Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
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@BenRiceM And it’s going to get worse when HBO start their MASSIVE subscriber drive towards the end of the year with the TV series.
Even if all the ethical issues weren't there - why exactly do we need this tv series?
There's less and less new culture, new stories to be told. New perspectives to be seen. It's impoverishing us all.
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Even if all the ethical issues weren't there - why exactly do we need this tv series?
There's less and less new culture, new stories to be told. New perspectives to be seen. It's impoverishing us all.
@thisislieven @BenRiceM Let me introduce you to this concept: money!
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@thisislieven @BenRiceM Let me introduce you to this concept: money!
@jonathanreed @BenRiceM It's just a shame how the financially richest among us are also the poorest in just about every other way.
But at the end of the day, it's our own mistake as most of us keep watching/buying/engaging with it.
The whole thing just makes me sad.
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@jonathanreed @BenRiceM It's just a shame how the financially richest among us are also the poorest in just about every other way.
But at the end of the day, it's our own mistake as most of us keep watching/buying/engaging with it.
The whole thing just makes me sad.
@thisislieven @BenRiceM Same.
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@BenRiceM There's also the issue that so many people just do not want to acknowledge exactly how harmful she is.
They treat her as an author with maybe some poor opinions rather than someone who made it her life's mission to eradicate trans people from society and uses her millions of £ and millions of followers to make this happen every single day - with infuriating success.I have some sympathy with people who have just not been paying attention and are on the fringe of Potter fandom. It's easy to miss how bad specific people and institutions are.
Somewhere I used to work did a gift drive before Christmas for the Salvation Army. I pointed out that, for a company with a stand at Pride that is actively trying to hire LGBTQAI+ folks, this is probably sending the wrong message. No one in the leadership team who approved it had any idea why this would be the case.
I don't blame the person who proposed them as a charity to support, who had seen only their publicity materials.
I do blame the people who approved supporting a charity without even looking at its 'controversies' section on Wikipedia.
I do blame the leadership team who, having been informed of this, continued to run the gift drive, rather than redirecting it to one of the (many) more inclusive options in the local area.
Similarly, if you've read the Potter books as a child and ignored them since then, I can understand your not knowing how much harm their author is doing and maybe being excited by the new series. But HBO management who approved it and anyone who acts in it cannot claim ignorance: they have actively decided that they want to participate in harming trans folks. And people who are reengaging with Potter fandom and are told about Rowling are making an explicit choice if they continue to do so.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
@BenRiceM ughhhh, so true.
I have already had multiple conversations with my 5 y.o. as to why I won't buy her Harry Potter-themed LEGO sets or Kinder Surprise eggs...
"The person who created this character is very bad; she hurts others and I don't want to give her my money". My 5 y.o. gets it.
Harry Potter is EVERYWHERE, le sigh. It makes me angry how much money J.K.R. is making with merchandising alone.
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I hate having to say this, I hate having to turn my back on people whose work or posts I otherwise enjoy, but it keeps happening and it’s so fucking depressing.
It’s the lowest possible bar. and yet.
@BenRiceM it’s not even “work”. It’s the most simple action you can take that says: I don’t support bigots and hateful rethoric.
But no. “But I like this” takes over and people don’t care. All talk, not even the smallest bit of “walk”
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I have some sympathy with people who have just not been paying attention and are on the fringe of Potter fandom. It's easy to miss how bad specific people and institutions are.
Somewhere I used to work did a gift drive before Christmas for the Salvation Army. I pointed out that, for a company with a stand at Pride that is actively trying to hire LGBTQAI+ folks, this is probably sending the wrong message. No one in the leadership team who approved it had any idea why this would be the case.
I don't blame the person who proposed them as a charity to support, who had seen only their publicity materials.
I do blame the people who approved supporting a charity without even looking at its 'controversies' section on Wikipedia.
I do blame the leadership team who, having been informed of this, continued to run the gift drive, rather than redirecting it to one of the (many) more inclusive options in the local area.
Similarly, if you've read the Potter books as a child and ignored them since then, I can understand your not knowing how much harm their author is doing and maybe being excited by the new series. But HBO management who approved it and anyone who acts in it cannot claim ignorance: they have actively decided that they want to participate in harming trans folks. And people who are reengaging with Potter fandom and are told about Rowling are making an explicit choice if they continue to do so.
