Explaining JK Rowling’s Transphobia

[@Aranock]

Thank you Jessie for letting me say my piece, my segment was unscripted so I missed a few things because I was emotional and did that in one take. I keep the books in a shame box at the back of a closet because I dont know what to do with them, it feels wrong to destroy any book and I dont want to donate these ones in particular. Secondly dont tell trans people you are buying the game, dont beg us to say its ok for you to do, Im sick of hearing it and so are a lot of other people I know. Lastly not engaging in that game is incredibly bare minimum allyship, any support of any kind to her or her franchise is and will be recuperated into her maintaining public attention and relevancy so just stop. Let it die in silence. Also thank you to everyone who shared kind words, it means a lot.

[@mad8598]

Hope Jessie pins this.

[@AJ-wh1tw]

Thank you. Just thank you. That’s all.

[@Aranock]

@@AJ-wh1tw 💜

[@linxalexander8554]

Thank you for speaking up sending you trans love and wishing you radical queer joy

[@VeganAtheistWeirdo]

Thank _you_ for your generosity and grace. I only wish we could protect you from the additional abuse that's sure to follow, but just know you're not alone.

[@spacecat7864]

1:23:50 Neil Gaiman not only willing but being excited to learn from his mistakes and share a more evolved version of his ideas is so refreshing.

[@CortexNewsService]

We Stan Neil.

[@gokuxsephiroth4505]

Neil is fantastic. At least we have Neil.

[@purple-flowers]

Neil Gaiman is a huge inspiration to me and his continued support of my and my trans siblings' identities makes me so happy

[@mariaaguadoball3407]

I'm not really a fantasy fan, so I haven't read much of his stuff, but I have seen multiple online interactions between him and his fans and he always seems so lovely and open to listening. I've also seen him smack down "fans" moaning about the "woke" alterations to screen adaptations of his work, and that's pretty fun, too.

[@purple-flowers]

@@mariaaguadoball3407 you should at least read the sandman comics or if you are into novels read the graveyard book or stardust. Those are the "entry level" Gaiman books. Also if you like mythology you should definitely read "Norse Mythology" by Neil.

[@bob513993]

22:50 When in the actual fuck did we enter a world where it was at all appropriate to quote Hitler in public in a positive manner and not immediately get booed off stage?

[@phoebegee54]

As I said today somewhere else, I hate this timeline.

[@ezrastardust3124]

If this had happened in Liverpool there would have been more of a riot Right wingers are not at all welcome there, thankfully

[@Laramaria2]

IKR!?!?!?

[@rogirek3362]

This is not accurate framing. There was a very short period in American history where saying such things or quoting ideologically similar figures would not have been considered appropriate. We're not in a new era here, we're just slightly abstracted from the event that appropriately shamed these people into silence briefly.

[@someone-hp2rc]

​@@rogirek3362 She's British.

[@jackiegermex1770]

JK Rowling is the kind of woman to tweet about how a trans woman harrassed her on twitter but the trans woman in question was a waitress at a restaurant that happened to be wearing a trans pride pin and was trying to take her order

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

Can't wait until she's put into an old folks shelter with a trans care taker

[@SLAUGHTERAMA]

Because she’s a fucking Karen. It’s that simple - Rowling is a Karen who got lucky with a book series so she doesn’t have to actually interface with humans anymore.

[@sluttyMapleSyrup]

And was actually a cisgender ally displaying support for trans people, not a trans person 🤣

[@huckthatdish]

@@sluttyMapleSyrup wouldn’t be the first time TERFs attacked a cis woman’s appearance in a sad attempt to hurt trans people.

[@notrod5341]

Please tell me you're not referencing a real event

[@RosiYYAP]

To be entirely 110% clear, owls are obviously associated with the Owl House, not HP

[@alim.9801]

And my uncle who passed away. His name was Joe and he loved owls. My mom has this really neat owl tattoo for him and she also loves them

[@TheRogueCommand]

The objectively superior fictional witch series

[@daelen.cclark]

@@TheRogueCommand Definitely the more beloved witch series, and for good reason.

[@amazingspiderlad]

The superior magic school series by far

[@tranidite]

Also my uncle who I unintentionally mocked as a kid because I thought his name was owl like said creature and not Al.

[@Getatron]

I hadn't thought to read Tonks as an enby character, and seeing her "domesticated" in her final instalment really makes the "growing up" thing hit particularly hard. It devalues the struggles of kids who still decide to take their own lives, and it also ignores the trauma of survival. The more you think about the lore of Potter's world, the darker it becomes, really. Rowling really managed to make a truly dystopian world. Oh, and also, regarding "do better" - Pratchett. Terry Pratchett did better until he couldn't write any more stories, and only stopped because his illness got too bad.

[@narnigrin]

Yeah, the bit about Tonks really gave me Emotions. I remember being instantly fond of her when she was introduced (and so jealous of her ability to shape shift lol 🥚), and then just vaguely disappointed at how she ended up. I sort of remember just... stopping thinking about her much, like, "oh well I guess I misjudged that character then", and until now I'd honestly forgotten there was much of any mention of her in the later books other than the fact that she died.

[@ChaplainSophie]

@@narnigrin same. i really identified deeply with her like right off the bat, and i remember feeling sort of confused in the direction she ended up going in. obviously there's nothing to be confused about anymore, but back then, i... yeah..

[@zoologygirl252]

I had definitely gotten lesbian vibes from her even as a kid. Before i knew what a lesbian was i saw her as someone who would never marry. Didn't seem her thing. Her marriage to lupin and how she changed just seemed... So bizzare to me when i was younge. Now i know why

[@RemnTheteth]

Domesticated, as in she fell in love with the person she wanted to be with, and chose to have a child? I don't understand how making your own choices is domestication. Your argument sounds very judgemental of people with different life views and goals.

[@Getatron]

@@RemnTheteth oh, that was how it was put in the video.

[@hillside21]

So Walsh complains about trans allies burning Potter books because of Rowling's transphobia, but I don't recall a similar objection when his Christian zealot friends burned Potter books because, SATAN.

[@diosoth]

JK Rowling & Marilyn Manson are 2 people getting asspatted by the same people who used to protest them, because it turns out both are insane hatemongers. Manson beats women so godboys think he's just great now.

[@the_sky_is_blue_and_so_am_I]

Yeah

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

I also just love the "biology believer" title he bestows upon people. Because he believes in an immortal soul. I don't recall that showing up in any anatomy textbook. What a fucking goon 🙄

[@rogirek3362]

Well that was different. Cause, you know, between trans people and a spooky, red, ghost goat, only one of them is real. 🤡I wonder which one he thinks is hiding in his closet🤡

[@Nsinger998]

You do know that there are different kinds of christians and groups right?

[@krankarvolund7771]

The "I'm silenced" crowd yelling that in TV at millions of people is always so ridiculous...

[@EddGorenstain]

The "I'm marginalized" crowd writing articles in respected papers and dictating public policy will always be the bigger punchline.

[@ParanormalEncyclopedia]

@Steiner von Wolfkin Kreave woosh ir are you imaging jk Rowling us fictional

[@ParanormalEncyclopedia]

@Steiner von Wolfkin Kreave look up Poes law. I'd you think your post was out there for transphobes welcome to CLEARLY your first day on the internet.

[@Hawkatana]

@Steiner von Wolfkin Kreave Your actions have proved nothing but the contrary to your claims.

[@shascircus]

@Steiner von Wolfkin Kreave Hi. Just letting you know that no one claimed that fictional characters were oppressing real people. I'm going to do you the favor to assume that you're just misguided/have media literacy problems, instead of assuming that you're a bad faith actor looking to dramatize someone's point for the sake of strawmaning them into sounding unreasonable. The problem isn't that "fictional characters are oppressing me", the problem is that infuencial public figures with vast amounts of money and large platforms keep, if not directly endorsing, facilitating and justifying the mistreatment of marginalized people. And, when those public figures are authors of creative works, those harmful views tend to shine through their work, which then warrants people criticising the works in addition to the public figure. Not that a creative work needs to exhibit harmul rethoric to be criticized, mind you, but it's an extra factor. Also, "homophobia", "transphobia", etc., does not mean "a fear of x people", despite what you might think. While it is true that the suffix "phobia/phobic" is often used to describe irrational fears, it also can just mean "an irrational aversion too". Which you seem to exhibit, considering your grouping of marginalized gender/sexual minorities as oversensitive "lunatics". Honestly arguing that "phobia" only means "fear", in a societal context where most people understand that homophobia isn't a form of fear, but of hatred, and also that language is flexible anyway and that bringing every word back to their literal roots is a silly endeavor, wouldn't make you look smart, but rather like an intolerant jester clown bozo person trying to play semantics, saying that "i'm not homophobic because i'm not LITERALLY scared of gay people" when everybody knows that that's not the problem. So I'm glad you're not doing that, that would be embarassing. Also you can say LGBTQA+, it's not a bad word. I'm again doing you the favor of assuming it was a little joke meant to be funny, but "alphabet soup community" is a term often used to dismiss the LGBTQA+ community as something ridiculous and frivolous, so you might want to be careful when using it. Or not use it. (See? other people can use big words on the Internet too :) )

[@timlampasona6925]

Your point about consumerism being so all-encompassing is a really good one. I had Harry Potter fans yelling at me for suggesting they simply buy the game pre-owned a couple of days later to deny JKR royalties. They acted like it was heresy to suggest not buying it the exact first moment they could, like purchasing something is a religious ritual that must be completed on the appointed holy day.

