Stephen Fry has urged calm in the ongoing debate over transgender issues, acknowledging that he has many trans and intersex friends who are “deeply upset” by JK Rowling. The 65-year-old actor and comedian, who narrated the Harry Potter audiobooks, said he would like to see both sides stop fighting because “there is no winner”.
Speaking on Roger Bolton’s Beeb Watch podcast, Fry was asked whether he would want to take part in the debate. He said: “I wouldn’t. I definitely wouldn’t because I am aware that you are talking about an issue where two sides are very sore and anxious about their enemies.”
Fry added: “She is a friend of mine and I have trans friends and intersex friends who are deeply upset by her. That is a circle I have to square personally”, before adding he was not going to “abandon” friendships.
He expressed a desire for both sides to retreat from hostility, noting that Rowling does not want to see trans people bullied or alienated, while also acknowledging the concerns of those who believe in the importance of safe feminine spaces and the distinction between sex and gender.
