I used to love Harry Potter and I am ashamed to admit that nowadays because of what a horrible human being that J.K. Rowling turned out to be. Rowling is what I like to call an exclusionary person and a person that denies rights to a group of people that I consider to be friends. That being the transgender people of the world.
I am an ally to trans people and everyone else under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella. Rowling is not that kind of person at all and is campaigning to limit the rights of trans people. She is able to do this because of her book series, Harry Potter. As a kid, I loved Harry Potter and I had a great time reading them. I cannot do that anymore, since any support, financial or otherwise of Harry Potter puts money in the pocket of Rowling.
Supporting Rowling is a detriment to all of the trans people in the world and I cannot do that in good consciousness. I know that there are a lot of people that say I should separate the art from the artist but I do not think that is enough, not in the slightest. I wanted to play the Hogwarts legacy game and I want to watch the upcoming show, but I will not. It is not enough to just say that I support my trans friends, but I need to do something to actively work for them. If that means I can’t play a game or watch a show, I am 100 percent willing to not consume that media.
This should not be a hard decision for people to make. We have power here and I think that a complete boycott of Harry Potter is necessary. I do not think that people my age should forgive Harry Potter because of their nostalgia for the IP. I do not think that benefits anyone but Rowling by giving her more money to damage the trans community.
Normally, I would leave it alone, I would just quietly protest. I do not like confrontation at all and it scares me. This is an issue that America and the whole world is facing though and I need to do my part, as small as that part may be. There is no reason to support JK Rowling or her work. Trans women are women. It is that simple. There are no if, ands, or buts about it. If someone feels better and feels happier, who are we to stop their growth? I do not think we have that right at all.
Transgender people are human, like all of us, they are no different and if not supporting a childhood favorite puts me on the side of acceptance, that is fine by me.
