Tayyaba
J.K. Rowling has generated significant controversy in recent years due to her comments on issues related to the transgender community. As a result, the writer of the Harry Potter series has been removed from some Potter-themed spaces, such as the Seattle Museum of Pop Culture. In a previous blog from the museum, project manager Chris Moore expressed their disapproval of Rowling’s “hateful” remarks and laid out the plans for Harry Potter-related displays in the museum.
What did Chris Moore say about removing J.K. Rowling from museum exhibits?
In the March blog post from the museum, Chris Moore wrote, “There’s a certain cold, heartless, joy-sucking entity in the world of Harry Potter and, this time, it is not actually a Dementor.” While the post primarily centers on her publicly made anti-trans remarks, it also references the countless related complaints made against at the author, which includes “the support of anti-semitic 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.”
With the ongoing controversy around J.K. Rowling’s remarks on transgender issues, the Museum of Pop Culture took the decision to remove the author’s name and likeness from various galleries “to reduce her impact.” According to the museum’s blog, this method is “imperfect” but the staff have implemented this measure as a temporary solution while they determine their “long-term practices.” Although material from the Harry Potter films is still featured in the “Fantasy: Worlds of Myth and Magic” gallery, the author’s name is no longer mentioned in the exhibit.
“While the Harry Potter series is a major player in the pop culture sphere, we wanted to give credit to the work of the actors, prop makers, and costume designers in our Fantasy gallery. We learned that You-Know-Who was a problem, which is why you’ll see the artifacts without any mention or image of the author.”
Further lines from Chris Moore’s blog post
What are a few of the “hateful” remarks J.K. Rowling made?
J.K. Rowling has repeatedly come under fire from members of the LGBTQIA+ community and her own fanbase due to her advocacy of harmful views that align with the TERF (trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminist) movement’s belief that trans women are not women. This criticism has spanned over multiple years. Multiple actors from the Harry Potter movies, such as Daniel Radcliffe who played the titular character, have also spoken out against Rowling’s rhetoric around trans issues. Radcliffe released a statement via The Trevor Project denouncing the author’s views in June 2020, declaring that “trans women are women.” This stance has been reaffirmed by the actor.
Rowling has made several transphobic remarks, including stating on Twitter that “sex isn’t real” and that allowing trans women to use women’s bathrooms and changing rooms presents a safety risk. She has also spoken out against the Gender Recognition Reform Bill in Scotland, claiming that it “could result in harmful consequences for women and children.” In 2019, she came to the defense of Maya Forstater, who was fired for transphobic tweets.