Stonewall chair says JK Rowling ‘absolutely has place in public life’

Incoming Stonewall chair Kezia Dugdale has shared her thoughts on JK Rowling and the author’s controversial views on trans women.

Dugdale, the former leader of Scottish Labour, was announced as the new Chair of Stonewall on April 19 and will take up the role in September. Her appointment comes after the charity the charity has been accused of pushing a “militant trans agenda” by some vocal critics.

Perhaps the loudest voice in the “gender-critical” group is Harry Potter author JK Rowling, who regularly uses her X account to talk about trans issues.

Rowling has been criticised by some for the manner in which she conducts her social media discussions, with countless LGBTQ+ fans of her wizarding world hanging up their wands and refusing to engage.

Speaking about the controversy surrounding Rowling, Dugdale told The Guardian: “I understand that and I’ve also heard JK Rowling and other people who hold a different position on these issues to me describe with a similar rawness how they’ve experienced being opposed for their views.

“And I just think, the days of these culture wars, about sitting in polar extremes from each other, should be behind us now.”

Dugdale said: “I have a huge respect for JK Rowling. I had the pleasure of meeting her before. I think her story and how she came to be this prolific, incredible children’s writer, as a single mum writing in a café, is phenomenal and an inspiration to so many women across the country.

“I think she’s been a really powerful political advocate [for] improving the lot of single mums, making a case for tackling poverty and inequality in all its forms. There’s absolutely a place for her in public life to share her experiences and tell her story and make a difference.”

Kezia Dugdale’s views on trans rights

Despite her glowing words for Rowling, Dugdale has made it clear she supports trans rights.

She said: “I think the whole country’s spent an awful lot of time on these issues in quite a divisive and damaging way. I’m personally very sorry that a lot of the women that I’ve campaigned alongside for decades in the Labour movement sit on a different side of the conversation about gender – that’s hard. And some of the fractures in those relationships I’ve contributed to with the language that I might have used in the past.”

Dugdale also supported the Scottish government’s gender recognition reform bill – a move towards “self-ID” which made it easier for trans people to change their legal gender without the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

The law was blocked by the UK government in 2023, and Dugdale still supports it. However she has said it is “not top of the list” for Stonewall.

She added: “We are an LGBT organisation, of course we’re going to be there for trans people, so that’s integral to who we are and what we do.

“But our priorities now are very much focused on things like securing justice for military veterans and compensation for what they’ve endured. We’re currently working very hard to ensure that there’s a ban on conversion therapy in this country, which is incredibly important.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.