Hogwarts Legacy Character Creation and J. K. Rowling's Transphobia

Hogwarts Legacy Character Creation and J. K. Rowling's Transphobia
In this video, I talk to two trans people about the news that the video game Hogwarts Legacy could have trans options in its character creator. This Hogwarts Legacy news paired with J. K. Rowling's notorious transphobia had my brain flying around, but I didn't want to share my own opinions on Hogwarts Legacy, JK Rowling, and the news surrounding them. I wanted to ask trans folks what they thought.
AC's Twitter - / acfacci
Hope's links - linktr.ee/ohthereshope
0:00 - Why we're here
0:30 - The controversy
3:19 - A conversation with AC & Hope
3:33 - Tell me about your HP fandom...
6:21 - What is your fandom like in 2021?
10:39 - On death of the author
14:03 - What do you think about the character creator?
21:57 - Troy Leavitt
23:48 - Will you play Hogwarts Legacy?
26:29 - My decision
MY LINKS
Find my Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, and Discord at matthorton.live
MB01XIRFX2S97ZD

[@MattHorton]

What non-HP magic school game are you playing?

[@BrendonBigley]

Ikenfell 💕

[@MattHorton]

@@BrendonBigley I downloaded last night

[@verylostdoommarauder]

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, when it comes out at the end of the year.

[@HalfLight333]

Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Blue Lions all the way!

[@MattHorton]

@@HalfLight333 sorry. You said golden deer right?

[@Shadowkitty360]

I think the reason they have you choose a gender at all in Hogwarts Legacy is due to the common rooms being separated at hogwarts. Granted this is probably outdated in a Hogwarts video game because they could just let people go to their common room without specifying which one they went to.

[@MattHorton]

🤷‍♂️

[@blake94allen]

I knew youd handle this well but I love how you really did just have your trans guests hold the floor and explain their thoughts making them the focus. Really interesting topic and i didnt even realize 30 minutes passed when the video stopped. Do either of your guests make content of some sort? Both seem really knowledgeable and enjoyable to listen to

[@MattHorton]

AC is a great Twitter follow for social justice work and Hope is a musician!

[@monalisabouchard8934]

kinda old vid but i´ll leave my comment anyway, i´m trans | potterhead too and yes, i don´t fell the same way towards the wizarding universe as i did before. J.K words got me hurt and it´s sad to think about that if this magical universe was real i would suffer transphobia. But i also must say that we gotta learn to split the creation from the author, because many people from the gay comunity still reads and watch content by Edgar Alan Poe and the guy was A VERY SHITTY HUMAN BEING. u get what i mean? i still love that universe and i´ll play the game anyway.

[@MattHorton]

Yeah. I think about Orson Scott Card a lot. I hate the phrase "separate the art and the artist" but I do think up to a point that approach can work. Rowling has crossed the line for me.

[@FlowerKnight2]

@@CJCroen1393 No.

[@elbeebops]

This was wonderful. Thank you for making this video, for giving these perspectives. Stumbled upon it because it's getting closer to the release date and the conversation keeps coming up. I've had my own journey with my gender and my identity. It's always refreshing to hear the perspectives of people in our communities. I will be playing the game, knowing in my mind that I'm reclaiming it for my own queer self. I'll be donating twice the amount of money I spend on buying the game to send to a trans charity. The people who know me know who I am and where I stand and what my morals are, and would never judge me for buying this game. It's just nice to be able to talk about these very important things in a respectful way, thank you for giving Hope and AC this space to share!

[@MattHorton]

Thank you for this kind comment ❤️

[@rachelleewalsh]

I stumbled upon your channel because I needed tech help with Twitch and immediately liked your videos because you make things really clear and you explain without talking down to your audience. Now this added joy of seeing you make this video is just making my whole morning! Thank you so much for covering this topic and allowing space for your guests to hold the floor.

[@MattHorton]

Thank you Rachel! I'm glad you got something from it! I worry sometimes that the folks that find my twitch help videos won't like the things I'm doing now.

[@rachelleewalsh]

@@MattHorton Lovin it!

[@AmeliaGraceSinger]

Such a good interview - AC and Hope you’re both SO brilliant and well-spoken

[@HaloMonkey-vh3fj]

I watched this thru thinking this was a high production video, it only has 1.8k views, literally how. U deserve more views dang.

