Harry Potter dominated mainstream pop culture at the turn of the 21st century. With seven books released within 10 years, its immense success led to a massive fanbase, spawning multiple spinoffs and a multibillion film series produced by Warner Bros. Studios. However, Voldemort proved to be no match to Harry Potter’s biggest hurdle: the author herself.
Her reputation among fans was greatly damaged after releasing a series of tweets and publishing an essay that promoted trans-exclusionary rhetoric. She merely defined women as “people who menstruate” and used fallacious arguments regarding bathroom and changing room usage. With the recent airing of Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, many fans question how the author’s harmful narrative that marginalizes the trans community could impact the legacy of the monumental series and its readers.
Taking the Hogwarts Express
For many, the Wizarding World acted as a haven where anyone is able to channel their wildest imaginations alongside dragons and flying broomsticks. The world of Harry Potter featured an array of characters that channeled eccentric personalities, attracting fans of all ages. Emma* (III, AB-LIM) shares that she started diving into the series at 10 years old. “I watched all of the movies countless times before I decided it was time to read the books,” she recounts. “But even before that…I remember the books were read to me before bed.”
Ellie Enguerra, a queer Harry Potter fan, also reminisces, “I remember making paper wands from A4 [paper] and masking tape. I would just pretend [to be] a wizard with all my designs and creations.” The entire series helped her explore her creative niches and get away from the mundane. “The magical, wizarding aspect…provided a safe space for me to escape from a reality that seemed restrictive,” she reveals.
Similarly, transgender Harry Potter fan Jolly Torres recalls, “‘Yung isa kong experience with [the] Harry Potter [series] is [playing] the Lego games. I don’t know if [they count as canon] but those were so fun.” These fond memories traversing the world of Harry Potter symbolized the bond they spent with their brother, they narrate.
(One of my experiences with the Harry Potter series is playing the Lego games.)
The series itself speaks of acceptance in an intolerable world. It had outcast characters such as Harry, who could not find a proper family at 4 Privet Drive, and Sirius Black, who was disowned by his family. Much like the trans community and the queer community as a whole, Harry and Sirius were able to find families who love them. “[These themes] are so innately queer,” Jolly points out. “That’s why there are so many queer fans of Harry Potter because they could relate to [the narrative].”
A dose of Veritaserum
On June 2020, however, the author published an essay that cascaded microagressions toward trans women, where critics and fans alike branded her as a trans-exclusionary radical feminist (TERF). TERFs believe trans women are not women and that biological sex is the sole determinant of one’s gender, a Vox article describes. The ideology was born in the 1970s, where radical feminists drew boundaries between feminists who support trans women and those who didn’t. Today, the TERF ideologies continue to harrass trans women, labeling them as a threat to cisgender women’s safety.
As such, the author’s views on trans women and how they contribute to the public’s misunderstanding of the trans community caused huge debates on social media and beyond. This puts fans in limbo as their support for the series was put into question. In Jolly’s case, they didn’t revisit the series for several years after realizing they had supported a bigot. Emma also shares these sentiments, “It’s hard to stop loving something that has been such a big part of my life. But I can’t support it anymore in any way.”
What’s more concerning is the author’s current platform. With over 14 million followers on Twitter, Ellie expresses her fears, “Regurgitating these damaging and fallacious beliefs…[gives] other transphobic voices and trans-exclusionary feminists the courage to be vocal in their prejudices.” Once this discriminatory rhetoric spreads, it could shape the world views of many fans.
However, many people essential to the creation of the story have also opposed her views. Even the production behind the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary decided to leave the author out of the event and used old footage instead. Meanwhile, Emma Watson—who played Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter films—denounced the author’s views. “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are,” the actress said.
Lumos
As the fight for trans liberation marches on, Jolly reiterates that the author is minute compared to the many trans rights supporters. As more people stand with the trans community, distancing themselves from the author becomes an act of resistance from promoting discriminatory discourse. “[The author is] not a movement. All she could do is to say what she wants to believe,” they emphasize, believing that the opinions of many can overpower that of She-who-must-not-be-named.
Stories hold immense power because of their capabilities to move audiences. But Ellie opines that no matter how “trendsetting” or “industry-shaking” an artist’s work may be, it should not excuse them from being irresponsible human beings. They cannot be entitled to having discriminatory and prejudicial morals. Meanwhile, Emma acknowledges the positive impacts the series brought to her and other fans. But she believes separating the art from the artist is impossible. “Supporting the art means supporting the artist,” she explains. “What we can do is actively avoid and prevent supporting it as a franchise.”
As such, people must tread Platform 9 3⁄4 with caution, remaining vigilant in consuming products curated by artists who may have problematic backgrounds and who refuse to change for the better.
Many of the stories within the series resonate so strongly with audiences, especially with the LGBTQ+ community. But this 21st century Wizarding War shall not end if we allow She-who-must-not-be-named’s prejudicial rhetoric to further eclipse the message of the series. After all, the Wizarding World shouldn’t be the only community that fosters diversity and acceptance. Our realities, too, should be the same.
*Names with asterisks (*) are pseudonyms
