Comic Strips

her books were always about her "real beliefs" just hidden behind her writing. family guy joked about her writing-anti-trans years before she went full terf.

OK, this is a tough one and what I'm about to say might get me some dislikes. Let me just say something that might soften the blow: Fuck Rowling, her transphobia, and the bigots that defend her wretched views. Even if she decided, in an alternative timeline, decided her loudmouth shut, she would still be the scum of the earth for her views on trans people. I repeat, Fuck Rowling.

Now, with that out the way, let's address the crux of the issue. I know that many of you in the LGBTQ+ community grew up with the franchise and enjoyed it long before Rowling exposed her true colors. If you're LGBTQ+ and you decide to reconcile, in some way, with the franchise without directly supporting Rowling, you're well within your rights to do so. The nostalgia you feel for something that brought you joy in your youth is yours to keep. No one, not even the creator themselves, can take that from you. As for the products themselves? You can: buy the books secondhand, pirate the movies, pirate the EPUBs if you have an e reader and buy fan-made merch from LGBTQ+-friendly sellers.

If decided to not reconcile with the franchise, you're also well within your rights to do so. Rowling has to made aware of the damage her views have on people. Demonstrate the hypocrisy of writing about a group of outsiders finding a place of acceptance and discovering their true selves and espousing bigoted rhetoric towards a discriminated group wanting acceptance for their true selves. There's plenty of other fictional universes you can draw your attention towards (more on that in a moment) that are far less problematic and worthier of your time.

If you're an ally (like myself), it's best that we don't engage with the franchise all together out of support. For me, this isn't a problem since I didn't engage with the franchise all that much in my youth (I was more of a LOTR fan). If you do decide to reconcile, much of what I have already said still applies.

In short, the question of reconciliation is a personal matter. So long as Rowling isn't benefiting, you should be happy with your decision and the stand you take. As for alternatives? Well...

The already mentioned Lord of The Rings

Dune series

Discworld

Elric of Melniboné

Wheel of Time

The best way to enjoy something that may benefit a problematic person is to simply acquire it in a way that doesn't benefit them. Perhaps whilst on board a ship with a nice barrel of grog.

Potheads are tiring.

I have never even had an inner monologue about wanting to support of continue consume the work of someone who made something I like after they've got outed for bad shit. It's just and instant "damn, sucks to loose that thing but that's all there is too it."
I seriously don't understand people who do that and the whole "separate the art from the artist" shit.
We have more than enough of literally everything, you aren't giving up something that nothing else can replace. There's more stuff to like and discover from nice people than anyone can fit in their lifetime.

I don't know, but as I grew older and the world became more harsh, out of cynicism I stopped investing in so much pop culture and especially personalities who have or could possibly make an about-face.

So many people in this thread defend J.K. Rowling, or at least the Harry Potter works, under the guise that Rowling's anti-trans positions are just an opinion. She does so much more than just talk. She uses her personal fortune made directly from Harry Potter to fund legal attacks on the rights of transgender people in the UK.

Imagine if Elon Musk showed up one day to fund a civil case against you for playing rec league soccer or to get you fired from your job. This is what the beginning of genocide looks like. It may take years to get to the camps and the ovens, but we will get there. Hell, the camps are already built here in the US, and they will house more than the transgender.

https://www.advocate.com/news/jk-rowling-anti-trans-organization

I think we should normalize acknowledging reality. JK Rowling is a POS, Neil Gaiman is a POS, many others are POS or problematic for different reasons. A lot of products are owned by problematic companies. Some have better alternatives.

Bashing people for it is just going to make people tune you out though. Just be aware. I'm really not interested in the Harry Potter show. But the movies are a staple. If I see Tom Cruise is in a movie I get a lot less interested in it. I still like Edge of Tomorrow though.

Just don't pay for it and be done with it.

Enjoy Harry Potter, just don't give money to scumbag author.