“Hogwarts Legacy” is a new game in the Harry Potter universe: It is set to be released on February 10, 2023, for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X after several delays. In the run-up to the release, transgender individuals are calling for a boycott of the game. The reason for the boycott call is the stance of author J.K. Rowling on the topic of “transgender,” which some consider to be transphobic. The 57-year-old author has now sharply reacted to such a call.
What is the boycott call about?
- The author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, is seen by parts of the transgender community as a so-called “TERF”: A radical feminist who discriminates against transgender individuals, particularly transgender women.
- Rowling essentially says (via jkrowling.com): Some transgender individuals want to step out of the role of “woman” because they see that women are treated worse by society than men. Consequently, the number of gender transitions has increased sharply: Young girls confuse the natural search for identity with the idea of being transgender. Some men also pretend to be transgender women to invade women’s protected spaces.
- As a result, a conflict has erupted between some transgender individuals and J.K. Rowling, with both sides accusing each other of hatred. In this context, a boycott of Harry Potter and especially the new game “Hogwarts Legacy” has also been called for.
Buying Hogwarts Legacy is “harmful”
This was the boycott call: The most well-known representative of the boycott call is Jessie Earl. In March 2022, she published an article on Gamespot, in which she explained the harmful impact of J.K. Rowling’s discriminatory behavior and how the author’s transphobic comments have damaged the Harry Potter universe.
On December 17, Jessie Earl commented again and wrote: She does not struggle with people who own previous works by J.K. Rowling and seek refuge in them. She herself owns 9 movies and 7 books: But supporting “things” like Hogwarts Legacy is harmful.
Apparently, Earl wants to prevent Rowling from selling “new things” and thus taking in new money.
Rowling says: “True believers” must burn everything of hers – even the local library
This is Rowling’s response: In a sarcastic comment, Rowling writes: She is very disappointed with Jessie Earl. It could surely be better.
If one holds the pure faith, then it is incompatible to own anything by J.K. Rowling. Those who are truly righteous must burn everything connected with her, so not only set fire to books and movies, but also burn the local library, set everything with an owl on fire, and burn their own dog.
How is this being discussed? In the discussion, no positions are exchanged or arguments for one’s own stance are presented: The positions seem to have been cemented for a long time. The critical points are apparently irreconcilable:
- Transgender individuals say transgender women are women with all rights.
- J.K. Rowling views this skeptically and questions the motives behind some gender transitions.
It has now become a purely emotionally driven discussion that takes place in personal attacks. A nuanced exchange no longer occurs.
Time and again, people accuse J.K. Rowling of being “filled with hate against a marginalized group”:
- Someone writes: “I am deeply disappointed that you have decided that your whole person revolves only around hating a marginalized group.”
- Another person says: “So many opportunities to be a kinder version of yourself. I love the world you have created, but I am disappointed that it does not represent the values you sold to me as a child. Transgender women are women.”
This is what it’s about:
Jessie Earl’s stance seems to be: It is okay to have spent money on the works of J.K. Rowling. But new money should not be allowed to go to her by purchasing products from the “Harry Potter” universe, not even the new game.
On the other hand, J.K. Rowling apparently feels persecuted here and aligns herself with the tradition of authors whose works have been burned for ideological reasons.
We will probably only find out how many people who want to buy Hogwarts Legacy will ultimately be influenced by the discussion in their purchasing decision when the game actually releases.
We already dealt extensively with a boycott call for the new game on MeinMMO in March 2022:
A German Twitch streamer calls for a boycott against Hogwarts Legacy