[@snorpenbass4196]

I remember seeing the (Swedish) cover of A Wizard Of Earthsea and noticing that the depiction of Ged was blatantly dark-skinned. It didn't stop me (a white cis Swedish guy) from reading it. On the contrary. Heck, if more main characters had been non-white back then I wouldn't have cared, because I was _nine._ My prejudices were _taught_ to me by the world around me when I got into puberty (not my family, they were surprisingly good at not being awful there), and took _decades_ of work to get rid of. And I still can't be sure I've cleared them all out.

[@samovarsa2640]

You mentioning prejudices being taught to one is... Heh, I was thinking about it a few days ago, or something similar. Like remembering that there was a time that I wouldn't have made any type of an association with certain groups of people when I was young, but having heard about what others thought and said about these groups... It started making me think OF these things, even if I didn't agree with them in the slightest to begin with, when confronted with these same groups. It made me really resent a lot about society, reflecting on it.

[@Laeiryn]

As a child, I was obsessed with Drizzt (and infuriated that cover illustrations showed a confusingly light skin tone for him). My mother wisely refused when I begged to go as him for Halloween.

[@StaceyHH]

That's probably the only cover Ursula ever liked. :)

[@monsieurdorgat6864]

@@Laeiryn Oh my goodness lol good call. DnD is very, very rough with that stuff. So many hardcore Forgotten Realms fans are really hard on the whole "races are just evil" thing with very poor justification for why those peoples act as cartoonishly evil as they do. Even if you try to help them and show them that you can have racial conflict in your games without personally internalizing racism, they rebuke it. Hellishly, even.

[@brandoncsantoro]

Jessie - what is there to say? The work is meticulously detailed and vulnerable as always. I am so grateful to have you as a resource to inspire additional research and thought about these issues. This platform is lucky to have you.

[@JessieGender1]

Thank you Brandon!

[@blueskylark9965]

We love Graham Norton going “ not my place to talk about trans issues as a male celebrity lol, maybe we try listening to the parties involved?” And Rowling interpreted that as him literally doing the exact opposite. You’d think a writer(and a admittedly skilled one at that) would have better media literacy, but I guess not.

[@unamejames]

@its nyans Go ahead and poo poo them lol. I never got into the books because I tried to start when I was like 10 and CoS was too childish.

[@mariamatedei]

She's literally so bad at writing we can't keep up this sham that she can write, she cannot!!!

[@tintinaus]

I could debate the skilled writer part of this statement.

[@rosenrot234]

We're talking about a woman that wrote wizards shitting their pants as world building. She ain't that great at her job

[@swishfish8858]

I'd call her a skilled writer. Technically speaking, she knows how to write a story in an accessible and digestible way for a target audience. Non-writers tend to not understand how difficult that really is. It's absolutely a skill you need to hone. I mean, fuck JKR, but to say she's a hack is disingenuous and feeds into extremist deluge that muddies the real arguments against her and turns any negative point you make against her into noise that's easy to ignore. To say "oh yeah she always sucked" is a kind of doubling down that makes people not want to listen to you, and that goes against the entire point of speaking up against someone. There's so much backlash against anti-JKR *because of how strong the initial backlash was.*

[@gurleen7041]

As someone who at first didn't know why people were boycotting Hogwarts Legacy (I didn't really know what JKR had done) what frustrates me a lot about people insisting on playing it is the fact that it facilitates a lot of transphobic communities and conversations even though its not meant to. I saw a tweet from a youtube who said "I'm not ttransphobic but I'm gonna play Hogwarts Legacy" but in their replies, all I saw were actual transphobes taking this opportunity to share transphobic rhetoric. It's not the fact that people wanna be a wizard in a game that's toxic but its the fact that it gives the bad people power because it essentially tells them that its okay and almost makes them feel powerful, as if everyone is 'finally' agreeing with them.

[@midnight4685]

I think it's probably fine if people play it but don't talk about it. I'm trans, not a HP fan because I didn't really get into it and think that both the boycotts and the transphobes brought more transphobia to the game than if people had just ignored it. If people don't talk about it, especially in the context of trans issues, then it doesn't stay culturally relevant and it's less aggressive towards people who are indifferent towards trans people, which is better than making them transphobic.

[@gurleen7041]

@@midnight4685 honestly with the fact that it kinda came and left within a month i agree with this 100%. i think transphobes were using the boycott to garner more hate speech but now that people are playing more casually theres not as much hate speech as there was in the beginning

[@yourneighborhoodfbi7518]

I wanna ask you how much of the “transphobic rhetoric” was ACTUALLY transphobic. No, really. I’m not saying or implying that you’re “dumb” or “illiterate.” I’m asking because a lot of viewpoints that are actually accepting of trans people (but still point out issues in the trans community, an example being the extreme toxicity) have been labeled “transphobic” because someone was offended and screamed about it. I already know this sounds insensitive of me, but I cannot begin to tell you how angry some people get when you point out trans issues that literally have studies pointing to a problem, and yet they deem it “transphobic.” An example of this is how kids are being put on HRTs with barely any questioning from a doctor as to if that’s what a kid has really thought about and wants. Whenever I’ve pointed something like that out, people have called me a “TERF,” when in reality I don’t actually hate trans people. Tl;dr: Don’t listen to what other people tell you regarding what they say is right and wrong. Look at the comments themselves and ask yourself (and research!) if they are factually accurate. They only fall into “transphobic” if they are actually *against* trans people, which many people are not-they’re just pointing out problems that a lot of people don’t want to hear.

[@gurleen7041]

@@yourneighborhoodfbi7518 have you seen what some people were posting? it’s literal trans hate speech. i don’t even wanna give examples or type them out but it wasn’t mature science based discussions it was literal transphobia.

[@midnight4685]

​@@yourneighborhoodfbi7518 ​ But what's your source for the kids thing? Because as a trans person, it took years to get access to HRT and I have only ever heard the same story from other trans people online. The only people who have ever said counter to that have typically been quite uninvolved with the process. Where I live, you also can't even get HRT before 16 (in most places you can't before either 16 or 18, to my knowledge), you can only go on puberty blockers which are fully reversible. Also, a lot of the time, that's expressed as 'trans people are harming children and are grooming them and trans people should be illegal' rather than 'hey maybe this is a flaw with the medical system', because wider treatment for trans people hasn't really been so publicised before so the flaws aren't fully apparent. Edit: I do somewhat agree though, twitter shouldn't be a source of what is and isn't transphobic because it tends to overreact in both directions.

[@Lobster_Lars]

Terry pratchett wrote a positive representation trans character in 1996, who then appeared in later books as well, but people were really dumb about it, and tried to differentiate her from trans women through a technicality, so he wrote one of the most unambiguous pro trans stories ever with new characters in 2003.

[@vickymc9695]

@@clarissanavarro2762she's in Feet of clay, Jingo, the fifth elephant, night watch, thud, snuff, and Raising steam. Haven't said who because it's a plot point of feet of clay.

[@klisterklister2367]

@@clarissanavarro2762 monstrous regiment

[@dragonfan8647]

@@clarissanavarro2762 And the first one is in Feet of Clay, which is part of the City Watch subseries

[@transsexual_computer_faery]

ive never read pratchett but he sees like such a consitently great bloke

[@berthulf]

@@transsexual_computer_faery he really was, and a great loss to all of us.

[@ajzeg01]

I was in a Harry Potter-themed choir concert recently and we donated over $1000 to a local clinic that offers gender-affirming healthcare. None of the money went to JK Rowling, the show was 100% unauthorized. We had merch and prizes but they were all from local artisans or handmade by us. Even the Every Flavour Beans were just from Bean Boozled. My own personal feelings on the Harry Potter franchise aside, I’m quite happy with how the show turned out.

