#btw fuck jk rowling. this post was made by a trans person

[vampire-daily]

⋆♱✮☽ vampire news! ☽✮♰⋆

happy 18th birthday to the infamous harry potter vampire fanfiction, My Immortal by Tara Gilesbie

[theothersarshi]

when jkr's identity is intrinsically tied to hp because she made it so, you do have to grow up and think about how your supposed comfort zone is validating the damage to trans people

if you keep going back while knowing that, it just shows where you stand on those issues.

I was wondering when I'd get one of these asks. I don't blame you for saying or for feeling the way you do, btw. I'm happy to talk.

1. Harry Potter spoke to LGBTQ+ kids and you can't change that

Because you literally can't change the past.

I understand that Harry Potter is a sore point for very many people - and do you know what? I think it's a very sore point precisely because those books spoke to so many and offered a comfort zone to a lot of marginalized kids.

Harry Potter lived in a cupboard under the stairs, with a family that hated him and told him he was dirty and polluted just because he was what he was. But what he was was wonderful, not horrible.

Of course that resonated with a lot of LGBTQ+ (or divergent or abused) kids! And of course JKR's face-heel turn straight into hell felt like betrayal!

But I also think that "mixed feelings" isn't an unusual reaction to this. I also think "I like the fandom and hate the author" is a quite normal reaction.

Here's one reason I reblogged this post:

I have a bunch of new and comfort fics queued up for my top surgery recovery.

The person who wrote that stance is trans.

You say, nonnie:

you do have to grow up and think about how your supposed comfort zone is validating the damage to trans people

Why "supposed"? And why "zone"? They're comfort reads.

You know, I'm not the greatest trans ally in the world, but I believe trans people are people. And that means they get to have comfort reads just like everyone else. If those comfort reads are fanfics about some kid who was told to pretend he doesn't exist, and that he's tainted, and he should hide away forever, but then he comes out of the closet and lives a pretty cool life... well, I kind of get it.

Also, I don't see how whatever the poster (or anyone else reading fanfic) is reading is validating the damage to trans people. I think it's an association of taintedness, a potential trigger of bad feelings for people who might see it - and that's about it.

2. Harry Potter hatred feels performative to me

Another reason I reblogged this post is this:

Email warner brothers abt their new theme park, or better yet, the media that legitimizes and platforms her, or better yet, actually pivot to activism /for/ trans people.

I've often felt that the anti-HP hatred feels performative. "You like(d) Harry Potter? Oh no! You are terrible!"

Not engaging with HP content is far removed from actually helping anyone. Hunting down random HP fans to tell them they're being insensitive doesn't help too much.

I get that some people get knee-jerk reactions about Harry Potter. It's why I don't talk about that series much anymore - especially on Tumblr. It's out of some sort of vague respect for the room I'm in.

However, how I feel about HP fanfic in my heart is something that... Sorry, I have a Romanian phrase in mind right now, I'll reproduce it literally: JK Rowling pisses in an arch on my feelings about the topic. As in, she gives no fucks. None. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Getting me personally to feel differently about HP is a battle for my soul that's helping nobody.

Also, you're living in a bubble where you assume that the people around you care a lot about their trans ally identity, and are willing to change a heckuva lot about themselves really quickly in order to remain true to that identity.

I don't deny that this might be the case in some Tumblr/fandom circles. However, outside of this bubble, people aren't as married to the idea of being trans allies, and you can't force them to do things based on that.

3. You can't simply replace Harry Potter with something else

Another reason I reblogged that post:

I have a bunch of new and comfort fics queued up for my top surgery recovery. If one more person tells me to just decide to like earthsea instead I will metaphorically kms in front of them.

Mood. SO much mood.

And it's not just about Harry Potter, you know? You can't replace something a person loves with something similar, because it's palpably not the same thing. There's no universal solution for what that person would love next.

Finding a new fandom and new comfort reads is hard, and it depends a lot on what speaks to people. Sometimes you can switch easily, at other times nothing is ever quite the same again. This new shirt isn't a perfect replacement for your favorite shirt. This new show isn't identical to your old show. This new book isn't like the old book.

"Love this instead" is wrong - and it can be disrespectful. The person might eventually find something else to love, but "Don't read Harry Potter, read Earthsea" sounds exactly like the "We have X at home" meme.

4. The HP fandom isn't mindlessly following Rowling

It's funny, but I learned about all sorts of things from the HP fandom as it criticized Rowling.

