Why I’m Saying Goodbye To J.K Rowling

I’ve mentioned both on social media and on a recent blog post about my feelings on J.K Rowling. I thought I’d sit down and actually chat about why I’m going to be saying goodbye to her after 20+ years. Some of my views might be obvious but this is sort of therapy for me too.

Hopefully this post will make sense so bear with me.

Why am I saying goodbye to her in the first place?

That’s a loaded question and the picture above should give you a vague idea. For years I had a rose-tinted outlook on her due to Harry Potter. I could only see the boy wizard in front of her and the odd charity she associated herself with. My mum was one of the first people to realise that something was wrong with J.K Rowling’s views and ideals. It wasn’t as obvious back then but it did get me thinking.

It wasn’t until I saw the first of her transphobic tweets that I realised how bigoted my ex-hero really was.

I do understand that people have a right to believe what they want to…inside their head. What I don’t understand is why they think it’s okay to use those views to hurt and damage those around them. I’m still utterly baffled when it comes to any sort of hate crime. Whether it be racial, gender-orientated or religious, no-one should have to harden themselves against attacks.

It isn’t right and shouldn’t happen.

I’m so proud of the friends I have surrounded myself with over the years.

They are the strongest people I have ever known and I have so much admiration for them. They are different, they are determined and they are powerful. I didn’t even know that I was making friends with unique sort of people until the last few years.

I don’t see disability or other things people might percieve as ‘not the norm’. I see people who love Doctor Who, write amazing fanfiction and love the same things I do. Do I judge them because they’re transgender? No, I don’t. Do I question them about it? No because it isn’t my place to question them. If they know deep-down that they’re meant to be a girl/boy, then that’s perfectly with me.

I’m more than happy to use the proverbs that they want me to use.

Why?

It’s their life and they shouldn’t have to have someone else’s view shoved down their throats.

I won’t lie and say that I didn’t cry when I saw how utterly wrong J.K Rowling’s views are. One of the things about being autistic is that we have something that we’re a little obsessed with. It could be Disney, Lego, trains or, in my case, Harry Potter. Harry Potter has been my life for decades. It’s how I met the majority of my friends, it’s how I got the confidence to take up acting and it’s why I loved to collect anything Potter.

That’s been tainted.

I won’t be leaving the Wizarding World because, as soon as she wrote the final word in Deathly Hallows, that world was no longer hers. It was ours. She created it but we brought it to life and we’re not going to allow her to destroy it. She is nothing more than our Dolores Umbridge and I refuse to let her win.

Here are some transgender charities that deserve all the support. Instead of buying any of her books, donate that money to them.

• Mermaids (for children, young people and their families)
• Scots Trans Alliance
• Sparkle (National Transgender Charity)
• Imaan (for LGBT Muslims)
• SAIL NI (for trans people in Northern Ireland)
• Albert Kennedy Trust (for anyone trans who is homeless or in a hostile environment)
• Action For Trans Health (aiding trans people to get access to healthcare services)

Goodbye J.K Rowling. I hope you learn from the mistakes you’ve made and the hurt you’ve inflicted.

What are your thoughts on the whole J.K situation?