[@MattHorton]

Thanks! Working on more

[@sadmoody]

This is the most important video you've made so far. Thank you so much for giving space and lending your platform to others so we could hear from them.

[@MattHorton]

Thanks Moody

[@sadmoody]

@@MattHorton could you add some SM links for AC and Hope in the description if they're ok with that? Would love to follow them!

[@MattHorton]

@@sadmoody done!

[@ruttyrutty]

Also magical game wise this might be silly but honestly the Sims for me. Literally cal build your own world and if you wanna go strictly the Harry Potter route there are some amazing builds out there that are very true to the books/films, and tons of free CC (for pc folks) that also can get you to your Harry Potter status. Create your own magical story!

[@MattHorton]

HELL yeah! Sims is an option I didnt even think of!

[@annaisapalindrome]

Omg wizard rock brought me way back! Definitely saw Harry & the Potters live and totally forgot about that until now.

[@MattHorton]

Definitely a thing I am STILL into Anna! Saw them in Dallas in 2018!

[@kristianlavarine2486]

The whole reason you can pick trans characters is to slap JK in the face. Because the devs don’t like it either.

[@MattHorton]

I see she said something today. Getting a bunch of comments

[@ruttyrutty]

Very great insight from AC/Hope. I 100000% feel like I’m stuck in the mourning period and figuring out too the art vs artist dilemma! And i did go to Universal recently because i felt like I just need to experience it at least once (i know it’s not really a *need* but i was okay with the choice). I don’t know that I have a decision made quite yet on the game. Maybe get it used or on sale at some point. Maybe get it when it comes out but still recognize it’s okay to openly criticize as well. Thank you all for sharing!

[@MattHorton]

Thanks for talking it out with me Candice!

[@Silellak]

Thank you for doing the work and creating this video ❤

[@ThePowerBunny]

Hi Matt - I apologize if my comment from earlier last night rubbed you or others in your community the wrong way. It was never my intention, I just wanted to share my two cents on something I've been frustrated by - but clearly wrong place, wrong time. I truly love the content you put out and the insights you share. Peace.

[@MattHorton]

I didn’t even see it honestly.

[@ThePowerBunny]

@@MattHorton oh lol 😂 probably for the best then. KZbin knows when to auto delete comments lol

[@AnneloesF]

Thank you, Matt, for talking with people instead of about them. Thank you to Hope and AC for their insight.

[@MattHorton]

That's the idea!

[@elysehigley]

I’ve been looking forward to this one!!! Also AC is so right about Animal Crossing. It handles gender presentation so much better than other games.

[@peedless4844]

I don't know since when gender is important for a game or gender presentation ... games are about having fun with your friends and not about anyone's politics ... including your gender politics

[@buzzbuzz2691]

@Peedless hey mate, it's not really about the "politics" more of if they can make their character more like them.

[@Kiptid_]

Thank you for this! I feel the same way. 10 years ago, I would have been tripping over myself to get this game. Now, even though Harry Potter was such a huge part of my adolescence, I've had to distance myself from it because it no longer gives the same joy and comfort that it used to and now it's mostly just anger and pain towards JK Rowling. I also REALLY appreciate the recommendations for alternatives at the end! I'm tempted to finally try Three Houses...

[@MattHorton]

It's so good!!!!!

[@drakearvidsson6936]

I love being refered too as a man.I'm gay it's only natural that it holds value too me.Now i'm not saying that we shouldn't create games we're a persons gender status does not matter.I'm just saying that too me personelly it's a huge deal when i don't get too decide that for myself.That's a impulse i know the non binary community can respect

[@MattHorton]

✌️

[@Neckbeardlevel]

Okay I know I'm coming to this a year late, you're wrong about destroying epic guy being a transphobe, as a video from like four years ago on his channel arguing with Ben Shapiro's positions on trans issues. You're making assumptions based on his gamergate apologia, that he must be a transphobe to, but he's spoken out against j.k. Rowling's transphobia. Apparently they vetted his videos a long time ago, and while they don't approve of them they don't consider them to be Beyond The Pale, neither do I honestly.

[@MattHorton]

Ok neckbeard level5000

[@MattHorton]

Sorry the joke was right there. You're right that I didn't vet it much because I didn't really want to vet it deeply given the other reprehensible stuff. Could have used better words.