[@starwarsprequelsandsequels7582]

❤️❤️❤️

[@lulucool45]

oh hell yeah, that's great

[@Tareltonlives]

I love it! Congratulations!

[@WhatWouldLubitschDo]

That’s amazing and please don’t get sued

[@islasullivan3463]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@ajrooke]

It’s actually refreshing to see someone be openly angry at the end there because that’s how I feel all the time and I feel the need to keep it in for the sake of not coming across ‘deranged’ or ‘overly emotional’.

[@Ozz04]

Thank you, yes!

[@Nevarek_]

Very similar to black folk who are described (to a double-standard, mind you) as "angry" or "aggressive" for speaking their minds.

[@LichenBranch]

Aranock's section was so powerful. The passion, even in this platform with so much emotion inserted already, touched, practically pushed, at my heart. I really wish that things like this could reach these groups who go so far in dehumanizing us, making us so "other" in their minds. That emotion is so incredibly human, so incredibly raw. Thank you for making this video.

[@Aranock]

💜

[@nekolalia3389]

4:59 “So I’m going to use this chance to say literally everything I care to say about JK Rowling.” [checks runtime] “Like literally everything.” [believes you]

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

Just looked at the runtime, this is gonna be a doozy

[@lovelysan]

I glanced at the video length at that line too. XD

[@aleciaregister162]

me three

[@LM-io1fv]

I immediately clicked when I saw the title, and when I saw the runtime I settled in with drinks and snacks

[@Kino_Cartoon]

Worth it!

[@kristinavelvin7885]

My mother is a huge Harry Potter fan. We had mentioned Rowlings bigotry and hatred before but she kept wanting HP merch. She overheard just part of your video yesterday and has said she wants no more stuff from HP. Thank you. Both my husband and I are Trans and it hurt but we loved her more than the hate and wanted her happy. Thank you for putting all of that into words she could understand.

[@BecKM94]

In my family, my mother also used to be the biggest HP fan of us all. I liked the audiobooks, would re-listen to them every other year, but was like a “low-key to medium” fan, the whole franchise wouldn’t even probably have made it in a Top 50 of all my favourite media, there were dozens of things I liked MUCH more and was more interested in. And I liked HP less and less over the years (which did not happen with most of the other things from my childhood/pre-teen time I liked). It wasn’t so hard for me to abandon HP. My sister fortunately, never got into the books or movies, she’s actually a MASSIVE book worm, but she was never a fantasy fan, it’s just not her genre. And my father reads/watches almost no books/movies at all (and if he does, it’s mostly biographies/non-fictional stuff). But my mother loved them, she would read them when I was little or when she was pregnant with my sister. She would go to book store events where they read the first chapter of a new book just before midnight and then you could buy the brand-new volume. As a German woman (with so-so English skills) in her late 50s with no social media whatsoever, she learned very late about JKR’s rampant transphobia and the RL effects that had and has on people and lawmakers, the kind of people she associates with etc. It was mostly through me and my sister, and Jessie’s videos helped me a lot to articulate all the problems and debate that was going on (I wish her English was better so she could watch them, too, but at least I can translate important parts to her). She’s now also really enraged, that such a person she formally admired turned out to be so, so horrible (we are both glad that we have at least still Cornelia Funke. Now THAT’s a beloved author from my childhood where it would hit us both hard) and isn’t interested in HP anymore. I’m glad Jessie’s video could help your mother see that, too! (Me and my sister - both cis, but gay and bi - have trans friends and I’m actually really positively surprised how well our parents are handling all LGBTQ+-related stuff. They knew these friends long before coming-out as trans, so they know their deadnames aso., but my mom and dad pretty quickly adapted the new names and pronouns and accidental misgendering happened very rarely (they always apologized after that), nowadays never. They are sometimes a bit clueless, awkward or "try to hard", but for a straight couple in their late 50’s/early-mid 60’s I couldn’t wish for more).

[@UsenameTakenWasTaken]

@@Raddflyer I no longer see you as misguided, and now see that you're actively trolling. Now I just feel bad for you, and hope you get well soon.

[@paulhammond6978]

@@totalwater9431 BS. She's actively seeking out trans people to straw man and argue with, and actively supporting other transphobes and using her wealth to support people who are trying to diminish the rights of trans people. There's a whole video on this which you are commenting on, and Jessie goes through the particular way in which Rowling responded to her tweet, @-ed her on it, and totally did not respond to what Jessie said, but to her own fantasy trans boogieman. At this point, if you're coming to a trans persons space and saying this kind of stuff, you have to be wilfully ignorant, or deliberately disingenuous.

[@claudiamastroianni4300]

@@totalwater9431 Rejecting “trans women are real women” is transphobic. Period. Society rejecting it is one of the main things putting trans women at risk of violence.

[@vickytaa1]

@@totalwater9431 did you actually watch the video? Or just came to the comment section to fight?

[@ParanormalEncyclopedia]

See her former billionaire status makes me think of a much better person... Dolly Parton who it's generally thought could be a billionaire but keeps giving money away like paying for employees to go to College or supplying kids with a free book til 5 because she values literacy. As well of course as being openly supporting the lgbt community including the trans community, still love the story of her entering a drag queen look a like contest and being delighted to lose. This is more of what we need.

[@EdwardDanks009]

Dolly Parton is my idea of a patron saint. She is what I want to be, as a human being. She's an absolutely beautiful person and should be revered.

[@vee1545]

Thank you for the reminder Dolly exists, watching this is making me dark lol, jk and all these other women make me want to stick my own head through a wall just so I don’t have to listen to their bile Dolly 4eva for queen of humanity 🎉

[@Resilient_Sage88]

Dolly is a force for good! ❤️

[@BB-ol8gc]

Dolly is an ideal human. I was fortunate enough to meet her in passing and she was the most lovely person. So genuinely kind with a big personality.

[@FrancisR420]

Great musician too, 9 to 5 is a banger

[@dkickelbick]

Thank you! For explaining why it is not enough to not by HP stuff, but to speak up. Especially as a CIS person.

[@TheFuriousScribbles]

Neil Gaiman was my fondly remembered trans-supportive writer. The Sandman book, Game of You is in a lot of ways a flawed product of its time, yet... Wanda is a wonderful and sympathetic character, and she is explicitly a trans woman. There's a scene where she talks about a comic book that she liked as a kid and she liked to pretend that she was one of the characters in it-- "Weirdzo Alvin." The protagonist asks her if "Alvin" is her real name. She says that "Alvin is the name I was born with. Wanda is my real name." It's a scene that always stuck with me. Full disclosure-- I am not trans. So as fondly as I remember Wanda, I feel it's not my place to say whether or not she's good representation or not. However, I think reading Sandman as a teenager, in particular learning to identify with Wanda and her struggles, her hopes and her dreams taught me to be kinder or at the very least not be horrible to trans people.

[@Amitlu]

It helps that in the end Death has the final word on what she is, when we see Wanda's soul. Not some random Moon God.

[@samniel]

Gaiman himself admitted he has some regrets about Wanda and he'd probably write her differently today. Which we'll find out in the next part of the Sandman series. Tbh, as I read the comics I saw some stuff that was fair for a cis white male author's understanding at the time, and Wanda herself always KNOWS she's a woman, it's OTHER characters who question/deny it and the narrative itself tends to take her side. I'm just REALLY interested in how the series will portray her. I have high hopes considering we got a non-binary actor portraying Desire, but a part of me's still... cautious...

[@TheFuriousScribbles]

@@Amitlu My friend read it a few years ago, and said that Death (as depicted among The Endless) has a way of seeing people as they really are. It wasn't just her either. When the protagonist, Barbie goes to Wanda's funeral, it's clear that she understood that Wanda was a woman, even though her family didn't. They cut her hair and buried her in a suit under her dead-name. After Barbie pays her final respects, to her dead friend, she crosses out the dead-name with lipstick and writes "Wanda" on her grave marker instead.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

@@TheFuriousScribbles I like to imagine Wanda's family coming back, years later, and being surprised that the lipstick they tried so hard to scrub away is so preternaturally persistent...and one of them lingers, pulls out a lipstick and redraws the name WANDA.

[@sfatlithewise1276]

@@arcadiaberger9204 thank u for sharing this thought it made me cry ❤

[@strippinheat]

I will never get over how the "facts don't care about feelings" people will tell someone to kill themselves. How is that response not illogical and emotional?

