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Since J.K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book was published in 1997, the series has sold more than 500 million copies and its movie adaptations have earned more than $9 billion at the box office, making it one of the largest media franchises of all time — and from that success grew a massive, passionate fan base across the world. Her story about a boy wizard attending a magic school and battling the forces of evil proved to be an inspirational tale of friendship, perseverance, and hope. Its impact can’t be understated: everything from reading groups to fan websites to collegiate Quidditch leagues popped up within a few short years. But that fan community is now confronted with a perilous challenge the likes of which even Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be hard-pressed to face: Rowling has become a major voice of anti-trans rhetoric.
While hints of Rowling’s anti-trans views have been popping up for years, the author made headlines in December 2019 when she was criticized for supporting anti-trans researcher Maya Forstater on social media and then again in June 2020 when she faced public backlash for going on transphobic rants on Twitter and publishing an essay full of harmful statements and unsubstantiated claims about trans people (that have since been debunked by experts). Rowling’s series of anti-trans statements have seen her labeled as a TERF, otherwise known as a trans-exclusionary radical feminist. The term is used to describe a small but vocal group of people that consider themselves to be feminists despite refusing to acknowledge that trans women are women or trans men are men, not supporting the validity of non-binary identities, excluding trans people from gendered spaces, and opposing legislation benefitting transgender rights.
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Image by IGN artist Amanda Flagg.[/caption]
With the growing trajectory of Rowling’s influence in the sphere of social politics over her previous association as an inventor of fantastical worlds, Harry Potter fans around the world who support trans rights have questioned what to do when they’ve spent so much of their lives so deeply engaged in her content. Can they still be Harry Potter fans despite Rowling’s transphobic views?
Some of those fans looking for reassurance that Rowling is in the wrong may take comfort in knowing many public figures who have helped shape the franchise have spoken out against Rowling’s transphobic views in support of transgender people. Harry Potter movie actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all taken a stand against Rowling’s comments.
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I,” Radcliffe wrote in a statement published on TheTrevorProject.org, an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth.
But all that doesn’t erase the world Rowling has built, leaving many still grappling with what the future of their Harry Potter fandom looks like and whether their support of the franchise unintentionally equates to support of Rowling. This isn’t the first time a fandom has struggled with the concept of whether art can ever truly be separated from the artist — H.P. Lovecraft fans have had to contend with the author’s racist attitudes, Ender’s Game fans the homophobic views of Orson Scott Card, and so on — but given the sheer magnitude of Harry Potter’s impact across pop culture, this instance is perhaps one of the most significant.
Image by IGN artist Amanda Flagg.[/caption]
With the growing trajectory of Rowling’s influence in the sphere of social politics over her previous association as an inventor of fantastical worlds, Harry Potter fans around the world who support trans rights have questioned what to do when they’ve spent so much of their lives so deeply engaged in her content. Can they still be Harry Potter fans despite Rowling’s transphobic views?
Some of those fans looking for reassurance that Rowling is in the wrong may take comfort in knowing many public figures who have helped shape the franchise have spoken out against Rowling’s transphobic views in support of transgender people. Harry Potter movie actors Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint have all taken a stand against Rowling’s comments.
“Transgender women are women. Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I,” Radcliffe wrote in a statement published on TheTrevorProject.org, an organization that provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ youth.
But all that doesn’t erase the world Rowling has built, leaving many still grappling with what the future of their Harry Potter fandom looks like and whether their support of the franchise unintentionally equates to support of Rowling. This isn’t the first time a fandom has struggled with the concept of whether art can ever truly be separated from the artist — H.P. Lovecraft fans have had to contend with the author’s racist attitudes, Ender’s Game fans the homophobic views of Orson Scott Card, and so on — but given the sheer magnitude of Harry Potter’s impact across pop culture, this instance is perhaps one of the most significant.