Stephen Fry has finally spoken out about J.K. Rowling’s ongoing comments about transgender people, marking a significant shift for the actor and writer who once said he wouldn’t “abandon” his former friend.
Speaking on The Show People podcast this past week, Fry described Rowling’s views as “cruel” and “mocking”, and said he believes she has been “radicalised” by both trans-exclusionary groups and the backlash she’s received online.
“She has been radicalised, I fear – perhaps by TERFs [Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminist] but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her,” Fry said, adding, “I’m afraid she seems to be a lost cause for us.”
Fry, who is well-known for his advocacy of LGBT+ rights and for narrating the Harry Potter audiobooks, suggests that the criticism Rowling faces only “hardens her” stance.
He reflected on how Rowling’s public statements have changed the way she interacts with the world, saying, “She started to make these peculiar statements and had very strong, difficult views. She seemed to kick a hornet’s nest of transphobia that has been entirely destructive.”
He added, “She says things that are inflammatory, contemptuous and mocking. They add to a terribly distressing time for trans people.”
Fry went on to highlight the real-world impact of the debate, stating, “When it comes to the transphobia issue, it is right to remind people that trans people are here and that they are hurting. They are being abominably treated. There’s a great deal of bullying, violence, suicide and genuine agony in the trans community.”
Rowling’s comments about gender identity have been the subject of intense public debate for several years now. She has repeatedly denied being transphobic and maintains that she supports the rights of trans people, but her statements have said otherwise.
Stars of the Harry Potter series, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, have all spoken out in support of the trans community and against Rowling’s views.
Rowling has since said she would not forgive the actors for criticising her, telling them to “save their apologies”, per The Independent.
Fantastic Beasts star Eddie Redmayne, original Cho Chang actress Katie Leung, and Paapa Essiedu, who’ll portray Severus Snape in HBO’s upcoming Harry Potter TV reboot also showed their support for the transgender community by signing a pro-trans letter.
The letter was addressed to movie and TV institutions like BAFTA, BBC and Channel 4 and called on the entertainment industry to protect the trans and non-binary community, after a Supreme Court ruling passed in the UK that officially defines women as based on biological sex.
Unimpressed by the letter, Rowling took to her X account to subject her followers to more TERF rhetoric and condemned anyone who supported the letter.
Meanwhile, Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, has chosen to stay somewhat out of the matter.
When asked about Rowling’s views, he said, “No, I can’t say it does. I’m not really that attuned to it. The only thing I always remind myself is that I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world – here I am in New York – and I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter. And she’s responsible for that, so I’m incredibly grateful.”
The post Stephen Fry Finally Calls Out J.K. Rowling’s Rampant Transphobia: ‘Radicalised’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
