Stephen Fry, the celebrated actor and writer known for voicing the Harry Potter audiobooks, has finally spoken out more directly about JK Rowling’s views on transgender issues.
On The Show People podcast, Fry described Rowling as a “lost cause” and claimed she’s been “radicalised by TERFs” – an acronym for “trans-exclusionary radical feminists.”
Fry, 67, said he’s long tried to stay neutral, even defending his friendship with Rowling when controversy around her statements first exploded. Back in 2021, he said, “She’s a friend and will remain a friend.” But things have clearly shifted.
Speaking frankly on the podcast, he said, “She has been radicalised I fear, and it may be by TERFs, but also by the vitriol that is thrown at her.” Despite acknowledging the hostility Rowling has received, Fry didn’t hold back about the damage he believes she’s caused.
“She’s stirred up a hornet’s nest of transphobia which has been entirely destructive,” he said. “She says things that are inflammatory and contemptuous, mocking and add to a terribly distressing time for trans people.”
Rowling’s views, particularly around gender identity and women’s spaces, have caused deep divisions. While she maintains she’s advocating for women’s rights, many see her rhetoric as harmful to the transgender community.
Fry finds himself stuck in the middle. “She is a friend of mine,” he said, “and I have trans friends and intersex friends who are deeply upset by her.”
It’s a tension Fry clearly struggles with. In a previous interview on Beeb Watch, he explained why he doesn’t publicly wade into the gender debate: “You are talking about an issue where two sides are very sore and anxious about their enemies.”
But despite wanting to stay out of the crossfire, Fry made it clear he’s not blind to what’s happening. “I know JK Rowling doesn’t want to see trans people bullied or laughed at,” he said. “But there are people who believe deeply in safe feminine spaces and the difference between sex and gender.”
He admits he wishes both sides would stop shouting and start listening. “It isn’t possible to have peace if each side treats the other like an enemy,” Fry said. “If trans people just shout ‘TERF’ and feminists seem to undermine trans dignity, there’s no progress.”
In his words, “That is a circle I have to square personally.”
Fry’s call is ultimately one for empathy. He’s not trying to cancel Rowling. But he’s clearly reached a point where he feels the harm can’t be ignored. As someone with close ties on both sides, his remarks hit with more weight than most.