@david_chisnall @BenRiceM I struggle with this one.
To some extent I am with you, and there are plenty of issues where I lack the knowledge, but at the same time I do believe we have a duty to be informed even if only on a cursory level. Yet it's also impossible to keep up. I find it difficult.
I'm not trans but I am a queer person of colour and having to acknowledge that many people aren't actively trying to harm me and people like me yet vote for people who do so nonetheless, or engage with content that causes harm either directly or indirectly, is a bitter pill to swallow. Especially as the harm is downplayed time and time again, particularly by people who never have to deal with this.
There's just such a vacuum of any sense of moral leadership in business; politics and media.
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@BenRiceM And it’s going to get worse when HBO start their MASSIVE subscriber drive towards the end of the year with the TV series.
@jonathanreed @BenRiceM it is already hellish on Audible who push their new dramatisation in your face everywhere they can.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
@BenRiceM
In all honesty, that might be me at some point. Preemptively block me if you want.I will not buy any of #Rowling's products. I only use materials available from my local public library or ones that I've owned for 20 or more years, before anybody knew #JKRowling is living garbage.
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@nileane @BenRiceM My hope is that it will encourage more awareness of how horrific her actions have been and how engaging with the franchise is now very toxic.
It could also just be a terrible show which would make everyone ask why we’re still doing this franchise.
But let’s be honest, these hopes are exactly that. No guarantee any of it will happen.@jonathanreed @BenRiceM At least it will be a good opportunity to highlight where various publications and creators stand on the matter.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
@BenRiceM Yup, it’s not even that good and there’s so much better out there without an actual monster who created it
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@jonathanreed @BenRiceM At least it will be a good opportunity to highlight where various publications and creators stand on the matter.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
@BenRiceM Luckily the fandom continues to exercise sanity... jfc.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
@BenRiceM I have seen this mentioned once in your replies but it is entirely possible that audiences are enjoying the universe while completely unaware of J.K. Rowling as a person.
Furthermore; a lot of people are capable of separating the art from the artist. I personally cannot. Some who are aware of her don't allow that to pollute their personal experience with the art.I don't think most lovers of HP are doing it for hate reasons or eagerness to line a hateful, resentful creature's pockets.
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@BenRiceM Yup, it’s not even that good and there’s so much better out there without an actual monster who created it
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@BenRiceM I have seen this mentioned once in your replies but it is entirely possible that audiences are enjoying the universe while completely unaware of J.K. Rowling as a person.
Furthermore; a lot of people are capable of separating the art from the artist. I personally cannot. Some who are aware of her don't allow that to pollute their personal experience with the art.I don't think most lovers of HP are doing it for hate reasons or eagerness to line a hateful, resentful creature's pockets.
Please don't say "separate the art from the artist" if you don't know its correct usage.
It's a concept in art studies and is almost exclusively used for artists who are dead and no longer harming people with their beliefs and money.
JK Rowling has been international news for years now for the harm she's doing to both trans people and women worldwide. If you're not aware of it, you're not paying attention, and at some point that's your own fault.
I will gladly educate people on it as these conversations occur. But trans people are fucking exhausted. And your comment is just making excuses for that.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
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Engaging with Harry Potter books, movies, theme parks, etc and announcing it to social media is a bizarre thing to do in 2026.
We have been screaming from the rooftops for almost a decade about the harm this causes to trans people. You have no excuse.
If I see it, it’s an immediate unfollow.
@BenRiceM Crendospai, que povinho inflacionado. Quer dizer que se um perfil parar de seguir outro perfil a vida por trás dessa máscara será profundamente modificada?
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Please don't say "separate the art from the artist" if you don't know its correct usage.
It's a concept in art studies and is almost exclusively used for artists who are dead and no longer harming people with their beliefs and money.
JK Rowling has been international news for years now for the harm she's doing to both trans people and women worldwide. If you're not aware of it, you're not paying attention, and at some point that's your own fault.
I will gladly educate people on it as these conversations occur. But trans people are fucking exhausted. And your comment is just making excuses for that.
@CordiallyChloe @nudlan @BenRiceM
a concept "used for artists who are dead and no longer harming people with their beliefs and money. "
THIS
