this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
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I think these hard line stances do more harm than good.
My wife and I are active in not supporting any new things, but to talk about how you think it's morally wrong to even talk about the franchise is going to alienate a ton of people.
I feel fine talking about it, and the memories I had with it. Because everyone I surround myself with is completely aligned that Harry Potter was meaningful when we were kids and also JK Rowling is a complete fucking asshat.
This sort of purity testing has got to stop. If mentioning the name of Harry Potter marks someone as a transphobe who is equally as bad as politicians actively stripping them of their rights... The movement will never build a coalition.
Saying that financially supporting JK Rowling is actively harming the trans community is a reasonable argument. Saying that talking about Harry Potter, even if you note that JK Rowling sucks, makes you an outright transphobe is not reasonable to me.
Too bad, trans people are more important than your pottertreats. If trans people say something is hurting them just stop doing it. Don't get into the nitty gritty of "how much harm does it do really?" make as wide a distance as you can to it.
As for this specific instance its not even hard to see how it is harming trans people: talking about hp keeps it in the spotlight which generats more sales.
Why wouldn't you purge the franchise that funds trans genocide from your life??
I want to be respectful here, but this has a lot of issues embedded in it.
This kind of rhetoric rises from what I've called the Authoritarian Left, which is an immensely detrimental wing. It's a group where there is no nuance.
You say that if a trans person says it's hurting them I should stop doing it. OK, but what if a republican says it? Now suddenly I should ignore them? You can't base your entire ideology on what members of groups say or demand that others adhere to yours simply because you think you're right.
I love trans people, and I actively fight for them and their rights. But why? I'll tell you, it's not because Democrats told me to love them, or a religious leader, or anyone in politics. I looked at the world critically and found their cause worthy.
I'm a durable ally. I'll stick with it when it's not cool or trendy, or when it comes at a cost. But that's because I arrived at those truths myself.
To loop all the way back to the premise - if talking about Harry Potter at all hurts Trans people, then this post hurts trans people. If you disagree with that, then nuance exists. And I'm saying in the nuance of how and who I talk about any topic with, I know and understand that those people understand the situation.
I don't make public posts about Harry Potter. I often talk about how JK Rowling is a garbage person. My friends have a Harry Potter party that they've been hosting for years, and every person there is of a similar mindset that trans people deserve so much more than they are getting.
You have to allow more than one idea in your head at the same time. If you're making the rule "talking about Harry Potter in any way, at any time, makes you an active enemy of the trans movement", then that's not a place I want to be associated with.
If you want advice - focus on how JK Rowling is harming people. Elevate that as much as you can. When you make these purity tests, you make people not give a shit because it makes it impossible to adhere to the strict and narrow path you say is OK.
This authoritarian left wing of democrats is what got Trump elected. They are so hard nosed on every issue they completely isolate people and make these issues harder to fight for, not easier. You're heart is in the right place, but we live in a world full of nuance, and the real trick is not scolding people into adherence, but it's coalition building and asking people to think critically about their choices. They have to find their beliefs, you can't just demand them.
You have written your comment beautifully. That's it, that's all I wanted to tell you.
Signed, a new follower of your Authoritarian Left term, and another durable ally.
I appreciate it.
There was a part of me that got tired of being shouted down because I wasn't whatever they wanted me to be. Or being told that I can't have an opinion because I'm not one of the people affected.
I mean generally I agree with that. As a white dude, it's not OK for me to pretend that my opinion on the treatment of black women is accurate, or even that I can fathom what that is like. However, there is some level of voice I need to have to be a part of the movement.
There was a massive rise in this sentiment that people needed to support these groups they weren't a member of but only if they were completely silent. You need to build a movement and people generated apathy on some topics. I remember sort of giving up talking about things because I had every so slightly different perspectives, and I would get cast into the "you aren't a real ally" bucket.
I'm also not convinced I'm right all the time either... I'm constantly listening and changing my perspective, but you need to leave room for people to do so. But that's what I mean by building durability. My beliefs in trans rights are strong because I have challenged, listened, and adapted. They are truly my beliefs, not just things I'm told I need to believe in.