J.K. Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter series, has been consistently forward about her opinions towards the trans community. So forward, in fact, that even the actors from her movie saga felt the need to speak out.
This blatant transphobia is why so many fans of the series feel moved to write fanfiction: fiction written by a fan about characrters from a movie, show, etc.
One of her first outwardly transphobic statements was when she got offended by an article using the words “people who menstruate” rather than women. She then mocked the phrasing in an offensive tweet. Later, she clarified what exactly she meant by the ‘joke’ in the post, but the subcontext is clear. She says she “knows and loves trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives.” So, Rowling, riddle me this: if you love trans people, why are you disproving of their identity?
In an opinion piece on her website, Rowling says hoards of anti-trans sentiments, including things such as using homophobia in order to qualify transitioning or speaking on how she feels frightened that resources for transitioning are so readily available. “When you throw open the doors of bathrooms and changing rooms to any man who believes or feels he’s a woman,” she says, after sharing her experience with sexual assault, “then you open the door to any and all men who wish to come inside.” This statement manipulates her own emotional experience into something offensive. Not only does she mock trans people with the sentiment that basically anyone can be trans (later, Rowling mentions questioning if she would have transitioned had she grown up nowadays, which is, a wild thing to say!), but also pushes an image that trans women are something to be scared of.
Everything in this piece is said very matter-of-factly, but there is an underlying sense of mocking with statements such as “scoop up the woke cookies” as closure to saying that “trans lives do matter.” It feels extremely surface level.
In an interview with Vox, Rowling goes as far as comparing the trans rights movement to the Death Eaters in her novels. Yes, you heard that right! The Death Eaters are a band of Voldemort (the series’ antagonist)’s followers who seek power by restoring a pure-blood rule. Pure-bloods are a topic I will discuss a little later on, but these Death Eaters, who “demonized and dehumanized those who were not like them” were exactly who J.K. Rowling compared those pushing for trans rights to.
Due to J.K. Rowling’s public status as a TERF (Trans exclusionary radical feminist), many of the actors in the Harry Potter movies felt the need to speak out against her hurtful words. Daniel Radcliffe stated, “we need to do more to support transgender and nonbinary people, not invalidate their identities.” Eddie Redmayne of the Fantastic Beasts movies said “Trans women are women.” Emma Watson and Bonnie Wright also made tweets in response, empowering trans people on their journeys.
The latest addition to the Wizarding World is Hogwarts Legacy, a video game centered in the world of Harry Potter. The character Sirona, a barkeeper in Hogsmeade, is heavily implied to be trans. When explaining her story, she quotes that it “took them a second to realize I was actually a witch, not a wizard.”
However, even though this representation is great for all of the fans of the books and movies who wish to experience the wizarding world in a way removed from J.K. Rowling’s dictation, by playing the game, Rowling still gets revenue. She still maintains a platform, which has been consistently used in order to spur transphobic comments. There isn’t a true way of winning in this situation.
This separation of the author from their work is where fanfiction comes in.
Fanfiction dates as far back as the 1960s with Kirk and Spock in Star Trek, and has been used as a way for the queer community to find a place of safety for years. Recently, it’s become increasingly popular to the point where some fanfictions are even turned into printed books or movies.
In any work, it’s near impossible to separate the author from the pieces they write. Influences in our lives are inevitable, for anyone, and for authors, using their own experiences to create a story, it is hard to understand the novel without understanding the context surrounding it. What is Crime and Punishment without knowing of Dostoevsky’s life in prison? What is The Bell Jar without knowing of Plath’s struggle with mental health? Or of Harry Potter without J.K Rowling’s train being delayed at King’s Cross station?
