Kezia Dugdale, former leader of the Scottish Labour Party and the incoming chair of LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, has issued a public apology after saying in a recent podcast episode that she has “huge respect” for JK Rowling.
Dugdale made the remarks about Harry Potter author Rowling, whose controversial expression of gender critical views has included criticism of Stonewall, during an interview for the Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast, published on Monday.
Asked if she understood why many trans people felt Rowling’s approach had become “cruel and dehumanising”, Dugdale said: “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 went on to say that she has “a huge respect” for Rowling and that “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”.
After receiving backlash for her comments on Rowling from trans people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community, she apologised yesterday.
‘My feminism has always been trans inclusive’
In her apology on the Stonewall website, Dugdale said that she should have been “absolutely unequivocal that I would never condone behaviour from anyone that seeks to or causes harm to anyone in our community”.
“In a world that is increasingly polarised and in which trans people have been under continuous attack for the last decade or more, I was excited to be appointed chair of Stonewall,” she said.
“I applied for the role because Stonewall works for the whole LGBTQ+ community.
“I would not have applied or have wanted to lead a charity that was not inclusive of the whole community because my feminism is and has always been trans inclusive.”
Dugdale went on to cite her previous track record of campaigning for trans rights when she was serving as an MSP and as leader of the Scottish Labour Party, concluding: “Please know I won’t rest until everyone across the whole LGBTQ+ community has equal rights.”
In the same website post, Stonewall’s outgoing chair Ayla Holdom said: “Our commitment to trans equality is unwavering.
“Our values drive who we are and as a trans woman I will be handing over the baton to Kezia confident in her steadfast commitment to trans and non-binary people and to working in partnership with other organisations to make progress for the whole LGBTQ+ community.”
Dugdale is set to formally take up her role in September.
