Kezia Dugdale, who is set to be the next chair of Stonewall, one of the most powerful LGBTQ+ nonprofits in the U.K., had plenty of kind words to say about JK Rowling in an interview after her appointment was announced. Rowling has been a huge figure in the British anti-trans movement, supporting trans hate vocally and financially.

“I have a huge respect for JK Rowling,” Dugdale told The Guardian when asked about Rowling’s anti-trans advocacy. “I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her before, and I think her story and how she came to be this prolific, incredible children’s writer in this city as a single mum writing in a cafe is phenomenal and an inspiration to so many women across the world.”

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Throughout her interview, the former leader of the Scottish Labour party suggested that trans advocates needed to be willing to give more ground. While highlighting the risk of losing gay rights, such as same-sex marriage, her focus appeared to be on preserving the rights of cis LGB people, while not stressing about fighting for the trans rights that have already been attacked so much.

“I’m quite scared just now as an openly gay person in this country, looking at what’s happening elsewhere in the world, in other countries. I feel myself just getting slightly more nervous about holding my wife’s hand or being affectionate in public or wondering what other people’s reaction to us is going to be, and I don’t like that feeling,” Dugdale said, echoing the way many trans people feel about simply existing in public in the U.K. and the U.S.

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When asked about trans people feeling unwelcome because of Rowling’s “cruel and dehumanizing” approach, Dugdale equated the hate that trans people receive for who they are with the hate that Rowling has received for trying to strip away trans rights. “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.”

A lot of Dugdale’s apparent plan to back off trans rights may stem from the fact that Stonewall has previously been criticized for its “no debate” policy on trans rights. If so, cozying up to Rowling may be an overcorrection.

Stonewall reportedly received less than half as much in donations in the last financial year as in previous years, and some have claimed that the shift was caused by their refusal to give ground on trans rights. However, both Stonewall and experts in the LGBTQ+ non-profit field have said that this was part of a larger picture: Donald Trump’s anti-trans and anti-DEI initiatives took effect in that period. In response, U.K. firms pulled many of their LGBTQ+ training and sponsorship programs away from LGBTQ+ non-profits. That has affected LGBTQ+ organizations across the board and was not a singling out of Stonewall for one particular policy.

But Dugdale seems intent on bridging the gap with even the most hardened anti-trans advocates, which will mean giving ground on trans rights or only prioritizing rights based on sexual orientation. She suggested that all that was needed in the debate was “a bit of kindness, a bit of generosity of spirit, a willingness to get into the gray area to talk about these things calmly. To try and find common ground is the only path through this, and it’s one that I’m committed to.”

Before she had even started the job, it seems that Dugdale lost any faith or goodwill she might have hoped to find in the trans community. Such open praise of someone who has led the charge against trans rights in the U.K. felt tone deaf to many, with her comments about Rowling’s political advocacy focusing on other topics instead: “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, and there is absolutely a place for her in public life to share her experiences and tell her story and make a difference.”

Writing for The National, Steph Paton said of Dugdale, “You would think that at a time when trans rights were being relentlessly targeted by wealthy elites, a charity named after an actual riot in support of those rights would have the grit to stand firm by its people.”

An open letter from the Trans Advocacy and Complaints Collective urged Dugdale to reconsider her apparent plans to step back on trans rights, as well as her praise of Rowling. “If Stonewall is perceived as speaking for trans people, but does not reflect the urgency or substance of these concerns, it risks contributing to that disconnect rather than addressing it. What is needed now is clear, principled leadership that recognizes trans rights as fundamental, and is prepared to advocate for them openly and consistently.”

Rowling has been a consistent voice against trans rights, using her social capital and financial standing to drive anti-trans messages and support anti-trans court cases. When the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled that the legal definition of “woman” for the Equality Act was based on “biological sex,” it was in a case brought by For Women Scotland, with Rowling covering over a third of their legal fees. Since 2024, she has run the JK Rowling Women’s Fund, which manages “her ongoing financial support for legal cases involving women’s and girls’ sex-based rights.”

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