I'm still a Potter Head Despite JK Rowling Being Problematic


-J.K. Rowling, author of Harry Potter

This first time I picked up a Harry Potter book, I was ten years old. I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in a weekend, which was a big deal for me at the time because I spent most of my free time playing Super Mario Bros on my Nintendo D.S. I was part of a generation that waited patiently for a Hogwarts letter that never came. It took me more than a year to read all seven books. I have memories of reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in my mother's childhood room while staying with my grandparents during the summer between grade four and grade five. I remember wanting to give up on Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix during my Christmas holidays because it seemed too daunting. While reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I was having a falling out with my childhood best friend and I wished for nothing more than to be transported to Hogwarts, after the final battle of course, where I could make all new friends.

I had seen the first movie before reading any of the books because one of my aunts was a huge fan. I remember I didn't really understand the plot and some scenes were really scary, but that all changed as soon as I read the books. I saw the last four films in theaters, I even saw the final one twice. I let the magic of this world J.K. Rowling had created consume me for as long as humanly possible. The simple truth is that the series helped to define many parts of my childhood, but it is also something I have found myself being pulled back to in adulthood. On a cozy Sunday afternoon, I chose a Harry Potter movie at random and let myself fall back into its familiarity. When one of my best friends and I were travelling in Europe a few summers ago, we watched Harry Potter almost every night because it made wherever we were feel like home. This year, during lock down, I reread the entire series and re-watched all the movies. I loved every minutes of it. This series has taught me more than I should probably write here, yet I don't think J.K. Rowling deserves any more praise.

Avid Harry Potter fans might describe J.K. Rowling as a genius, a queen, or maybe even one of the greatest story tellers ever. As I said, I recently reread every book, even Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and while I agree Harry Potter is still an amazing story about friendship, love and equality, I do not condone J.K. Rowling's views regarding the trans community. Some individuals have even go so far as to call her a "TERF" (trans exclusive radical feminist). Honestly, I'm not even sure if Rowling can be considered a feminist at this point.


I read her entire essay about her views and I found it troubling to say the least. She had several disturbing points which bashed the entire trans community. She claims transitioning is often partly driven to combat homophobia. I think same-sex attraction and having a transgender identity are two very different things. She also expresses fear about allowing violent men claiming to be trans into women's spaces. Apparently this fear comes from her first violent marriage. I kind of understand where she's coming from; women and girls need to be protected from abuse by any means necessary. But, trans women are also women. To deny trans women the right to use women's spaces out of fear they will harm other women is completely unacceptable. Trans women need protection too. To sum it up, Rowling thinks trans women are violating cis women's rights. I quote "I refuse to bow down to a movement that I believe is doing demonstrable harm in seeking to erode 'women' as a political and biological class and offering cover to predators like few before it." At this point in her essay, my mind was blown. She claims to be an ally to the trans community yet she sees their very existence as a threat to woman. Trans rights do not undermine or take away from woman's rights in any way.

Read J.K. Rowling's full essay here:
https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/





The good news is many of our favorite Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts actors are true trans allies. There is still hope within this franchise.
Daniel Radcliffe's Full Statement:
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/2020/06/08/daniel-radcliffe-responds-to-j-k-rowlings-tweets-on-gender-identity/
Eddie Redmayne's Full Statement:
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/eddie-redmayne-jk-rowling-anti-trans-tweets-harry-potter-fantastic-beasts-1234630226/

I don't think we can deny that J.K. Rowling's arguments against the trans community are problematic, bigoted and somewhat selfish. I in no way condone what she has said and I disagree with basically everything she has ever said regarding the trans community. But I also know it is not my place, or anyone else's place for that matter, to tell anyone who loves Harry Potter as much as I do to give up this story completely. The lessons Harry Potter taught me are so personal that I don't think anything the author does, says or supports will change my love for this series. I am still a Potter Head and a proud Ravenclaw.
Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Trans lives matter.

Harry Potter Quotes Wallpaper. QuotesGram
https://quotesgram.com/harry-potter-quotes-wallpaper/

Most info in this post was found using this post: https://www.glamour.com/story/a-complete-breakdown-of-the-jk-rowling-transgender-comments-controversy


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