Museum Removes References of J.K. Rowling for ‘Super Hateful’ Views on Transgenderism
The Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington, has decided to remove all Harry Potter memorabilia referencing J.K. Rowling due to the author’s “super hateful and divisive” views on transgenderism.
Rowling, widely known as the creator of the beloved Harry Potter series, has been an outspoken critic of the transgender movement for several years. Despite being a left-wing feminist and activist, Rowling has been smeared by LGBT groups and is often referred to as a “TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist).
MoPOP dedicated an entire page to its website to explain the decision to remove any mention of Rowling. The page, titled “She who must not be named,” starts by stating “There’s a certain cold, heartless, joy-sucking entity in the world of Harry Potter and, this time, it is not actually a Dementor.” The museum goes on to state that it has “decided to remove any of her artefacts from this gallery to reduce her impact.”
MoPOP cites concerns beyond her stance on transgenderism, including accusations of supporting antisemitic creators, racial stereotypes in character creation, lack of diversity, and other problematic elements within her works.
“[Rowling’s] transphobic viewpoints are front and center these days, but we can’t forget all the other ways that she’s problematic: the support of antisemitic creators, the racial stereotypes that she used while creating characters, the incredibly white wizarding world, the fat shaming, the lack of LGBTQIA+ representation, the super-chill outlook on the bigotry and othering of those that don’t fit into the standard wizarding world, and so much more.“
Museum of Pop Culture
Public backlash against Rowling began to escalate in 2020 when she criticized an op-ed that replaced the word “women” with the phrase “people who menstruate.” She has since been an outspoken critic of men in women’s sports, the belief that sex is a social construct, and legislation that legally recognizes a person’s transgenderism.
But despite facing immense criticism for her beliefs, Rowling has doubled down on protecting women from the attacks of the transgender community.
“If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
J.K. Rowling via Twitter
When fans argued that Rowling is “ruining her legacy” by being so outspoken against the transgender community, the author explained that her beliefs are more important to her than her career success.
“I do not walk around my house thinking about my legacy,” Rowling stated. “What a pompous way to live your life, walking around thinking, what will my legacy be? Whatever, I’ll be dead. I care about now. I care about the living.”
