After reading the title, your mind might have gone to the same place mine did – J.K. Rowling and her infamous essay of June 2020. This essay was incredibly inflammatory, speaking from a so-called feminist perspective to the detriment of trans women. So where do we stand now, with the author of Harry Potter labelled a 'TERF' (trans-exclusionary radical feminist)? Is it wrong to go back to the magical world with the same enthusiasm as before? Is that even possible?
There has been a lot of talk recently on social media about cancel culture, and J.K. Rowling’s essay has made me think more about what it means to ‘cancel’ someone. People ought to be entitled to their opinions, and it is through discussion that we develop. However, when an opinion is actively harmful to other people, as well as being misinformed, this is when the debate becomes more complicated.
Nevertheless, to permanently silence someone for making a mistake discourages social progress as well as personal growth. It also allows for the ‘cancelled’ person to get away with saying nothing more on the subject – not even an apology. It’s unfortunately not as simple as just taking the microphone away from Rowling. Another question that has arisen from this controversy is what will become of her books? Will her legacy forever be tainted?
Where should we draw the line with harmful rhetoric?
To really get to grips with where we stand with J.K. Rowling, I think it’s important to talk about how her ‘problematic’ behaviour began. Starting on Twitter, Rowling publicly supported Maya Forstater – a researcher who was fired for tweeting ‘men cannot change into women'. Following this, Rowling wrote an essay elucidating her viewpoint in June 2020. The essay is available here, but to sum it up in my words, it essentially discusses what she perceives as an erasure of cis women’s rights as a result of the slowly emerging discussions surrounding trans women’s rights. Her facts on healthcare for trans teens were inaccurate and she brazenly made gender identity and sexuality synonymous, which worked to discredit a large number of people’s identities. While I encourage freedom of speech and the need to explore topics from different angles, in this instance, Rowling’s essay was ignorant and therefore propagates a harmful message.
The damage that someone as influential and hitherto celebrated as Rowling has caused is undeniable, with noticeable ripples of hurt throughout the trans community. She has been more or less ‘cancelled’ on the back of her opinions, but where does that leave Harry Potter? Does 'cancelling' someone involve silencing everything someone has written or said in the past too?
Words are powerful tools. Just as her stories have had such a huge impact on the world, so have the strong statements she has publicly made on trans folks. This begs the question of whether it is possible or morally right to still enjoy the fantastical Harry Potter series.
Can we still enjoy the work of problematic authors?
I still want to be able to enjoy her books. Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood - as well as countless other people’s - and while I detest her recent actions on social media, I still indulge in the Harry Potter franchise. This is, of course, a highly subjective matter. Alex Bertie, a trans YouTuber, explained why he got rid of all of his Harry Potter merchandise, and why he felt he could no longer enjoy the magical world Rowling created. He also addresses the very important question of where fans’ money goes when buying the books, memorabilia, and tickets to attractions. To gain a better perspective on how Rowling's problematic behaviour has impacted trans individuals, I would recommend Alex’s video as a starting point.
As a cis-gender person, it is certainly not my place to decide how anyone should engage with Rowling's works after the pain she has caused so many people. For that matter, there is no prescriptive answer to this article’s question: can we separate the author’s work from the author herself, especially with this essay out in the world? While I might be able to separate art from the artist, and perhaps naïvely hope that Rowling can work to undo the damage her essay has caused in the trans community and beyond, it will not be the same for everybody.
Is it possible to go on enjoying Harry Potter?
A story is so much more than its author; a story is so much bigger than one person, and it resonates uniquely with each reader. Harry Potter belongs to Rowling but it’s obvious she has been influenced by other literature – Tolkien, the fantasy genre in general, the tropes of children’s literature, and common folklore on mythical creatures, to give just a few examples. In my opinion, the enchanting world she has created in the Harry Potter series is far removed from her non-fiction work. Harry Potter certainly does not condone the exclusionary rhetoric Rowling herself now plays a part in, so I have drawn a line in my mind between the writer and their work.
All I can say is that, for me, I am able to continue to enjoy Harry Potter; the fantasy world Rowling creates comes alive in my head and the books have a sentimental value to me which has largely not been marred by Rowling's transphobia. I think about my parents reading the fifth book to my brother and me on a long car journey. I think about a Harry Potter movie marathon my friends and I did at 16, and most of all, I think about the characters and what they mean to me. The Harry Potter series enables escapism. I refuse to let Harry Potter be tethered by J.K. Rowling's transphobic rhetoric. This is not possible for everybody, but perhaps it will allow you to think about a piece of art in its own right, whether that be Harry Potter or anything else, and help you find enjoyment in a story again, wholly separate from its author.
Written by Lily Corcoran
Image courtesy of Kaboompics.com via Pexels