David Furnish ‘doesn’t agree with or approve’ of JK Rowling’s controversial views on trans issues
David Furnish, husband of musical legend Elton John, has addressed JK Rowling’s controversial views on the trans community, and politely encouraged her to direct her attention elsewhere.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that JK Rowling’s reputation has wavered slightly from the beloved children’s author responsible for penning the Harry Potter series.
Continually accused of transphobia after posting controversial tweets about the transgender community, including the targeting of trans broadcaster India Willoughby and a trans gaming journalist, the author has even opened a rape and sexual assault crisis centre in Edinburgh which explicitly excludes trans women.
Rowling’s newfound status as somewhat of a figurehead for the so-called ‘gender-critical’ movement has not been lost on fans and fellow celebrities alike.
Garnering criticism from celebrities including Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe (both of whom starred in the Rowling-created Harry Potter film series), other stars further removed from Rowling have also offered their take on the situation – most recently, Elton John’s husband, David Furnish.
In a recent conversation with Sky’s Beth Rigby, David Furnish, 60, who is a notable gay rights campaigner and AIDS activist, said that he has “tremendous admiration” for Rowling’s legacy, stating that she has helped “so many children discover the joy of reading” and brought families together “in a way that no one has done for a very, very long time”.
However, Furnish also took the opportunity to address Rowling’s calling out of trans individuals online.
“I don’t like to see any community singled out, or stigmatised,” he said.
“I think when you have a platform like she has, if I was in her shoes, I would direct it towards doing what I do best, which is bringing people together my through my work and through my art, and my culture.”
He added that he doesn’t “agree or approve” of Rowling’s actions.
David Furnish tells Sky's @BethRigby he doesn't agree with or approve of JK Rowling's views on transgender issues
Read more: https://t.co/l3i2RL1QtJWatch the full interview on Beth Rigby Interviews… tonight at 9pm on Sky News
Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/R5YGXwvpIu
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 22, 2023
Previous criticism over JK Rowling’s involvement with a Harry Potter reboot at HBO was dismissed by boss Casey Bloys as a “very online conversation“.
David Furnish has previously addressed the cruel anti-trans laws currently sweeping the US, calling them political “point-scoring”.
Elsewhere in the interview, Furnish echoed the thoughts of his husband, Elton John, by condemning the media coverage of disgraced TV presenter Phillip Schofield’s affair as “horrifying to watch”.
“If you weighed up the column inches that they gave to Phillip Schofield … and what happened with Boris Johnson,” Furnish said, “You will find a great, great difference. And that, to me, points to homophobia.”
He added that although he and Elton concede Schofield’s actions were a “colossal error in judgement” the media’s response “felt like homophobia”.
David Furnish tells Sky's @BethRigby he doesn't agree with or approve of JK Rowling's views on transgender issues
Read more: https://t.co/l3i2RL1QtJWatch the full interview on Beth Rigby Interviews… tonight at 9pm on Sky News
Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/R5YGXwvpIu
— Sky News (@SkyNews) June 22, 2023
Schofield, 61, resigned last month and admitted to an “unwise but not illegal affair” with a much younger, male This Morning employee.
During various interviews, Schofield said the affair was a “grave error” but insisted that did not “groom” the man in question, who was 15 when they first met.
Elton John similarly slammed the coverage of the Schofield affair as “totally homophobic”.
The “Your Song” superstar is also set to headline 2023’s Glastonbury Festival, complete with “four collaborators of his choosing,” for his last ever UK gig, according to his husband.
Elton and David Furnish have been married since 2014, though they entered a civil partnership in 2005. They have two children.