binary people arent being treated kindly. https://t.co/7rzztvadoL
Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020
Instead of worrying about American democracy worry about the transphobia gripping the UK. Worry about the staggering inequality your country faces & keep LGBTQ issues out of your chapped ass lip having mouth unless you due to some miracle become an ally.
Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Jonathan Van Ness","author_url":"https://twitter.com/jvn","cache_age":86400,"description":"Instead of worrying about American democracy worry about the transphobia gripping the UK. Worry about the staggering inequality your country faces & keep LGBTQ issues out of your chapped ass lip having mouth unless you due to some miracle become an ally. Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020\n\n","options":{"_hide_thread":{"label":"Hide previous Tweet in conversation thread","value":true},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Jonathan Van Ness on 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Voices","slug":"queer-voices"},"topic":{"title":"Transphobia","slug":"transphobia","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/voices/topic/transphobia"},{"name":"J. K. Rowling","slug":"j-k-rowling","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/j-k-rowling","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/j-k-rowling","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/j-k-rowling"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/j-k-rowling"},{"name":"John Cleese","slug":"john-cleese","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/john-cleese","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/john-cleese","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/john-cleese"},"relegenceId":2807669,"url":"https://action.news/topic/john-cleese"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n","\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">Instead of worrying about American democracy worry about the transphobia gripping the UK. Worry about the staggering inequality your country faces & keep LGBTQ issues out of your chapped ass lip having mouth unless you due to some miracle become an ally.
Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) November 22, 2020
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LGBTQ author and activist Charlotte Clymer shared similar sentiments.
Well, John, we are not being treated kindly, she wrote . And Im not talking about cordiality. Im talking about discrimination in employment, housing, health care and other areas of living, all of which is exacerbated when public figures speak from ignorance and bigotry on trans rights.
As of Monday evening, Cleese had not responded publicly to the controversy. HuffPost reached out to the actor for comment and did not immediately hear back.
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