The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
Everybody knows the boy who lived. For a quarter of a century, Harry Potter was one of the most iconic fantasy series in the world. Barnes and Noble flooded with Potterheads when each book was released; movie tickets sold out during the anticipation before each new film; and Harry Potter logos were stamped on every t-shirt, backpack, and keychain of children everywhere. As soon as we turned eleven, we created Pottermore accounts to find our Hogwarts house, take lessons in magic, and find a sense of belonging with other people who wanted to escape the mundanity and judgment of the muggle world. We took great pride in being part of the Harry Potter obsession and incorporated our Hogwarts houses into our identities. Harry Potter was a tremendous source of comfort, as Harry’s story reminded us that we aren’t alone, that there is happiness during dark times, and that friendship and love triumphs over evil. Everything felt so magical.
And then one day it didn’t. The creator of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, horrified all of us former Potterheads in 2018 when she transformed from the beloved creator of a global phenomenon into a woman who villainizes transgender individuals. Her transphobic history goes as far back as March 2018, when she liked a tweet diminishing trans women to “men in dresses.” At first, Rowling tried to conceal her transphobia, claiming that she had accidentally liked the tweet. Fans were skeptical, but many chose to let it slide. They reasoned that it must be an accident. After all, how could a woman who wrote such a beautiful story be so hateful? However, in the summer of 2019, we realized that the 2018 incident was only the beginning. In this second incident, Rowling took her transphobia up a notch by following “self-professed” transphobe Magdalen Berns: a woman who said “gender is not a social construct,” and no more “non-binary b*ullshit.” Former Potterheads began to feel a sickening sense of dread. Suddenly it was very obvious that the woman we had admired for so long was not the hero that we thought she was. Rowling solidified her poor reputation in December 2019 when she publicly supported Maya Forstater, a British researcher who went as far as to say that those who said “transwomen are women” are operating under “literal delusions.” Today, it is a well-established fact that Rowling is a hypocrite who does not actually believe in the messages of love and acceptance promoted in her books. Her transphobia originally came as a shock to many former members of her community, as her books and the story she created were a place of solace for those who felt out of place in the real world, and for the past few years many people have been avoiding Harry Potter. This is not a new topic, so why J.K. Rowling is significant today in 2023? The damage has been done. It’s been over three years since J.K. Rowling ruined her reputation. We canceled her, and she was silenced. All is good, right?
Wrong.
Enter The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling: an audio documentary airing today that features Megan Phelps-Roper and J.K. Rowling’s opinions on book bans, gender, and sex. According to the summary of this podcast, Rowling is back to break her silence and finally address the controversy she created. We would expect that she’s doing damage control, finally issuing a much-deserved apology to the trans community and all of the fans she alienated with her harmful remarks. Unfortunately, that is not Rowling’s intention in releasing this podcast. Instead, she is here to make herself out to be the victim of her own controversy, shifting the blame to those she hurt.
First, let’s take a moment to discuss the title. The Witch Trials? Is she serious? Obviously the title has a connection with Harry Potter, but what exactly is the deeper meaning that Rowling is insinuating here? Well, according to the Peabody Essex Museum, the witch trials were “a series of trials, prosecutions, and executions of innocent people accused of practicing witchcraft.” Therefore, by naming her podcast The Witch Trials, it seems to me like Rowling is presenting herself as an innocent woman whose career has been tainted by those who accused her of being transphobic. Essentially, the name of her is meant to exonerate her from any blame.
In the podcast’s promotional trailer, Rowling gravely told her former fans “you could not have misunderstood me more profoundly” when referencing her transphobic behavior. This statement was released in response to fans telling her that she ruined her legacy and her series, and it is absolutely appalling. Is she trying to use the confundus curse on us? From 2018-2020, Rowling clearly liked a series of transphobic tweets and publicly supported transphobic figures. What exactly could we have misunderstood about that? Moreover, she claimed “I never set out to upset anyone,” yet she devastated thousands of individuals who were personally offended by her actions and comments. Many of these individuals then had to wrestle with feelings of extreme hurt, as they were betrayed by the creator of a story they had found solace in. Rowling is a horrible person, but she is not stupid; she knew exactly what she was doing when she embarked on a campaign of hatred against trans individuals. And now she claims that she didn’t realize she was hurting so many people? Something doesn’t add up.
Worst of all, it is clear that Rowling has not changed for the better; this entire project is an indication of her prevailing transphobia. Co-host Megan Phelps-Roper has connections with the Westboro Baptist Church, which is known (unsurprisingly) for its blatant homophobia and hatred for all those who do not conform to established gender roles. Furthermore, The Witch Trials’s producer is Free Media, founded by Bari Weiss (who is openly against “woke culture,” “liberal censorship,” and the transgender community). What a dream team, right?
This podcast airs less than two weeks after the release of Hogwarts Legacy: a pricey video game that just came out on February 10th. The timing seems more than a little suspicious. Is Rowling pulling a publicity stunt to try to regain followers that will buy her game? After all, many former fans reacted to the initial advertisements of this game by announcing that they would boycott it to show solidarity for the trans community. Rowling responded angrily back in December by comparing the boycott of this game (a virtual hobby whose proceeds go to an openly transphobic woman) to book burnings (actually serious events that decrease freedom of speech and expression). Obviously this comparison is a stretch, but Rowling is unwilling to back down. Instead of staying silent and dealing with low sales (that resulted from her own actions!), she wants to remain contentious and dig herself into a deeper pit by continuing to cancel herself in a new podcast. It’s embarrassing, really.
The most important thing right now is to avoid giving Rowling a platform. Cancel culture effectively silenced her for a while back in 2020, giving people time to heal from her negative actions and the chance to reconcile the love they had felt for Harry with their newfound hatred for Rowling. However, now she is vocal again, and she will continue to justify her actions and her dislike for the trans community. What can we do? Well, we can start by refusing to listen to her podcast. Don’t let her justify her anti-trans behavior. If we do, we’re giving this woman more fame and money that she will use to indulge in her hate. She will believe that her remarks are valid and that the people she hurt are willing to open their broken hearts to her once more. She does not deserve a second chance. After all, hasn’t she already done enough damage? Ultimately, it is time for Rowling to step out of the spotlight and follow Professor Lupin’s advice to “keep [her] … nose out of other people’s business.”