Yes, it's worth explaining that Rowling has turned into a bigot who's harming real people and (to use that Romanian phrase again) who's pissing in an arch on women, men, autistic folk and so on in her fight against trans people. It's worth saying "Don't support her with money".

On the other hand, the series she wrote was flawed in all sorts of ways that fandom discussed in great depth and complexity. I feel very grateful to the Jewish community for explaining the goblin issues. I feel grateful to fandom for pointing out the social problems. I'm happy the whole "happy slave" thing was explained re: house elves. I feel grateful to everyone who went deep into this series and discussed issues at length.

Harry Potter is a deeply flawed series. It always has been. But it's flawed in ways that are in tune with how society perceives things. So an analysis of what the book is made of was also an analysis of our assumptions of the world, of larger problematic tropes and so on.

Those discussions happened, and they sure as fuck weren't brought on by Rowling, but by all the fans. Who are still around. JK Rowling was absolutely in the wrong there, too - but the fandom itself? Well, the fandom had a lot to offer that wasn't as wrong as JK Rowling.

You can take the world's best book and have shit discourse about it. Or a very flawed book and have great conversations about it.

(I'd say the fandom was less wrong about some things, but... ffs. Sometimes the Less Wrong fandom was Way More Wrong.)

5. JK Rowling's shitty, shitty takes

This has nothing to do with anything, but my fucking god. I need to rant.

Even trans issues aside, JK Rowling's tendency to retcon things and make claims unsupported by the text is so. Fucking. Dumb. "Book 5 is filled with raging hormones!" Where? I've never seen less horny teenagers. "Dumbledore is gay!" Really? Funny, how you never mentioned it before this interview. "Hermione could be black, you don't know!" Oh, for pete's sake. "You shouldn't pick on people for being fat!" Says the creator of Dudley Dursley and others.

I'd be embarrassed if I were her. But she has no ability to be embarrassed.

6. I know I haven't persuaded you

And that's fine. You can still go hate Harry Potter. You can even think I'm horrible for refusing to let go of the fandom. (Which I do, although at this point I'm barely reading fic anymore.)

But in my turn, I'm going to think that indiscriminately telling people things like how they're validating damage against trans people for reading their little fanfics is also pretty insensitive and out of touch. And it's also useless, because, as that poster said, it'd be more helpful if she were dropped by the people giving JKR an actual platform and money. I know I haven't for years.

[aroarachnid]

Obligatory, your character can be trans, there’s a trans character in the game, the goblins are a fictional race, there is no ties to any real world race other than what you made up. Jk gets paid pennies on top of her already inflated billions through royalties, she wasn’t even a part of the game, she’s a scumbag, but attacking innocent people for playing a video game isn’t helping your cause.

yknow, i made my original post to specifically address these arguments, but thanks for proving your lack of reading comprehension.

i dont give two shits if theres a trans character in the game when the money goes to transphobic legislation that will take away our rights. and yes, a $60 game that is the currently the most bought game on steam will not be just "pennies".

jk rowlings *creative* involvement is debatable, but you know whos isnt? Troy Leavitt, lead desginer. yknow, the guy who openly runs an alt right youtube channel?

pair that with the fact that this games entire plot is based around stopping a goblin rebellion (which was started beacuse they were being oppressed btw), when the harry potter franchise has ALREADY BEEN CRITICISED FOR ITS ANTISEMITIC PORTRAYAL OF GOBLINS. this was a VERY intentional decision on the devs part (who again, are alt right for fucks sake) to lean into the antisemitism.

for the love of god, use your brain. this was on purpose and is actively dangerous to jewish people. this is some of the most horrificly antisemitic propaganda ive ever seen. it literally does not matter if theres a trans character or if you pirate it or whatever. "innocent people enjoying a video game" doesnt really fly when that videogame is straight up antisemitism.

also, im not attacking anyone. i made a post on my personal blog about the issues with the game, and said i would unfollow anyone who played it. if you think thats "attacking" people, you need to get a grip.

do some fucking research on the history of antisemitic propaganda. because thats exactly what this game is.

[oyaasumipunpun]

> this blog was made when 4chan raided this site, so no

>fuck you and your formatting needs you illiterate sentient placenta

>I desire to stand up for the trans community because they stand up for me

>we are the same community with the same experiences of being persecuted by straight people for queer expression

>if you are an underage middle school girl I'm not a pedophile (that's the correct spelling btw) because I have explicitly said on multiple occasions "no one will ever fuck you" and that includes me

>I said you type like one, not that you ARE one.... unless you wanna admit something Emily

>I will not hesitate to bully someone who literally fell for the bait of this post that's the whole point of the post

>being a transphobe?

