As a fan of Harry Potter, I appreciate how the series tackles tough topics in society. Harry Potter is important to me and always will be. When J.K. Rowling released her statement regarding trans people, I wanted to write a post about this. To be clear, I’m a fan of Harry Potter, but by no means do I condone J.K. Rowling’s comments. I’m not going to discuss her thoughts at all, if you want to see what she said, feel free to use google. It’s possible to still enjoy Harry Potter while recognizing how the author has opinions that are hurtful to a community of people.
Aside from Harry Potter, one of my favorite board games is Arkham Horror. Arkham Horror is based on horror tales by H.P. Lovecraft who is a horrific racist. He used racial slurs in his stories as if the word meant nothing to him. I still enjoy playing board games, but it doesn’t eliminate who Lovecraft was as a person.
Since Rowling’s comments were released, I’m going to do my best not to give her any more profit. I already own the Harry Potter books, so no need to buy them. Another way to support the fandom and not Rowling is to buy fan art. Buying fan art supports local business and no profits go back to Rowling. I think to the future of the Fantastic Beasts movies and although I want to see them, I’m going to try not to see them in theaters.
Finally, I wanted to link essays written by trans people addressing Rowling’s comments. It’s important when discussing these topics to not speak over the people who are directly impacted by these statements. Another recommendation I have is to donate to the Trevor Project. The Trevor Project is a charity specifically helping young LGBTQIA+ escape homelessness or who are needing aid.
Here are the essays I mentioned above:
Essay by Jackson Bird the New York Times < this essay is on the NY Times. I don’t have a subscription to the website, so I wasn’t able to read this essay myself.
I’m a Trans Harry Potter fan, and there are a few things I want J.K. Rowling to know.
Harry Potter saved my life. J.K. Rowling is now endangering trans people like me.
Bizarre Brunette 
Thank you for writing this Mariah. I’ve also been thinking about how I can stop giving her profit, and as I feature a lot of gift/product guides on my blog I’ve chosen not to feature any further Harry Potter ones. It’s a big fandom and there are plenty of people who cover it already so if people want the content they can find it elsewhere.
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For sure. It’s tough because I have a Harry Potter themed tattoo and I have always talked about Harry Potter on here. I am still planning on writing my Harry Potter WYR posts since they don’t actively give profit to Rowling herself, but I will think twice about buying Harry Potter merch.
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