[@ivanrenic4243]

That is a nice straw man argument you got there, been working on it much lately? You are generalizing (I thought you were against that??). Why not confront their actual arguments instead of concentrating on a small minority of people who are just idiots?

[@generatoralignmentdevalue]

I like how that phrase is almost always paired with some piece of easily-debunked misinformation. I guess they can't tolerate a world of uncaring facts for long enough to double-check the accuracy of a tweet.

[@ambmamb8370]

because it is a fact

[@notNajimi]

@@ambmamb8370 what is?

[@FriendlyBatDoom]

@@ambmamb8370??

[@TheDolphace]

As a cis woman I'm getting real tired of these bigots using me as a reason to be transphobic. I don't need their protection, I am not a child, transpeople exisiting doesn't take anything away form me, giving other humans rights doesn't take away from mine. It's infuriating, and nothing compared to what transpeople must feel...

[@chikasagi94]

My exact same thoughts (also a cis woman) and we should definitely be saying it louder and more often. It is on all of us to stop this people and their twisted logic.

[@Aranock]

Transphobia at its core is deeply misogynistic, it has to be to treat trans women the way it does and to argue against our existence in the way it does. You have every right to be angry at a movement that is actively shitty to you too, and I wish more cis women recognized how what terfs are saying is, while primarily harmful to trans people like Jessie and I, also deeply harmful to cis women too.

[@chrissyweikoop7931]

its always misogyny. they dont really care about trans men because well... in their eyes, they are women so trans mens opinions doesnt matter and they should be treated as children anyway. you know, because just like you as a cis woman, they cant make own decisions. and of course they hate trans women too because femininity bad. well, unless they want to stick their pickle in it.

[@RedMoonSolitary]

fellow cis woman and you are absolutely right

[@TheDolphace]

@@Raddflyer I honestly don't know what you're trying to say. What are you saying I don't feel the need to do? Also I've never had anyone say the phrase "transpeople" is dehumanising. But if you feel it is, you need to give an alternative for me to use. How should I call people who are trans? None of the examples of your strange obgyn list is in any way similar either.

[@michaelstevenson5044]

"We're precious, so long as we're powerless" That accurately describes the plight of how transmen are viewed.

[@EmlynBoyle]

I get the impression from JKR, that it's not only transphobia fuelling her near daily online nonsense, but also a desperate need to stay relevant...as she is longer the centre of attention as regards Harry Potter (even if the series is still going). With those mostly dreadful (and now cancelled) prequels, that terrible play and her doing things like misrepresenting/stealing from Native American myths, she has toxified her own creation. She might get royalties galore, but will never be taken seriously as a creator again. Honestly, if her name wasn't attached to those detective novels she currently writes, no one would give an eff about them. She was someone I creatively admired for a long time, but no more. She's smeared her own legacy forever. Thanks for this video and your other videos Jessie. I'm also sorry you're not getting paid for your hard work. All the best.

[@starwarsprequelsandsequels7582]

True

[@ContinuePlayMag]

Not to mention her blatant antisemitism.

[@starwarsprequelsandsequels7582]

@@ContinuePlayMag true

[@Gloomdrake]

I remember something along the lines of "skin walkers were actually just wizards who were slandered by jealous Native American shamans" from her

[@rebeccaabram2312]

@@Gloomdrake Oh please tell me that's not true. Please... I know enough about Skinwalkers to know how bad...that is

[@jackcatinabox]

The part where you got angry felt so real to me. I'm disabled and I remember reading something soon after entering disabled online spaces about how every disabled person has to become our own advocate because no one else is advocating for us or listening to us. (I feel this is relatable to a lot of marginalized people, although in that specific case, the person was referring to healthcare.) And I've found this to be unfortunately very true, and it makes me so ANGRY. So many times I want to just scream I'm here, I need help, WE need help, but I can't. Your vocalization of that anger was very real to me. On a lighter note, I absolutely love the Sandman poster on your wall!! It's so cool!

[@luzlorenz7255]

And then the same people who shun us for screaming for help are telling us, we are to proud to accept help after we have given up and went silent.

[@betteroffbard]

I'm trans, out of the closet to my parents, and out to my friends online. The latter treat me as a person. The former do not. I have seen your battle with this horrific ordeal as it's progressed, and it hurts that so many people will take pleasure in the hurt and harm we endure because of the circumstances of our birth. You're a shining light to many of us, and please don't forget that. Your success means a lot to me, and I hope one day you and others in our marginalized groups will make tangible, solid change, and we can all live in actual equality. Thank you for this video. It means a lot to me.

[@zeppelopod]

It hurts my heart that your parents do not accept you for who you are. Please do your best to take care of yourself and stay strong - even though you shouldn't have to.

[@berrysnowyboy5251]

I relate to your bio parents not accepting you for who you are, and with your online friends who are more of a family to you. Please keep holding on and to stay strong... It will become better and easier over time...

[@asherfriedman877]

As a trans Jew the whole transphobia and antisemitism working in tandem thing makes my life real easy

[@lizoliver3021]

damn its all coming together for the conservatives

[@RawrX32009]

Im a femboy half jew Im literally just you cut in half lol

[@whalefsh]

I'm really glad you mentioned the fight in Scotland. Scotland has grown so much since I was young. When I was a teen it was a deeply homophobic and transphobic place, Section 28 was still in place so we couldn't get any LGBTQIA+ support in schools. I'm queer and working class, I live and work in one of the most deprived areas of Scotland. I feel safe in my community, I've worked with mums who came round to defend and protect a young trans girl, and I've had nothing but love and support from the working class women around me. The gender criticals do not come from our communities, the prominent Scottish GCs are from the ruling class and the most reactionary section of our middle class. The UK Government will be defeated, and the cost of their defeat will be the continued existence British state. They've made sure that LGBTQIA+ folk will be a crucial part of the independence movement - a movement based on peace and human rights that we've always been part of. We will get to a place where Scotland is a safe refuge for LGBTQIA+ folk from all over the world. Thank you as ever Jessie 🏳‍⚧🏳‍🌈

[@Alan_Mac]

Independence based on peace and human rights? Where did you get that tosh from? Independence is all about the politics of identity and division. On the idea that people in Scotland are so different from people in England that a bloke in Eyemouth must cross an international border and use a different currency if he wants to go a few miles down the road to Tesco in Berwick. Independence ignores the truth that we've been partners since 1603 and one nation since 1707. That we've had 300+ years of living together, marrying together and moving north and south in large numbers. Instead, large sections of those who want Britain partitioned constantly 'other' England and 'other' those of us who don't want the nation divided. Rather than peace, the Nationalist movement is dividing Scot from Scot. It is nasty and vicious.

[@paulhammond6978]

Section 28 was the "don't ask, don't tell" of my teenage years, invented by Mrs Thatcher's government. Part of that "Back to Basics" stuff. It was the rule that made it illegal for teachers to talk about homosexuality in any kind of positive way in schools because to do so was legally characterised as "promoting" homosexuality. RTDs recent film set in that era (It's a Sind), and mostly about the effect of AIDS on the gay people of the 80s gave a good speech about that to one of the characters who was a gay teacher who was so frustrated about the way that law prevented him from being true to himself, or helping his students to understand homosexuality.

[@sairassiili]

@@Alan_Mac Maybe the English should have thought about the "unity" before they decided to leave the EU. That was a pretty *natilonalist* move, heralded by very nationalistic rehtoric, and a move strongly opposed within Scotland's populace. Combined with the apparent growing rift in even basic values like human rights between the English and Scottish governments, your rhetoric rings stale and hollow, and borders on projection.

[@Alan_Mac]

​@@sairassiili Ah the old 'whitaboot' approach, eh? Let's not deal with the nasty, divisive, society-harming aspects of partitioning Britain. Let's just point the finger at England. Is there even one single Partitionist who can take criticism without a 'whitaboot' reply? I've never met one.

[@sairassiili]

@@Alan_Mac Firstly, you made a claim of unity within UK, and I *responded* by pointing out a fault line in that percieved "unity". Secondly, your "criticism" was made amost wholly out of rhetorical fluff, you didnt provide any examples of the "nasty, divisive, society-harming aspects" of "partitionism"(why not "separatism"?). You just merely called it "nasty and vicious". Next time, try making an actual argument.

[@amber6429]

Also, on a semi related note, in the movies moaning myrtle constantly sexually harasses harry and everyone sees it as normal and doesn't do anything about it and is often played off as something humorous

[@mewmew6158]

That's a great point!

