Harry Potter has been with me well over two decades. My mom always made sure I had both British and American copies of the books, and for years I collected them in other languages as well. I attended book releases and movie releases and, as you might guess, listened to wizard rock.
A Harry Potter convention was the first place I felt safe, and seen. Harry Potter podcasts have taught me about concepts and fields of study I never knew existed, and connected me to people from around the world.
And wizard rock has been my family for years.
But I’m not ignorant of the cost that love has, when the creator of the series that started it all is using all the power we give her to attack some of our most vulnerable community members. So I eschew the franchise and all its products (#WZRDPinkiePromise), and shrink my love down to share only with fans who fight for trans rights and trans safety.
So I’m dismayed that HBO thought “you know what we should do? Let’s partner with the most famous transphobe in the world! Let’s give her more money, power and influence!” Who at HBO said “you know what? Bigotry is a great branding idea.” Shame on that person in particular.
Harry Potter fans pride themselves on being accepting and open to everyone, which is why this petition is so important to me. I believe in the power of the community to show up and prove that no, JKR doesn’t speak for the fandom. We are better than that, and we demand better from the corporations that serve us.
WZRD Radio Podcast 