Why you shouldn't support JKR
!!TRIGGER WARNING!! -mentions of transphobia please do not read if that will hurt you
Many people across the world know Jk Rowling for writing one of the most popular children book series of all time Harry Potter. Even if you haven't Read Harry Potter you probably recognize the name. What you may not know is that she is wildly transphobic. She has shown signs or transphobia but in 2020 it got a lot worse.
It started in in July 2020 with her tweeting, "People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?” though this may not seem super transphobic its the first of many tweets she has posted this year. She followed up that tweet saying this “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth. I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them,I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.” Therefore she apologized for her actions in a way but that is not enough.
After she wrote that tweet about standing by trans people and the trans community she openly showed support for Maya Forstater who is a researcher who lost her job after stating people cannot change their biological sex which continues with the transphobia.
If that is not bad enough in your mind she also returned a human rights award after having a discussion with Kerry Kennedy. Kerry Kennedy reached out to JKR “to express my profound disappointment that she has chosen to use her remarkable gifts to create a narrative that diminishes the identity of trans and nonbinary people, undermining the validity and integrity of the entire transgender community — one that disproportionately suffers from violence, discrimination, harassment, and exclusion and, as a result, experiences high rates of suicide, suicide attempts, homelessness, and mental and bodily harm. Black trans women and trans youth in particular are targeted.” After that JKR posted an article on her website stating “Because of the very serious conflict of views between myself and RFKHR, I feel I have no option but to return the Ripple of Hope Award bestowed upon me last year, I am deeply saddened that RFKHR has felt compelled to adopt this stance, but no award or honor, no matter my admiration for the person for whom it was named, means so much to me that I would forfeit the right to follow the dictates of my own conscience.” Which basically means she returned her human rights award due to the different options they have on trans humans.
But sadly that's not all. She is still openly harming the trans community with her new book Troubled Blood is very openly spreading hate and transphobic views. The main character in her book is a man who dresses as a female to kill females. This is spreading the idea that trans people are harmful to people around them. Along with that this is openly making trans people look like a villain and could help spread hate against them.
So, don't support JKR that's all I'm saying here but I feel like i should also share this. You are still able to support and love the Harry Potter community and stories without supporting her. Many of the actors who's careers were made from Harry Potter have openly gone out against her and her ideas. Some of them are Dainel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Evanna Lynch, Bonnie Wright, Eddie Redmayne, and so many others. Along with that there are many ways you can show you love to the Harry Potter community with out giving money to her. One of the simplist ways is supporting smaller artists on etsy, redbubble, or any merch shop so they get money instead of her. Along with that if you want to buy or read the books try to get the second hand or from your public library, or borrow the books from a friend. More thing you can do is watch fan made videos on youtube, listen to podcasts, or read fanfiction. Some things you should try to avoid doing buying offical merch, going to the theme parks, buying new books, seeing the play, buying or renting the movies, and using the wizarding world website. All of the things i just listen is a way for JKR to make money from the series and by doing that you are showing your support of her transphobic views.
So if you are a Harry Potter fan please find ways to speak out against her blatantly transphobic views while still loving the story and characters. Harry Potter was a book/movie created to be interpreted anyway you want please don't let her ideas keep you from enjoying the story. Though she created the story it does not belong to her it belongs to the fans. To any trans people who are effected by what she has said know that you are loved and accepted throughout the community we stand by you. Please try you best to support anyone who may be hurt by this.