[@georgeogrady7299]

Wait new game what its look like

[@MattHorton]

Sorry?

[@tysondennis1016]

That's why I swapped to The Owl House

[@MattHorton]

I need to watch it!

[@skleroosis]

I can still enjoy HP as much as I enjoyed it before, but I had already become less enthusiastic about it in my teens since it didn't track with my own teenage experience at all. I think never having been engaged in the meta helps me not care about Rowling as the author. I think the Rowling from then doesn't even exist anymore and has been replaced with a rich conservative person who couldn't write harry Potter if she had to now. On a separate note. Normally I can at least understand where people I disagree with are coming from or why they fear the things they fear, but terf talking points literally make no sense to me, it's just word salad. Maybe they're too ashamed to say what their real issue is, since their supposed issues are so nonsensical. For magical games I'm currently enjoying Genshin impact, but not recommended to people who are prone to gambling or addiction.

[@MattHorton]

I agree on terf talking points. The logic does not compute.

[@buzzbuzz2691]

Wait should I not play it I bought it and completely did not know that JK Rowling still profits off it is it wrong for me to play.

[@MattHorton]

You already spent the money

[@buzzbuzz2691]

@Matt Horton so I got a refund so hopefully she didn't profit off me and I sent the 70 to the Trevor project. Thx for the video.

[@SOLIDShift_VI]

hole-up -- as for the witch & wizard only options . . . in other media -- like dnd a witches and wizards can be fem, masc, and/or enby. Same with Mages and sorcerers. The words aren't intrinsically gendered in SOME media - tho I know in HP it is often used exclusively gendered we don't HAVE to follow that. And if anything we can use it to SPITE JK. xD

[@MattHorton]

Huh?

[@SOLIDShift_VI]

@@MattHorton words mean what we want them to and I'ma wear a pirate costume when I play the game -- that's the long and short of it I guess. . .

[@BedeRob]

So refreshing to hear from trans folks on this whole issue, thanks for featuring their voices Matt.

[@georgeogrady7299]

Ajk

[@verylostdoommarauder]

Discworld > HP

[@MattHorton]

I need to get into it

[@wildwesley9328]

Percy Jackson > HP Gregor the Overlander > HP A Series of Unfortunate Events > HP Hunger Games > HP So many series are better written, have better plots/storytelling than Harry Potter and aren’t problematic because of the author

[@georgeogrady7299]

Dont think lot of people buy game

[@MattHorton]

Interesting. Why not

[@georgeogrady7299]

Ps2 version

[@MattHorton]

It's on ps4/xbox one and up

[@rysing-alexhd5078]

i understand their points But Why Only talk about jk Rowling When there are so many worse people If you want to boycott her Then you should also boycott Apple, Tesla, Amazon and basically every Big company

[@MattHorton]

Because the video was about this. Also someone hasn't watched any other videos on my channel

[@MattHorton]

Also this comment is classic whataboutism

[@rysing-alexhd5078]

@@MattHorton Well i guess it is i understand that she is a horrible person But If she doesnt directly fund anti trans groups Then its just her opinion even If its wrong.

[@MattHorton]

Nah. She has MASSIVE influence and is the de facto leader of a huge movement in Britain of "gender critical feminists" aka TERFs.

[@rysing-alexhd5078]

@@MattHorton do they actually do anything or just complain because If they actively fund or do petitions against trans or hurt Them Then thats not okay

[@RealRoboKnight]

Uhh... Witches are females and Wizards are males... these words were created BEFORE Rowling's books...

[@MattHorton]

lol I don’t have the energy for you

[@RealRoboKnight]

@@MattHorton yet... you responded... so... clearly you do... 🤨

[@buzzbuzz2691]

@RoboKnightTV Fun Fact: Wizard was used to describe many a shaman in old stories in history, and men in history have been accused of witchcraft. The main difference between Witch and Wizard is the style of magic, not really what's beneath the robes.

[@georgeogrady7299]

Its be like last of us 2 with abbey

[@MattHorton]

How so?

[@georgeogrady7299]

Really dont think woody alen do that

[@MattHorton]

Look it up

[@MattHorton]

It's something people talk about and then it gets ignored but it really happened and is common knowledge even