Especially with J.K. Rowling, her hateful views find a place in her novel. There are countless instances where racism, homophobia, zionism, etc. are excruciatingly present. She classifies wizards as “purebloods,” “half-bloods,” and “mudbloods,” based upon their blood status, and Voldemort plans to eliminate all those who are not pureblood (eerily similar to Hitler). The names of characters of color in the books are often offensive—Kingsley Shacklebolt, a Black wizard, Cho Chang, an Asian witch— or have ethnic stereotypes— Seamus Finnigan, an Irish wizard, being skilled in bombing, or Fleur Delacour, a French witch, being a Veela (a seduction creature). In terms of homophobia, she said Remus Lupin’s lycanthropy was a “metaphor for those illnesses that carry a stigma, like HIV or AIDS.” She also commented that she “always thought of Dumbledore as gay,” and that he was in a relationship with close friend Grindelwald, but made no mention of this in the text. When she had the opportunity to put this queer love onto the screens in Fantastic Beasts, there was again, no mention of this whatsoever.
However, with fanfiction, although it takes the author’s characters and (sometimes) plots, the writer is able to develop the character stories for themself. The writings are associated with the fanon rather than the bigoted author. It’s not an end-all be-all, but it does give marginalized communities the chance to represent themselves.
In J.K. Rowling’s case, fanfiction is a ‘fuck you’ to her harmful comments.
The Marauders fandom is a pretty self-imagined group; they are mentioned in Harry Potter as Harry’s father, James, and his three friends from his time at school: Sirius, Remus, and Peter. We see all three of these characters later on in Harry’s story—Remus as a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, Sirius breaking out of Azkaban, and Peter being Voldemort’s henchmen— but what this fanfiction primarily focuses on is their time at school and during the first wizarding war. Because these plots are only briefly touched on by Rowling in her novels, it leaves large room for interpretation.
And interpret the fandom did.
To fight against the racism and homophobia present in Rowling’s novels, as well as to give representation to those consuming the content, fanfiction writers often headcanon (a fan’s interpretation of characters) these characters as queer and people of color.
As mentioned before, Remus’ lycanthropy was a metaphor for AIDS/HIV, which implies he is a queer character. As such, he is headcanonned as gay as well as often disabled, having a limp due to his lycanthropic tendencies.
Sirius, Harry’s godfather, is usually headcannoned as bisexual. Not to get too into this fandom, but Remus and Sirius are often shipped together due to their chemistry in the books and movies. Sirius “lie[s] low at Lupin’s” for a time, which could mean nothing. Or, it could mean everything.
James, Harry’s father, while portrayed as white in the books, is most often headcannoned as desi or latino. In canon, he marries Lily. More recently, he’s been headcannoned as bisexual or pansexual.
Speaking of Lily, Harry’s mother, although she is the only woman present in the depictions of the Marauders back in the day, the fandom added three more ‘main’ characters based on their involvement in the Order of the Phoenix.
Lily is often bisexual, or just a lesbian. She, like Peter, is sometimes headcannoned as being plus-sized, which gives representation to that respective community as well.
For the other women—Marlene, Dorcas, and Mary— they are typically lesbian or queer to some extent. Dorcas and Mary are usually depicted as Black, and Marlene is sometimes portrayed as Filipino. Adding these women to a primarily male storyline also just gives more representation to females, and in some cases with Mary, trans females as well.
Another side of this fandom focuses on Sirius’ brother, Regulus. In the books, he was mentioned as a Death Eater turned good(?) after attempting to stop Voldemort before the war began. He, like the women mentioned previously, is not in the texts of Harry Potter, but mentioned. His character is actually the driving force behind the book’s plot, but that’s a topic for another day. Regardless, Regulus is often headcannoned as gay, and frequently trans as well. (The concept of a trans Death Eater is such a big ‘fuck you’ to Rowling. I love it.)
Barty Crouch Jr., who is in the Goblet of Fire, and Evan Rosier (mentioned) are both Death Eaters in the context of Harry Potter. In the fanon, they are also portrayed as being queer, and Barty is typically of Asian ethnicity while Evan is Black. Lastly, Pandora, who is Luna Lovegood’s mother, is also often depicted as Black and queer.
These headcannons, while specific, are widely known. Fanfictions such as All the Young Dudes (15 million hits) or Crimson Rivers (7 million hits) have acquired millions of views. Of course they will never be as popular as the original series, but this mass spread shows how truly impactful diverse voices can be. And how great fanfiction is in counteracting the evils of Rowling’s work.