Hogwarts Legacy is meant to be the dream game that Harry Potter fans have been dying to see since the novels were first published, yet the continued actions of author JK Rowling have made supporting the game more and more difficult. Rowling was once a beloved author until she decided she had enough of that and showed the world she’s been a transphobe this whole time. Rowling has now set her sights on a trans gamer and writer on Twitter, openly mocking them on social media.
Jessie Earl, a transgender writer, editor, and producer, responded to the controversy about loving Rowling’s work on Twitter. Earl writes that she doesn’t begrudge anyone for owning the Harry Potter books or movies since that property has meant a lot to people, even citing that she still owns copies of the novels and films herself. However, Earl also believes supporting Hogwarts Legacy is harmful because fans are now more aware of Rowling’s stance on the transgender community. Earl thinks that supporting any current projects in the Harry Potter franchise will give Rowling leverage to continue justifying the author’s personal beliefs and target trans people.
Even though Earl defended fans’ love of the original property, Rowling used this opportunity to mock Earl openly on Twitter. Rowling writes that she’s “deeply disappointed” that Earl doesn’t realize “purethink” is incompatible with owning anything connecting with her work and claims that the “truly righteous” should burn the local libraries rather than just the books and movies. Rowling’s antagonizing of Earl feels especially odd, considering Earl was empathetic of fans owning older property of the Harry Potter franchise.
Rowling’s poor public image has cast a long shadow over the Harry Potter franchise, forcing fans to reckon with Rowling’s anti-trans belief. The developers of Hogwart’s Legacy have tried to distance themselves from Rowling and downplay the author’s involvement in the game, claiming she has had no direct hand in the development. But since she’s the creator of the Harry Potter books, she will still receive money from the title’s profits. In solidarity with the trans community, multiple fans refuse to buy the game when it releases.