[@Nightman221k]

And the menfolk are always playing around in the women's bathroom. Like, does JKR not see the irony of it?

[@zoyadulzura7490]

The movies add another layer of creepy in that the actor playing Myrtle was in her 30s. That specifically doesn't fall on JKR, though, as far as I know. But yeah, JKR put in some weird bathroom stuff, while irl spreading absurd, transphobic lies about bathrooms and trying to frame it as an issue of "safety".

[@christopherb501]

@@Nightman221k _So_ many readings of the bathroom and the giant snake...

[@Nightman221k]

@@christopherb501 True, JK Rowling needs to talk to her therapist cause yeah... woah, she has some Freud-level issues with her fixation on harmful phallic symbols.

[@clubafterlife]

Seeing Rowling's tweet after the Graham Norton clip has sent me into another dimension. It makes it so clear she's not just defensive and blinded by her own privilege, but incredibly insidious and calculated in her evil.

[@EmoBearRights]

I don't think that but it can be a pitfall of being famous that you run out of real friends who will tell you what you want to hear but not what you need Jaded Karen isn't evil IMO but she's too paranoid, egoistical, traumatised by her experiences with me and coddled to accept the inconvenient truth that those who aren't my her fashy so called friends are telling her.

[@clubafterlife]

@@EmoBearRights Any sort of goodwill interpretations I had of her actions disintegrated after watching this. I might've agreed with you before, but that tweet was so clever (to her average supporter) in misrepresenting Graham and directing people to attack him by framing it as a 'man' attacking a 'woman'. It's a very effective right-wing media strawman tactic and I think we're doing everyone a disservice by ignoring that. Of course we're both just assuming here, and some of the things you said are also true, but that's my take on it 🤷‍♀️

[@EmoBearRights]

@@clubafterlife That's fair enough and I guess it doesn't really matter in the end. Jessie tried to be kind to Jaded Karen and it got her nowhere. I still think you can be articulate and misrepresent people because your mind twists it but at the end of the day harm is still harm and choices are still choices no matter what lies behind them.

[@Ganychan]

@@EmoBearRights well said

[@LimitlessMegan]

The irony is that I feel like she's actually a living representation of Dolores Umbridge now. And somehow it's completely lost on her that she's almost identical to her own villian.

[@albertoandrade9807]

Jessie, I'm an endocrinologist and I see trans patients and it is an eternal recurrence that I try to fight back against bigotry but I'm always find myself at a loss for words about what I can say. I'm thankful for this exposition. It really gives me a lot of insight and talking points but overall I wish you didn't have to undergo all this. Nor any other minority. Thank you for opening yourself like this! And remember you matter. Always.

[@guidohilden7148]

Well as a doctor you should not follow ideology - be a doc and do you buisiness well but not as an advocate for something - okay doc?

[@katarinabock2021]

He’s a doctor, not a journalist. Fighting for his patients IS part of his business!

[@turtlie7309]

@@guidohilden7148 this isn’t about “ideology” it’s basic human rights. And in their particular field, this topic comes up a lot. It’s not wrong to defend your patients’ rights.

[@olgar.6604]

@Guido H. You know doctors aren't automatons, they are human beings that obviously have their own moral and political views. To expect the opposite is folly.

[@BenjaminStruthers]

@@guidohilden7148 What ideology?

[@hyasynthetic7945]

The other day I was going through some stuff and found a "Head Boy" badge an old friend had brought back from the Harry Potter resort in Florida. It was a really meaningful gift, since she and I had become friends over a shared love of Harry Potter, and she'd bought it specifically to show her support of the transition I'd started a few months before. And I'm kind of in two minds about it now. One part of me is still deeply attached to it because of what it represents, while another part of me feels bitter because the two facets of what it means to me are diametrically opposed. And it's deeply tragic to me, especially as I've now fallen out of touch with this friend. I'll never be able to look at this very, very important keepsake without the knowledge that the IP it supports was created by someone who would have no respect for what it means, just the financial benefit she got from it.

[@derp_dragons]

It is your precious keepsake. I get that you're feeling conflicted but what gives that badge meaning are the sentiments in which it was gifted and your fond memories.

[@rosenrot234]

In this instance. The pin only has the emotions and sentimentality you give it. If the keepsake makes you happy, then let it hold those happy memories

[@ruthgilliland4583]

That was a really beautiful gift. The sentiment behind it is precious. Perhaps you could wear it with a trans pride pin.

[@arcadiaberger9204]

@@ruthgilliland4583 That was my immediate thought: wear it with a trans pin, to make your own feelings clear.

[@johnadams3802]

Definitely keep it. It won't be the same symbol that it was when you first received it, but time transforms all things. Now it can be a reminder of a simpler time. A time when friendships seemed eternal and nothing could ever tarnish a magical world that you loved so much. Circumstances have changed. You've grown and learned and laughed and cried. You may not be the same person now, but you will always have a spark of that innocence inside you. Nobody's bigotry can extinguish that.

[@glupik1234]

That part about Tonks was a revelation. She was one of my favorite characters when I was a kid and young teen while reading books, but the way her story ended - marriage, child & death - left me in a weird place where I felt like she was de-characterised, she was Tonks no longer since the moment she entered into that sad, complicated relationship with Lupin.

[@tony_starch]

I remember being disappointed that she married and had a kid. I didn’t even know consciously I was queer when I read the books, but I was disappointed at her ending.

[@automaticdata]

I am pretty convinced that Tonks's fate was a last minute addition, honestly. JKR is on record saying she "spared one character [who was planned to be killed off] and killed two others [that hadn't been planned to be killed off]", later clarifying that Arthur Weasley was initially supposed to die from the snake bite in HBP and instead Tonks and Remus died in DH. I always believed that's why the whole think with Tonks and Remus/Tonks felt so tacked on. It wasn't planned from the beginning, but rather a last minute change which supposedly was to give Harry a connection to his godson, what with them both losing their parents as babies. It sucks because not only was Tonks queer-coded, but a lot of people saw Sirius and Remus's relationship as queer-coded, so by getting Remus and Tonks together she was kind of killing off multiple headcanons about characters being queer. It also wasn't until HBP that we got any indicator of heteronormativity about Sirius (muggle pics of girls pasted on his childhood bedroom wall), who she previously in interviews said was "too busy to have a girlfriend" (even though that didn't stop Sirius's best friend from getting married and having a kid). Again, this was after a lot of fans were pretty convinced that Remus/Sirius was a Thing, or at least a distinct possibility.

[@eclipsed_oracle6818]

Growing up not realizing I was bisexual I think I subconsciously thought Tonks was as well. It didn’t feel wrong to me until she had a kid. It just didn’t feel like her anymore and I stopped caring about her entirely because I knew that JK had ruined her arc entirely.

[@about.9]

How was she queer-coded? I'm bi, loved the books, but genuinely don't see it. Is it just because she had colourful hair or something?

[@ellenripley4837]

What's do disappointing about it? I loved Tonks before and after that. What's wrong with her falling for Lupin?

[@Kasztan_101]

When I saw your letter from 2018 I realised there's no point talking to her. It was so balanced, delicate even - it couldn't have been better written. There's nothing else you can say to her, because she isn't listening. She chose her side. I'm so sorry that the creator of sth you love turned agains you. An ally.

[@falconeshield]

@@Raddflyer You.....have no idea what empathy is, do you?

[@sofiarodriguez6768]

@@falconeshield no he doesn't. All he knows is how to tear down women and people who side with them. He isn't an ally to women he is using this platform from rowling to be a bigot against trans AND cis women. They don't know empathy all they know is mindless rage and attacking people based on whoever is richer.

[@DellVanity]

No marginalized person should /have/ to be perfect and sweet and kind to be heard in the first place. It's been a common expectation for so long now, entirely sickening to think about. You should be able to yell and shout and bang your firsts about the very issue of your own existence and safety. People are people, it's sad that we have to even debate this very fact with anyone.

[@midnight4685]

Yeah, I do agree, but the problem is also in your comment - people are people. And people don't listen when they're made out to be the bad guy of something they don't care about. They can't be made to care by being yelled at either, they just retreat further or lash out. It absolutely sucks, and we should be able to do that, but people won't listen otherwise and psychology goes that way. That's why it's been this way for so long. Most people just don't care about the issues that affect marginalised communities because they aren't affected, don't like when they feel like their fun is being taken away or when they're mad to feel like the bad guy and therefore recoil. That's why it's always been this way. It's an ideal, that everyone is equally heard and listened to, no matter the format of the presentation of ideas. But that's not very realistic, unless we start with at least kind, basic education on everyone's inherent biases. As an example, it's like if an LGBTQ+ charity worker came up to you on the street and mentioned the struggles faced and asked about donations, you might give some money, you might not. But if you saw an LGBTQ+ charity worker yelling on the street about the shit they've been through, even though it's absolutely true and fair, people would be inclined to avoid them and ignore what they were yelling about, probably receiving very few donations. Yelling is important, especially when people aren't being heard. But these days, most people have heard. A lot just don't care, which is not good, but yelling isn't the solution to that. Yelling is also important and good as an emotional outlet, but it can't reasonably be used for progress or convincing people. It's just diplomacy.

