"Rowling, Rowling, Rowling..."

The past few weeks have seen a shift in public consciousness. Following the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, the entire world protested racism in the American police force. Since then, we’ve seen The US comes to terms with, successfully and unsuccessfully, their aggression and racist practices. We’ve also seen brands and famous figures make statements about the protests, their support of black lives and their implementation of tools and resources to combat the issue. And then there’ve been weird decisions, like Warner Bros. changing Elmer Fudd’s gun to a scythe in future cartoons.

I mention that last one because some people haven’t gotten the memo. Whether it’s Hugh Jackman’s “solidarity” Tweet of a police officer hugging a protestor, or Candace Owens being used as a “both sides” figure, these protests have revealed many peoples’ true colours. And then there’s JK Rowling. Instead of spreading the word to her fans, the British author doubled-down on her transphobic beliefs.

I’ve covered JK Rowling before. I’ve mentioned her in a defence of Israel and the Jewish experience, and I’ve mentioned her in a piece decrying retcons. This’ll be the third time I mention her, and it’ll, hopefully, be the last. Because although I’ve been lenient about her past actions, I’m getting fed up. I’ve had enough of her nonsense.

I’m in no way retconning my stance on her books, however. I love the Harry Potter series, movies included. I think they’re cleverly-written mysteries that combine fantasy and suspense with pay-offs feeling earned to those who pay attention. Rowling’s a brilliant author, despite her faux-woke takes. Which is why I take grievance with her inability to be respectful to trans individuals.

JK Rowling’s remarks don’t exist in a bubble. They’re not “one-offs”. She Follows many transphobic accounts on Twitter, and she’s Re-Tweeted and Replied to many of them on numerous occasions. Rowling hasn’t even denied her behaviour when called out, instead doubling-down and suggesting that denouncing trans people is “defending womanhood”. One need only look at her Profile.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t be surprised. Whether it’s goblins having hooked-noses and controlling the banks, or house elves being stand-ins for slaves, the Harry Potter books are laden with bigotry and racist imagery. And they’re not exactly subtle about it. All of this is bad, but it’d be less-bad if Rowling built up minorities instead of pushed them down. But she can’t even do that.

It doesn’t help that Rowling’s been defended by Jewish fans for “her stance on Israel”. Ignoring how respecting Jewish self-determinism doesn’t automatically make you a good person, she can’t do that properly either. She’s routinely made platitudes about her characters and their respect for Israel, overlooking how fictional characters lack agency and can’t take stances on conflicts they’re not experienced in. It comes off as hollow for her to be an ally without doing any of the legwork.

So what now? I’m not sure. I can’t retcon my experiences with Rowling’s writing. I still love her books, and I recognize their importance in shaping me. I also love the movies based on her books. And I know I’m not alone: there are millions of people around the world, of various races and ethnicities, for whom Harry Potter and Rowling inspired them to read, write and develop their own stories. So while this recent nonsense might sour that, I won’t pretend the impact wasn’t felt.

I also can’t tell Rowling this directly. I’ve tried communicating with her in a positive way before. She likes saying hurtful stuff without considering the consequences, routinely barricading herself from backlash. It’s frustrating. Especially when I know that she interacts with people occasionally.

I suppose the only option is twofold: first, I need to move on. I need to recognize that Rowling served a purpose at one time. I need to also recognize that continuing my attachment to her is harming others, and that it should stop. It won’t be easy, but I have to try. I owe it to marginalized individuals who’ve been hurt by her.

And second, I need to support those she’s harmed. Whether it’s consuming art from marginalized writers, or promoting/donating to causes that she’s slammed, the damage must be fixed by people like me. In The UK alone, Mermaids UK has raised money to help teenagers and youth successfully transition, even going as far as collaborating with YouTuber Harris Brewis during his play-through of Donkey Kong 64 on Twitch last year. The options are definitely there, but I need to look for them.

Ultimately, I have to recognize that JK Rowling won’t change. She’ll probably open her mouth again and harm her credibility further in the near-future, and there’s nothing I can do about that. Because she’s set up her camp, and so must I. It’s not only healthier for me, but also for everyone around me. It’s not easy, but if I could break free from Channel Awesome, then I can break free from her too. I owe that to myself.

So yeah, that’s all I have to say. Hopefully I won’t have to discuss JK Rowling again, but you never know!