>If someone disrespected me for being gay the same way you disrespect trans people I would hope they'd get their face punched inverted.

>gotta be the change u wanna see in the world

>idk who jk Rowling is or what she has to do with the conversation. Why would you bring up some random abuse victim? Is she gay? I'm not following this part

>you fell for yet another trap and I cannot stop laughing. My name means "goodnight"

>our arguments are leading somewhere ? That's why you keep responding? Should I just say I'm trans again to make you engage?

>almost like the whole point of me as a cis person doing this

>is so that you'd be too wrapped up in arguing with another cis person

>to harass a trans activist

>trans people have existed historically long before you and continue long after.

>I've been using you.

> As entertainment.

>Me and the boys are all sitting here laughing as you shit yourself over and over

>I'm in a happy relationship with another man, I have queer friends who identify as male/female/neither/both.

>They're the ones I'm working to protect because I cherish my friends and want to see them live in a society where they don't get bullied by heteros and faggots alike for not conforming

>you act like hot shit on the internet but if you really met a 6'2 gay who got built like a brick would you have said all the same things?

>Because you're invited to come find me and say it to my face if you want to see the world's first gay on gay hate crime where I staple your genitals to your face since they're all that matter to you

>TERFs sound like half a hop away from eugenics, I'm not surprised if you're white or buy into the idea of white supremacy

>TERFs arent human so I can legally bully them, and it's my duty as a law abiding citizen

>you literally sound like a repressed trans person, or are you fresh off the boat from Russia where you weren't allowed to like dick until 2 months ago and it went too far?

>I'm trans. there you go dummy, you can argue again right? I said I was trannssssss woooooo spooky

Ladies and gays, I guess we're really not making it out of the patriarchy alive ever now... be safe y'all 😘

[yara-is-my-senpai]

How can I contribute to stuff? (Listen to me make excuses)

Very long!

I feel like I’m going to start my posts off like this a lot but I’m 13. I’m white. I’m bisexual. I’m cis-gendered. I’m British. I don’t know a lot about gender identity but I’m trying my best. I have no fucking clue what’s going on in politics most of the time (I get really stressed and nervous when anyone talks about it for some reason. Still don’t know why. Talking about trans rights made me burst into tears once. JK Rowling is weird and I don’t like her.). I do, however, know there are problems and I want to help solve them.

I think I’ve got it right when I say that some justice systems were founded on discrimination and hate to basically anyone who isn’t a white cis hetero man. I really want to help but there are a lot of issues preventing me from doing anything. Btw let me know if anything I’ve said is selfish or discriminatory in any way. Again, I’m trying my best.

I’m 13. I can’t vote for any political party. My parents are chill and accepting and my dad gets really angry at any kind of discrimination so I don’t think there’s any need to change their minds.

I want to donate to charities but my dad says don’t have that much money and any we do have in excess will go to my dad’s parents (I’m worried about nan’s health tbh). My mum’s parents are petty wealthy but my grandma is uncomfortable with LGBTQ+. I haven’t come out to her and I don’t think I ever will. I don’t think it’s a good idea to ask her to donate to anything like that. 

I live in a very quiet neighbourhood and I’m kind of scared of how people might react to me putting up any BLM or pride signs in my windows. The people over the street don’t really like us. The lady next door is catholic (nothing wrong with being religious at all) and I don’t think she likes us either. I know I sound like a little bitch baby but I’m not trying to get hate crimed. We don’t have enough money to move.

I want to go to protests but my dad is very worried about catching the virus so we rarely leave to house. With me and my brother going back to school soon the only person we’ll be able to talk to is my mum and she gets severe migraines. Basically no one in my family can take me to a protest and public transport is not really an option for me (I hate buses and strangers in general make me uncomfortable).

It seems like the most I can do is fantasise about pride parades and put up posters in my room. Obviously I can spread awareness/educate myself further but it doesn’t feel like enough.

 I’ll obviously talk to my girlfriend about doing something together (how tf is she so calm in public. Going into town is fucking terrifying) so I’ll keep you all updated if I manage it.

Is there any way I can help under my current circumstances? I know I sound like an entitled bitch so please tell me if I need to change my mindset. I really do want to help but it seems impossible.