[@teallineart8805]

@@midnight4685 Both fighting and conversing are important.

[@midnight4685]

@@teallineart8805 But fighting people who might be neutral, not enemies (JK Rowling is terrible, never gonna argue against that, but a lot of people who like HP aren't) is only going to push them to become enemies. Picking battles wisely is important and how you fight is also important. Only venting frustrations publicly isn't how you fight or make progress, it makes people less inclined to agree when they feel attacked. Venting frustrations is insanely important, but it's not how you get people to listen a lot of the time.

[@teallineart8805]

@@midnight4685 I understand that. Obviously, pick the right battles.

[@alexwyatt2911]

@@WinningThisOne It’s so disrespectful to criticize assertions that other people didn’t make. If you want to stand on a moral high ground, then don’t start out with deceit and manipulation. Because neither the OP, nor this video claimed (or even implied) that JKR’s life or work is worthless. Either engage with intellectual honesty or keep your feelings to yourself.

[@basilmemories]

"she had all 7 books in her head from the start" yes, I too sit on my fanfiction for years and never write it.

[@annoyingginger5077]

I've been sitting on an original fantasy story in my head for years, a few things have changed with it but till this day I've never written it, it doesn't even have a working title, it just has ideas. Ideas of autistic children finding an old tank engine who seems to have a personality (in a more "Ivor the engine" style) and them befriending this loco, only for the loco to appear lifeless when the kids try to show their parents

[@lukasruston8618]

@@annoyingginger5077 As an author, I say go ahead and write if you want to. My ideas only got recognised because I was willing to take that step forwards... although I will admit that my story is a lot different than yours but that's just what makes them unique. With enough writing skill and good ideas, you can make a great story Also, just as a side not, I wanna say that I hate JK so much to the point where I became sort of inspired to try and get as popular as her just so there can be more authors with at least a decent amount of respect for other groups... couldn't really fit that anywhere into the motivational stuff so I just decided to add it as a footnote

[@trevorminton6084]

I've got this fantasy story I've been wanting/trying to write for a year or two now. I've got the outline for the main plot and a map, but I'm having trouble expanding the outline into a complete story. It's a story about a world where every animal has a magical spirit that keeps them alive. Plants can tap into that spirit to do magical things like radiate heat, move on their own, or produce electricity. Their character is a girl that lives in a secluded city that hasn't left their walls for 50 years. Her dad gets a rare sickness and she goes on a journey to find the cure. I'm proud of the progress I've made, but I don't know how to turn 5,000 words into 120,000

[@katarinabock2021]

@@annoyingginger5077- I am reminded of Sesame Street’s Snuffalufagus, Big Bird’s Mamoth-like muppet friend who only children saw for decades.

[@katarinabock2021]

@@trevorminton6084 - a suggestion: rewrite the 5,000 words you have in outline form, and start to fill in the outline with individual scenes. Flip through the outline and work on whatever attracts you that day.

[@whyjordie]

I can’t believe JK Rowling invented owls 😔

[@deadmanreading3152]

I tried asking owls about JK Rowling but all they said was, "Who?"

[@Eagle_Owl2]

It's funny because the books prove that at least at the time of writing them she didn't have one clue about actual owls. Even 5 year old me recognized that and laughed about it. Granted, I've always been an animal/biology nerd. And I love it that Hedwig's animal actors were all male. It's a bit ironic :D

[@agnesleuenberger3713]

​@@Eagle_Owl2 I'm completely ignorant on that topic! Would you accept to tell me more about it? Sounds quite funny! (And apparently, the filmmakers didn't know much about owls either! XD But yep, the irony is kinda majestic! X'D)

[@Eagle_Owl2]

@@agnesleuenberger3713 well, the Hedwig thing stems from the fact that younger Snowy owls aren't completely white but white with dark-grey/brown to black spots. Because they nest on the ground, that helps woth camouflage. Female Snowy owls retain that colouring because they do most of the brooding while the males hunt. That's why male Snowy owls get whiter the older they get (since birds moult, changing colour takes a while). For the movies, they wanted white Snowy owls, so they had to get male animal actors :D that had also the advantage that male owls (and birds of prey, with the exception of most vultures) are around a third smaller than females, making handling of the owls on set easier for the young human actors. Regarding the books, the behaviour and diet of owls is completely whack. For example Snowy owls are mostly diurnal, so Hedwig being nocturnal is wrong. Also, a real owl would simply die from the food Harry gives to her throughout the books. Owls are also extremely territorial which means that they even go as far as killing other owls they find in their territory (except their mates and offspring ofc). Furthermore, owls are not the brightest birds tbh and extremely lazy. So owls would make exceptionally bad messenger birds. I guess Errol was almost the best depiction of what that would be like in reality. What I found really cool though in the first movies was that they managed to train one of the Hedwig actors to actually carry a prop for the Nimbus 2000 delivery scene. That must've been incredibly difficult. Ofc the prop was very light, since an actual owl wouldn't just carry something heavy. Large owls are capable of carrying heavier prey like rabbits or hares, but that's prey and not some prop :D Last but not least: owls are MESSY. And they smell. And they can be very loud. So JKR got the loud part right but there is no way the Dursley's would've allowed a Snowy owl inside their house. And quite frankly, Harry probably wouldn't have wanted that too. At least not permanently. Now really the last thing: these cages are just straight up animal cruelty. And for large birds they wouldn't even suffice as carriers because the feathers would get totally f*cked up by the bars. I don't like the portrayal of pets AT ALL in those books and movies. Many people recklessly buy owls as pets and because they're so ill-suited for that, so many owls suffer. Harry Potter surely didn't help with that. So if you wanted another thing on the list of bad things with Harry Potter, there you have it. My sources: I'm a biologist and worked at a falconry (still help out sometimes). Be aware that I generalized a bit and for some facts I described there might be some exceptions for some species (there are around 130 owl species and even more birds of prey after all).

[@maddieb.4282]

@@Eagle_Owl2 this was an incredibly educational comment and super well written, i was fascinated! Thank you!

[@thornesong_alchemist]

I remember that approximately a year ago, I was in the mental hospital. There was a group of us that really got along well and bonded, and it made the whole experience a whole lot better to have this core group of people who genuinely felt like friends. I was very open about the fact that I was trans, too, because I felt really comfortable with these friends. And then at one point, there started being talk about hey, the hospital has the dvds of the Harry Potter series, how fun would it be if we did a marathon of that? Y'know, self-care, mental health, whoo. And I very calmly told them all that they were more than welcome to do that, but that I had too many conflicted feelings on the series to be able to sit down and watch it without getting triggered in some way, and so for my own mental health, I would spend any time the movies were playing in my room, away from the group. This was how we talked about most movies there, if one of us was triggered by any particular movie, we would state it beforehand so everyone would know, and people usually made the effort to try and watch it at a time when that person would be otherwise occupied. of course, that gets pretty much impossible when you're talking about eight movies. And I very distinctly remember one of my friends saying "You're breaking my heart, Ed!" Like I was somehow the one doing something wrong, just because I was saying I wouldn't be enjoying the movie _with_ them. I didn't forbid anyone from watching it, I didn't fuss and whine. But _I_ was the one breaking _their_ heart. Like that would somehow just make it all okay and make it so they could enjoy this movie with me around and no uncomfortable feelings whatsoever. I remember looking them in the eyes and saying in a deadpan voice, "Well, J.K. Rowling broke _my_ heart." And the room just went completely silent for a long moment. No one brought up doing a Harry Potter marathon again after that.

[@strawberrymanga9]

Man, I'm so sorry you had to go through that.

[@deadman746]

Beautifully written and deeply moving.

[@austinluther5825]

Wow. Good on you for standing your ground. Bizarre that it was an issue at all when the group already had an understanding that some material could trigger people and to be respectful of it. I hope you're doing better. Much love. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

[@TheRach995]

people act this way around media created by/starring abusers as well. It's so tiring, you're not in the wrong for simply not wanting to participate.

