Trans men are men.

Trans women are women.

Trans rights are human rights.

I’ve struggled a bit with this series now that Rowling has shown herself to be exactly the type of bigot she’s portrayed the villains of this series to be. I’ve thought: can I go back to this and not feel guilty or grossed out?

Fall/Winter has usually been the time I revisit these stories, and right now I find myself in need of something comforting and familiar in this shit world we live in. So I’ve decided to dip my toe back into the Potter-water and see how it feels.

It feels... fine?

I certainly don’t blame anyone who writes these off cold turkey. Not at all. I guess when I read these books/watch these films the last thing on my mind is JK Rowling. Is that my privilege showing? Perhaps it is. Perhaps it’s not. Either way, I’m not letting her shitty views stand in the way of something I enjoy.

However, I see it as both mine and everyone who’s as put off by her hostility towards our trans friends and neighbors to, if they choose to continue with this world, to do so in a more responsible way.

For instance, instead of buying a ticket for the next Fantastic Beasts movie, buy a ticket to a different film and theater hop into it. Buy used copies of the new video game or the books, particularly the illustrated editions which are incredible. Don’t let any more of your money go directly to her if you can help it.

If you simply can’t do that (you can) or in the case of Broadway/Live Theater restarting, you want to support the actors/crew as I plan to do with Cursed Child, make a donation of equal or greater value to a trans-focused charity or organization if you purchase something she makes a profit off of.

But as angry as I am with her, I truly hope Rowling sees the light at some point and banishes hatred from her heart for good.

When I first saw her tweets this summer (I’m aware now that it wasn’t the first incident, I guess I missed it or didn’t understand) I was infuriated that she both had and would reveal such an ugly side of herself at a time when so many people were hurting and needed the comfort of these stories, only to find that they perhaps werent as welcome in her world as they thought they were.

Not to mention people who grew up on these stories (myself included) and connected with them so much that they became part of their identities and helped shape their core values. Rowling’s bigotry is nothing less than a betrayl, and to feel like you just have to weigh in with your shitty take is so aggravating.

But, I still have hope these stories are still able to play a role in kids lives, as they are truly wonderful and full of great life lessons. Just with an asterisk.

And I also hope that someone or something is able to reach Rowling, and that she apologizes and makes amends with everyone she’s hurt. Either way, Harry Potter doesn’t belong to her anymore. It’s ours now, and no amount of TERF-iness can change that.