Maybe we don’t need any more events celebrating J.K. Rowling’s creations!
I thought we all agreed to stop celebrating Harry Potter holidays because of J.K. Rowling’s transphobia and general anti-feminist behavior! Apparently not because a bunch of “fans” ended up upset over the absence of a longstanding Harry Potter even this weekend.
In Rowling’s book series, wizarding students head back to Hogwarts on September 1, via the fictional Platform 9 3/4 at King’s Cross Station in London. The real King’s Cross Station has celebrated the day in recent years by making a public announcement of the train’s departure. The “Back to Hogwarts” celebration would see fans dressing up like their favorite characters or wearing their Hogwarts House’s robes, the song “Hedwig’s Theme” by John Williams would play, and the departures board would add a stop to Hogsmeade.
This year, a group of fans were disappointed when the departure announcement never came. A viral video shows fans counting down to the announcement to be left with silence and no change to the station.
Despite what some may assume, the station didn’t cancel the celebration because of Rowling. It was announced months ago that the in-person event wouldn’t be held due to crowd issues at the station. So everyone who disregarded the station asking them to not go to the station on September 1 to celebrate Harry Potter was left disappointed.
Despite the general consensus that Rowling has made these celebrations tainted, there were other Back to Hogwarts events throughout the world. You could go get the “Hogwarts Express” at Grand Central Station in New York and there was a Quidditch event in Lyon, France. Frankly, I do not feel comfortable going to these events that once brought me joy because of how Rowling has weaponized her platform against the trans community. So the less “Back to Hogwarts” events, the better.
It’s weird that we’re still doing these events anyway
Look, I loved going and getting the new Harry Potter book on Harry’s birthday. My joy came from spending the fall with the series and going to see the new movies with my best friends. This series meant a great deal to me and the only reason I don’t regret my Harry Potter tattoo is because of the memories it represents. All that being said, I can push my love of something aside if that love means supporting a woman who wants to spend her money, fame, and resources attacking the trans community non-stop.
It has gotten to the point where Rowling is attacking cis women who do not fit her idea of womanhood—the natural evolution of virulent transphobia. How is it fun for “fans” to keep supporting the series knowing that she is making money off it? Sure, events like this are about the safest way to engage with the franchise without lining Rowling’s pockets but it still puts the franchise in the news, has people talking about it, and sparks interest in it which will, eventually, give her more money.
Until she is no longer connected to this franchise monetarily, I don’t think we should have celebrations of the Boy Who Lived and you can thank Rowling for that.
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