Eddie Izzard has spoken out in defence of JK Rowling, with the gender-fluid comedian believing that she isn’t transphobic.
The Harry Potter author, 55, had come under fire for comments she had made last year in regards to an article about healthcare equality.
Responding to the piece, titled ‘Opinion: Creating a more equal post-Covid-19 world for people who menstruate’, JK tweeted: ‘”People who menstruate”. I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?’
JK has denied she is transphobic, writing: ‘As a longstanding donor to LGBT charities and a supporter of trans people’s right to live free of persecution, I absolutely refute the accusation that I hate trans people or wish them ill, or that standing up for the rights of women is wrong, discriminatory, or incites harm or violence to the trans community.
‘Like the vast majority of the people who’ve written to me, I feel nothing but sympathy towards those with gender dysphoria, and agree with the clinicians and therapists who’ve got in touch who want to see a proper exploration of the factors that lead to it.’
Eddie, 58, also defended JK, telling the Daily Telegraph: ‘I don’t think JK Rowling is transphobic. I think we need to look at the things she has written about in her blog.
‘Women have been through such hell over history. Trans people have been invisible, too.
‘I hate the idea we are fighting between ourselves, but it’s not going to be sorted with the wave of a wand.
‘I don’t have all the answers. If people disagree with me, fine – but why are we going through hell on this?’
Eddie also addressed being gender-fluid after being referred to as she/her on Sky Arts series Portrait Artist Of The Year, explaining: ‘I didn’t push for it. This isn’t the big thing. I’ve been out for 35 years.
‘When I was called ‘she’ on getting my honorary degree at Swansea [in 2019], no-one gave a monkey’s….
‘If they call me ‘she’ and ‘her,’ that’s great – or ‘he’ and ‘him,’ I don’t mind. I prefer to be called Eddie, that covers everything. I’m gender fluid.’
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