For some trans activists, there is simply no ‘ethical’ way to consume Rowling’s work – or indeed anything related to the Harry Potter franchise. For instance, an upcoming Harry Potter spin-off game, Hogwarts Legacy, has been marred by controversy simply for its association with Rowling, despite the fact she had no creative involvement with it. Following an online backlash, one of the game’s lead voice actors, Sebastian Croft, felt the need to declare that ‘trans women are women and trans men are men’, in order to distance himself from Rowling’s supposedly problematic views.
One pop-culture website asks the question: ‘Is it possible to enjoy Hogwarts Legacy if you’re not a fan of JK Rowling?’ It suggests that if Harry Potter fans absolutely must play this new game, they can ‘mitigate JK Rowling’s negative impact’ by buying it second-hand and not posting about it online. In other words, you can play Hogwarts Legacy, so long as you understand that you’re supposed to feel ashamed about it.
What we’re witnessing here is a severe bout of Rowlingphobia. The Harry Potter author has been turned into a kind of moral leper – someone best avoided or not acknowledged in public at all. And all because she has had the temerity to stand up for women’s rights and for the reality of biological sex. Trans activists may have signally failed to erase or cancel her, but that doesn’t make their attempts any less unsettling.
[You can bet that they’d be more successful against less-well-known authors and artists. Rowling’s refusal to bend the knee has come at great personal cost, but it’s of great benefit to free speech and discourse. — Ed]
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