[@lisakaz35]

The thing that really got me as a last straw was what she did to Graham Norton (I admit to not being a fan of things she's said/done beforehand but didn't 100% go against her.) For those who don't know, Graham is an Irish guy long associated with the BBC with his talk show that's kinda legendary. He's gay and a bit of a comedian. He's had a talk show for about 2 decades. Anyway, Graham was asked by an interviewer about trans issues (not sure of exact wording) and specifically mentioned Rowling commenting on such things. Norton never referred to her in replying. He said something about that media should pay more attention to what experts say rather than celebrities. I saw that as a comment about himself and why he begged off saying more about the matter. Well, Rowling saw it as an attack on herself and called him out (and on other) as bearded guys who didn't have any right to say anything. It was way disproportional even if one thought Norton referred to her -- which I doubt because Norton never tries to offend imo. Anyway, Rowling's comment put ardent supporters of her on offense and they harassed and hounded Norton about it to the point he deleted his Twitter account. But SHE is always the victim. Just ask her and her mindless minions. Really disgusted me.

[@yourneighborhoodfbi7518]

Actually, she IS the victim. At least, up until the incident you described (I haven’t been keeping up with news and such). The misconception of her being “transphobic” started when a few people misunderstood her actions and started screaming about it. Now she’s suddenly the worst person on the planet. If you’re wondering, she actually wrote an entire essay (that I can link to you if you want) explaining how she sympathizes with trans people’s struggles because she herself was a victim of violence. She pointed out a lot of factually correct things without crossing the line into cruelty. She also never hated trans people, nor does she now. But people scream about it because they don’t like what she says, so obviously she must be transphobic. Tl;dr: She’s not transphobic. I don’t mean to be rude, I’m just tired of this being an issue at this point because so many people scream, “Omg you’re so transphobic and a TERF,” at people who don’t hate trans people. 😐

[@yoobisnose7669]

​@@yourneighborhoodfbi7518 she literally said that trans people are the dementors of our world, how the fuck is she not transpobic???

[@Chaos_in_a_nutshel]

Is that essay all you have? Jessie even said that the essay was flawed according to reports and it was heavily criticised as well. Maybe you should go watch the part where it is discussed instead of comment this over and over again. Just because she wrote an essay doesn't mean she has made up for her history. She probably didn't mean anything she said in it. I'm sorry if I got anything wrong but the essay is not a sturdy piece of evidence

[@lisakaz35]

@@Chaos_in_a_nutshel I saw the original tape and Rowling's tweets totally mischaracterizing what he said.

[@Chaos_in_a_nutshel]

Ok

[@zoologygirl252]

Disgust me how much Harry Potter used to be a safe haven for lgbtq people not ten years ago, and how we used to be made fun of for liking harry potter and not being kids. And then the creator of the books became one of those people who is so hateful for the LGBT community and all of a sudden the people who hated us became the biggest Harry Potter stans of all time

[@angelaholmes8888]

Yeah it's so sickening

[@ageoldmary]

That's what ugenicidalists do. They know it works and we're supposed to stop letting it. Buuuut we don't because "we're traumatic humans! We have to go around traumatizing eachother's struggles!"

[@rhel373]

For what it's worth, in my experience the community online still very much is that. But it's certainly understandable if someone just won't trust in that anymore.

[@Kino_Cartoon]

@@stephencollins9062 Trans people and queer people are no predators. They are human like anybody else with traits like tall or a different hair color. They aren't grooming kids, they are no p*dophiles, the majority of predictors and p*dos aren't quere BECAUSE the majority of people in general aren't queer. Having this braindead comparison is harmful for them AND actual victims of abuse and predictors. You cause nothing but harm simply out of spite when you obscure an actual issue and harmful thing with queer people wanting to exist without being harassed like every single one of us wants to as well!

[@Hamokk]

And it's always the bigots who can't see irony. One of the Harry Potter's messages in my mind was acceptance of different people so the twist was horrible.

[@jamesbarr8218]

I think what offends me the most about JK is that she’s such a crybully. She decries your criticism as trying to send a woke mob against her, knowing full well she has a mob at her beck and call that she just sent after you.

[@christopherb501]

It's almost like she's...that f-word...

[@maggieg.recommendsandrants3081]

Crybully, what a great word!

[@edwardlegend1564]

@@christopherb501 please don't use that word 🥹

[@christopherb501]

@@edwardlegend1564 That f-word that implies nationalism, not the slur, doy.

[@philopharynx7910]

I have a new favorite word! Crybully is so perfect for that kind of person.

[@li_celly]

I was debating internally whether I should even buy the game or not, but like... after watching everything you said, it really helps me understand why it's important to me as a cis ally, and friends of queer, trans, nb friends that I should try my best to support them as much as I can... and honestly you're fucking right. It's really the bare minimum to NOT buy the game, and I should just do more to help. It's just a fucking game anyways, and my entertainment doesn't matter so long as my friends aren't being actively harmed by it.

[@TopHattedCoder]

Bought another copy of the game after seeing this, thanks for the recommendation!

[@dyllanweich]

Im gay, and me and my trans friends bought the game and enjoyed it, it was amazing. Do what you want, play what you want, and watch what you want, dont become swept into a herd of sheeple thinking like a hivemind for some reason.

[@BrigitteEmpire]

Still hard for me to believe she’s the same author who wrote me back twice when I sent her letters as a child, what a way to break the hearts of the people who grew up feeling seen by your work

[@totemictoad4691]

whats worse, being mistreated for being different, being called a freak and not to do freakish stuff, being told to be normal like everyone else and punished for reasons you dont understand, then finding out there are people like you, people who are the same as you and your not unnatural or a freak your part of a community,,,, im not saying Harry Potter is written for Trans / Homosexul people, but you cant help find parallels and a form of affirmation in it for those groups,,, then JK opens her mouth its too current day to be anti gay so dumbledore was always gay he's just not in any relationships post gellert when he stopped being questionably grey,,, also all the mc's we know of hook up in cis relationships and have kids before they are 20

[@bluejane6358]

What a bummer. ☹️

[@blueizumi]

In retrospect it’s crazy how JK Rowling’s transphobia has escalated to the point where Stephanie Meyer despite all her issues is now considered by some to be less problematic than JK Rowling, a great difference from when Harry Potter was often used in Twilight criticisms as an example of a good fantasy book series

[@zenithquasar9623]

A person can have many facades. Just because she is transphobic and harmful, she doesn't mean everything she will do will be evil or bad. I'm sure she cares enough about kids etc. the way she cares about them.

[@BrigitteEmpire]

@@zenithquasar9623 there are trans kids, kids of trans parents, kids with trans siblings and trans friends, transphobia is not something that exists outside of society, it affects your relationship to society at large

[@Allison_Hart]

i know JK was incorrectly and hyperbolically using this concept of "purethink," but at the same time...does she think she owns the concept of libraries? owls?? DOGS??? like what are you even doing Joanne. that just reveals like 10 additional layers of narcissism lol

[@albertoandrade9807]

Did she just call herself Athena?

[@bubblesnopemporium5880]

aronok's portion of the video is exactly why i stopped wearing hp shirts in public. I hated the thought of someone looking at me and feeling unloved or unwelcomed, even though I knew very little about the whole situation at that point. I subconsciously stopped reading the books, watching the movies, using my blankets, drinking from my mugs, playing with my wands, and I even gave away my stuffed hedwig. The more I educate myself on trans topics, the more empathetic I become and the more hopeless I feel about real progress being made. Now I just get sad as I see my little brother excitedly building the newest harry potter lego set. I think about how I'm too cowardly to adorn a pride flag and I won't so much as buy the everyone is awesome set out of fear that one of my parents might open the package before me. anyway, great video and keep up the good work. I know this is kind of incoherent and rambly, but I wanted to at least give the engagement. I know only ten people will see this comment and, out of that, only one or two will probably take the time to read the whole thing. To those people, know that you are loved and I hope you have a wonderful day

[@haleyselene]

Its never cowardly to not wear the pride flag if you don't feel ready or safe doing so. Be kind to yourself. You can grow and come out at your own pace. Your comment really resonates with my younger self, and I hope you find a time and place where you feel happy and comfortable in your self-exploration. Always know that despite what people like JKR want you to think, this community supports you just as you are.

[@tigamaki1345]

I have a beat up ravenclaw hoodie. It's one of the like, most genuine gifts I ever got from my parents. They were in America, and they were at universal or whatever, and they saw the store and got it for me. My mum, who never seemed to take an interest in the thing I like, knew enough about my HP interest to know what house i was, without asking my sister. So at the time, it was this really sincere effort from her to take an interest in the things I liked. I wore it to death. And now... i don't even feel comfy wearing it in private.

