Separating Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling
I can’t remember a time when Harry Potter was not a part of life. Instead of Saturday morning cartoons, I’d be watching The Chamber of Secrets over and over again. My family and I listened to the books on road trips. My 4th birthday party was Harry Potter themed; we played “pin the scar on the Harry” and my dad dressed up as Dumbledore. My friends and I once made our own “polly-juice potion,” reenacting the scene for our parents (which consisted of us running in and out of the room and quick-changing our clothes). In 6th grade, I did a biography report on J.K. Rowling in my English class.
I saw every one of the movies in the theater, even convincing my dad to take me to the midnight “premiere” of the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 when I was 11. When I finished the seventh book, I thought I would never find another book I loved that much. I did, of course, find other books I loved, but in terms of books (and movies) that can instantly put a smile on my face and bring me immense comfort and joy, there is no competition. It is such a rare phenomenon that we see such a great book series adapted into a film series that is equally as good as the books, but that was definitely the case with Harry Potter.
The new HBO special, Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts, was everything I could have ever hoped for in a Harry Potter reunion. It was great to see the cast reuniting and catching up with each other, as well as seeing old footage of them on set and hearing the behind-the-scenes stories. Rowling and her team chose to not participate in this reunion, saying that archival footage from 2019 would be adequate. They said this decision was unrelated to the recent controversy surrounding Rowling, although I suspect that it certainly played a role in that decision. I was glad she wasn’t there, but it was also very sad that she wasn’t. It still hurts that she betrayed her legacy by spouting such hatred. I wish she could have been there under the right circumstances.
I will not speak on what Rowling wrote in her essay. The claims she makes are untrue, unfounded in research, and entirely based on her own opinions. If you want to watch an in-depth analysis of her misinformed opinions, I recommend watching this video by trans YouTuber, Jammidodger with his girlfriend Shaaba. They give a detailed, well-researched breakdown of each of Rowling’s transphobic claims and prove why her arguments are harmful and frankly, riddikulus!
One of the reasons the Harry Potter series was so popular was because it preached a message of inclusivity, unconditional love, and radical acceptance. Harry grows up in a home where he is not accepted for who he is. His family is not only abusive, but also lies to him about who he is in an attempt to limit his power. Not to mention he literally lives in the closet. His family see him and his parents as freaks because they have magical abilities. Until, Harry is thrust into the world of Hogwarts where he finds out he is loved by friends and family he didn’t even know existed. But even in the wizarding world, our heroes must fight hatred and bigotry. Hermione, along with other “half-bloods,” faces hate speech and bullying for having non-magic parents. Delores Umbridge, the evil headmistress from The Order of the Phoenix, refuses to let the students live how they please, forcing them into living lives that don’t suit their unique and different personalities (Hm…sounds like someone else I know).
The central conflict running throughout the series is good triumphing over evil, but more specifically it is about love being more powerful than hatred. Voldemort is evil because he believes that not all magical beings are equal. He is disgusted by the fact that magical beings mate with muggles (race-mixing) and in his mind, he is doing everything he does “for the greater good” of society. He resembles a fascist dictator, full of hatred and lust for power, which prevents him from feeling love — Harry’s true power.
The books are filled with quotes about being who you are, unapologetically. After reading Rowling’s hurtful and transphobic comments, I am beginning to wonder if she read her own books. I would advise her to refresh her memory on the inspiring words she wrote and apply them to her horrible essay.
In The Goblet of Fire, Hagrid says, “I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth botherin’ with.” Hagrid is often bullied for his appearance and quirky personality, but he nevertheless remains proud to be who he is, and those who try to shame him just aren’t worth his time. So, from her own words, Rowling isn’t worth botherin’ with.
In the same book, Dumbledore says, “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be” and “Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.” The former is scarily ironic based on Rowling’s transphobic comments; it doesn’t matter what you were born, but who you know yourself to be and who you grow to be as a person. You can see how this resonated with queer readers. The latter quote argues that even if we have differences of habit (i.e. we have different sexualities or gender identities), it shouldn’t matter as long as we treat each other with respect and live with open hearts and minds. Ms. Rowling should really give The Goblet of Fire another read.
In a way, it’s not a very difficult task to separate Rowling’s transphobia from the Harry Potter books because the books are unequivocally in opposition to the statements Rowling has made about trans people. But it is still so hard to hear her openly condemn trans people and use her position of power to cause people to fear those in the trans community when she created such a magical, safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community and all other groups of people who felt like they didn’t belong. She obtained her position of power and wealth because of Harry Potter and then betrays the very ideals it stands for.
I am used to being let down by artists I admire. As a cinephile, there are countless filmmakers and actors whose work I love, but who I can’t in good conscience support as good people. It is hard to love a movie or praise a performance and then find out that the artist is actually a terrible person. J.K. Rowling is merely an addition to the list of artists who betray their work and their legacy by choosing the dark inside them.
That being said, it is different with Rowling. I not only loved her as an artist, but I looked up to her from a young age. Earlier, I mentioned the project I did on her in 6th grade. Researching her life made me feel connected to her. I came across the story of the inception of Harry Potter. She was riding a train one afternoon, when she was suddenly hit with the idea for the Harry Potter novels. She didn’t have a pen with her and was too shy to ask anyone, so she just sat there and thought about the idea for hours. Rowling says she is glad she didn’t ask for a pen because it allowed her to straighten out the story in her mind. As an extremely shy 11-year-old and aspiring novelist at the time (who didn’t want to write a novel at 11?), this story really spoke to me.
I admired her courage in standing by her writing when there were baseless and absurd claims that Harry Potter should be banned for promoting witchcraft and being anti-Christian. She was an inspiration to myself (and countless others) as a woman who rose to fame and wealth by bringing joy to millions. To quote Sam Obisanya from Ted Lasso, on the fact that J.K. Rowling has more money than the Queen, “I like the idea of someone becoming rich because of what they gave to the world. Not just because of who their family is.” She gave people the gift of storytelling — a story that changed lives and hearts. In my opinion, that is the greatest gift anyone can give, and I will always be grateful for the gift of Harry Potter. But, I can’t in good conscience continue to support Rowling until she takes her own advice and learns the lessons she taught the rest of us through her books.
In The Order of the Phoenix, Sirius says, “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” J.K. Rowling chose to act on the dark inside of her when spouting her transphobic remarks, denying that what she said was transphobic, and using her personal traumas as an excuse to inflict harm on an already vulnerable group of people. But that doesn’t mean that fans of Harry Potter should abandon the series. And it certainly doesn’t mean we should fight Rowling’s hate with more hate. We read the books. We watched the movies. We know what this series is about, even if Rowling herself doesn’t. We must choose the light inside of us and hope that one day, Rowling will see the error of her ways, and come back to the light inside of her.
