Harry Potter Fan Sites Are Backing Away From JK Rowling

Leaky Cauldron, Mugglenet distance themselves over Rowling's trans views
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 3, 2020 4:00 AM CDT
Harry Potter Fan Sites Are Backing Away From JK Rowling
This July 15, 2005 file photo shows British author J.K. Rowling holding a copy of her book "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland.   (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

Two of the biggest Harry Potter fan sites are backing far, far away from the Harry Potter creator thanks to JK Rowling's views on trans people. The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet both announced Thursday they won't use the author's photo or link to her website, and they won't discuss her other than as she relates to the Potter universe, the Guardian reports. In a joint statement, the sites, which have more than a million followers on Facebook, say they reject Rowling's beliefs. "Our stance is firm: transgender women are women," it reads. "Transgender men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. Intersex people exist and should not be forced to live in the binary. We stand with Harry Potter fans in these communities."

The statement says Rowling's "harmful and disproven beliefs about what it means to be a transgender person" and her views on "marginalized people [are] out of step with the message of acceptance and empowerment we find in her books and celebrated by the Harry Potter community." Deadline reports that stars from Potter films who have spoken out against Rowling's beliefs so far include Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint, and Eddie Redmayne. But the news from the fandom might be the most telling: "One of the clearest signs that a famous person has f---ed up extremely bad is that when the really passionate fans—the ones who have dedicated significant portion of their lives to promoting and discussing the famous person’s work—decide to cut off any and all ties to them," writes Sam Barsanti at the AV Club. (More JK Rowling stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X