Barry Humphries, the celebrated Australian comedian and star of the character Dame Edna Everage, passed away on Saturday at the age of 89. His death has been met with tributes from fans around the world, though for many, it has also reignited the controversy over his history of anti-trans comments.
Despite being widely known for his satirical style and for popularizing drag in mainstream culture, Humphries’ career was marred by a series of derogatory remarks aimed at the transgender community in the late 2010s. In 2019, the Melbourne Comedy Festival even removed his name from its top award, previously known as the Barry Award, after his comments that transgender people were “a fashion.”
Now, a leaked email has emerged in which Humphries expresses support for J.K. Rowling’s controversial stance on trans rights. In the email, he signed a petition in support of Rowling’s essay on why trans women should be banned from single-sex spaces. This revelation has added another blemish to his legacy, given Rowling’s comments were widely criticized by LGBT advocates.
Humphries was no stranger to controversy. In a 2016 interview with The Telegraph, he echoed feminist writer Germaine Greer’s view that transgender women were “men who believe that they are women and have themselves castrated.” When his comments resurfaced in 2019, he claimed they had been “grotesquely interpreted,” but did not clarify his stance.
While Humphries’ passing has elicited mixed reactions, some of his friends and colleagues have spoken out in his defense. Actress Miriam Margolyes, who starred in the Harry Potter films with Rowling’s support, expressed her support for Humphries and denounced the Melbourne Comedy Festival’s decision to remove his name from the award.
Despite his artistic achievements, Humphries’ legacy will always be complicated by his past remarks. As society continues to grapple with issues surrounding gender and sexuality, it is important to acknowledge the impact of harmful language and to hold public figures accountable for their actions.