Unforgivable

café staff Do you like Harry Potter? me No. Zero percent. café staff Oh. Why? me JK Rowling is an asshole. Louie opens Google Translate She has waged a crusade against transgender people for no reason whatsoever. It’s completely unforgivable, and her words about transgender people made me lose every love I once had for Harry Potter. There’s been discussion over separating art from the artist for decades. We’ve seen it before, and we’ll see it again. Everyone has to make up their own mind, but for me, I take no issue with casting Harry Potter aside. It’s unfortunate, because thousands of people worked to create a beautiful, visually rich universe for those films. Yet, knowing she receives royalties for all of it has completely soured me. This issue may be more visible in the United States than it is in Japan. I see people uncritically loving Harry Potter more here than I did back in the States. And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t bother me. Some people frankly don’t know. Or they don’t care. But that’s what gives her the wealth and power she has, ignorance and indifference. In my almost two years in Japan so far, I’ve noticed people tend to shy away from discussing serious issues, perhaps for fear of discomfort. On that, I cannot abide. In spite of any discomfort people may have, trans people—and any other marginalized group—deserve our attention and their issues addressed. Otherwise, we rob them the ability to be comfortable. And they have a right to that all the same.