By such association

The Telegraph chats amiably with an actor, and then suddenly there’s a plot twist.

Powley will soon be playing Petunia Dursley (Harry Potter’s Muggle aunt) in HBO’s forthcoming TV adaptation of the Harry Potter books. It is a project that also presents serious issues, albeit of a very different nature. Is she worried about how her career might be affected by such association with JK Rowling and her gender critical views? It seems that she – quite sensibly – has her statement ready on that one.

Oh my god!! Serious issues!!! So serious!!!! Association! Such association!! How can she stand the filth, the contamination, the impurity?!!!!

What a good thing she has her statement ready. Whew. It would have been Armageddon if she hadn’t. Hooray she’s so quite sensible.

Wtf. This is the Telegraph, not the BBC or the Guardian. Why is the Telegraph coming over all queasy and censorious about JK Rowling? Does the Telegraph think men belong in women’s rape crisis centers? Does the Telegraph think men are women if they say they are?

“I strongly disagree with JK Rowling’s views on gender,” she says. “I think that the trans community deserve safety and dignity and respect and total acceptance [Rowling, in fact, would agree with that, but argues that biological sex is real and immutable]. But,” she throws up her palms. “I love Harry Potter. I grew up with the books. I am from that first generation of readers and, again, I love magic and spookiness.”

So one minute the Telegraph is screaming in horror because it has to mention Rowling, and the next minute it’s inserting an explainer that Rowling is not in fact a monster who wants to eat trans people with some fava beans and a nice Chianti. Confused much?