Ok I will clarify, what I mean is that it is easy for you to brush off news that JK Rowling is Transphobic as “meh, THAT doesn’t surprise me” when you aren’t Trans because it really doesn’t matter other than as a cynical “told you so!” moment for you.

For a Trans person it is a destabilization, it is part of a broader threat and it is part of a shrieking voice of hate trying to convince Trans people they aren’t worthy of love. What an insult to all of the Trans and Queer fans of Harry Potter for the writer to turn on them so!!? What right does JK Rowling have to do that having been given such a special gift of so many fans? This is JK Rowling choosing to make the world a darker place and I will not tolerate it just because I am not directly impeded by it myself.

I am sure most Trans people who had been paying attention weren’t super surprised by JK Rowling’s behavior when she become more prominently toxic, so what? That doesn’t mean the hurt isn’t real and that we shouldn’t take it seriously even if we saw it coming from kilometers away.

Also I really don’t think most Trans and Queer people really expected JK Rowling to be perfect, I think even if she had problematic views if she showed she had empathy and could actually listen and evolve it wouldn’t be ANYWHERE near as big of a deal. It is her insistence to define herself and thus Harry Potter through her toxic politics that has soured things, not annoying nitpicky people like me who always have to criticize everything making this into an issue when it isn’t.

I believe in Death Of The Author in the analysis of art right up until The Author is an extravagantly rich, transphobic rightwing troll who uses her massive platform to encourage people to hate people for just trying to live their lives according to what feels right to their body.

slams Next Fantasy Series button