[@Aranock]

Safety first, you are not cowardly for not wearing a pride pin. Be kind to yourself, and I hope you are well 💜

[@Dragonshade64]

@@tigamaki1345 It might sound a bit heartless, but using the Ravenclaw hoodie to make a pattern for a hoodie that better fits who you are now (even if you have to take said hoodie apart) may help with the sense of mourning that comes from the HP's conversion to what it is now. I imagine taking a lot of clothes apart into patterns so....

[@paulhammond6978]

@@Dragonshade64 That sounds like a good move to me. I watched a documentary recently about a girl who was kidnapped and imprisoned by an abuser from the age of ten for about ten years in Austria. It was mostly about how the media reacted to her story, and the way she got tone-policed and disbelieved rather than about the details of the primary abuse - but the end of that documentary had this woman and her mother working together to repair the dress she had been wearing when she was kidnapped, and both of them seemed to find doing something constructive and creative with that important piece of clothing theraputic.

[@Safgdr]

TLDR to preface: I almost got the game to satisfy childhood desires, thought that maybe I shouldn't because of the discourse and controversy, watched videos like this, and realized I could be a better ally. I almost got Hogwarts: Legacy. In fact, the preorder was in by Christmas, since it was going to be a gift for me upon its release. I so desperately wanted to delve into a world and universe that was such a latent part of an unremarkable and, frankly, privileged childhood (which I am thankful to have had as a gay POC). However, I still couldn't help but feel that nagging feeling that maybe this isn't the right thing to do (shocking, right). It took me a bit to actually make the decision to cancel that preorder and get something else out of, as Jessie has put, the THOUSANDS of other games available for consumption. The catalyst for that bare minimum decision? Seeing a comment on Reddit that simply said it was okay to let go of that childhood. And so, I did as I said, had my mother cancel that preorder and opt for Forspoken instead. Yet, that still did not change that influence the Potterverse in general had over me. A part of me was one of those people that wanted someone to say it was okay to get it, despite all the controversy surrounding it. A part of me wanted to still get it, consequences be damned, trust as an ally be damned. To resolve these feelings, I immersed myself in the discourse by actively listening to the parties being affected by this game. Namely that of transgendered people. I tried looking for honest discussion on KZbin, yet the first results are all from streamers malding that people are (rightfully) judging them for spending money on a game they just as easily could not have. I clicked on one of them, and I was so appalled by the thinly veiled transphobia from the content creator and the echo chamber of the comment sections vilifying and mocking the request of the transgender community, boiling it down to "the woke people calling us all transphobes and cancelling anyone who gets the game". I clicked on another, and it was a content creator taking a frustratingly neutral stance. Acknowledging the controversy yet saying it's being blown out of proportion. Another content creator, who isn't even trans, saying that it doesn't make someone a non-ally if they purchase the game. Of course, this is me cherry picking a little bit. However, it's frustrating how prevalently unbothered everyone seems to be. At the end of the day, they're only being affected in passing. There will always and inevitably be more content to stream. More content to create for others to consume. But the comment sections? Those were worse. There was no discussion to be had. Anyone who tried to have a discussion was shot down with a lot of the same rhetoric and questions mentioned in this video (such as the ones along the line of "J.K. Rowling only said things that were true about biology. How is that transphobic?" or "Don't let the Twitter mob/trolls stop you.") It was just really disappointing. It's videos like this that helped cement my decision to do nothing, of which I fully agree is the bare minimum. It's videos like this that make me realize the frustration I feel for how simultaneously bothered and unbothered these creators and commentors are, is a frustration and anger trans people feel tenfold. It's videos like this that tell me I have to be a better ally. For those of us in this community, we cannot claim to fully be a part of the LGBTQ+ community if we're unwilling to not just acknowledge the other members of it, but also to support them. It's videos like this that help me realize that I value having the trust of the trans community more than I value consuming a product designed to leech off of my nostalgia and childhood. So yeah, all of this to say what a wonderful video this was!

[@DrowSkinned]

Imagine teaching a whole generation of children that every outcast can find a circle of friends and be happy. And then ripping that trust and love away from so many of them when they've grown up. I feel like there is a word for that.

[@rainbowpearlvlogsandanimations]

Manipulation? Intentional or otherwise, that’s what it seems to be…

[@maddieb.4282]

Gaslighting. Bigotry.

[@FouEliane]

yeah, a long con

[@narnigrin]

"Betrayal" comes to mind. That's the strongest feeling I have around this whole shit-show, anyway. That writer helped many of us find somewhere to hide from stuff that was bad in our lives, and then turned around and became publically and enthusiastically part of that stuff. It's a hell of a fucking choice to have made tbh.

[@dariajohnson4439]

Betrayal

[@K1ngDr4c041]

For what it's worth, your style and content got me used to listening to trans voices, which in turn got me listening to more trans voices, got me more comfortable being around trans people, got me empathizing with trans people, and ultimately got me on the mission of aligning myself better with trans issues. I just want you to know that, at least in my case, you have produced actual change. And I thank you for that.

[@vjackson7699]

I agree, this is one of the KZbinrs (if not, the only KZbinr) that motivated me to take a LGBTQ+ academic course in uni!

[@luce6764]

hi as another trans person i just want to say these few days have been tough with even some of my safe spaces constantly being filled with transphobic harassment especially with the game i don't remember the name of. (or being harassed for calling the famous rich person a transphobe which there are multiple famous rich person like that so...) and youtube in the general landscape where transphobic comments can be found on even the most unrelated videos. thank you for your comment genuinely, it makes me glad no matter how much shit I have to deal with on the daily even in my own irl life and online life just for being trans it feels good to know that at least there is still progress no matter how normalized being transphobic still is especially with how rampant it is that it's such a daily reminder.

[@ianstewart-vital]

Her and ContraPoints for me.

[@harmonium5495]

I completely agree with this, this KZbinr was the stepping stone to other trans KZbinrs and allowed me to discover I am in fact a part of the trans umbrella

[@griffinabstract]

This.

[@naomigreen2147]

Rowling is like Albus Dumbledore. Someone who, when you're a child, seems like a genius and a saint, the person you aspire to be. Then, when you grow up, you realise that they have done some truly awful things, and you lose all of your respect for them.

[@c.b.-]

I'd say Rowling is more like Aunt Petunia. People on the outside looking in see this perfect wife and loving mother, and a woman who kindly took in a nephew after the tragic passing of her sister. It takes an entirely different perspective to see the toxic behavior she committed and supported and the active harm her choices made to the lives she influenced. One can only hope that, like Dudley, people under her influence can realize and in the end support those she harmed.

[@nomisunrider6472]

Yeah, but Dumbledore actually acknowledged that he made mistakes. Rowling is doing all of this rather than face the fact that she could be wrong.

[@juststatedtheobvious9633]

@@c.b.- I'd say she's Slytherin nobility. Between her editing people out of context, her sarcastic strawmen, her passive-aggressive turn of phrase - like when she promised to march with trans women "if" they ever experienced discrimination? She plays cruel little games. Because it makes her wealthy and gives her influence, and she doesn't care who she hurts....just so long as the right people get hurt, she'll be set for life.

[@ps1hagridoufofcharacter]

@@nomisunrider6472 not to make this an hp lore discussion but... did he though?

[@jordanwhite352]

@@c.b.- Watch just like finding out that the reason why Petunia hates her sister is because she wished she was a wizard...👀

[@claffert]

Straight cis white male here, and I first discovered and watched you for a couple of your Star Trek videos, and found a lot of your pop culture and geekdom interests and references relatable. This led to me watching some of your trans rights videos videos as well. I have to say, I think this is the most powerful and thoughtful content I've seen from you. It's hard to believe I just watched a 3.5 hour long video; it did not feel like it. I was deeply moved both by you and especially the sincerity and vulnerability shown by Aranock.

[@Aranock]

💜

[@MACNanaBanana]

I watched your video all the way through with some strategic breaks. I am a boomer, cisgender, female that is just 6 years older than jkr. I fell in love with the HP universe and encouraged many a child to watch and read. I began to see the cracks in the universe slowly. I had a really difficult time with how much support was given to this person when she buckled down and refused to acknowledge that her comments were hurtful and still are. I am trained as a mental health therapist that is no longer working in the field. As such, I have always advocated for the victims. Thank you for offering suggestions as to how to actually help. Know that I am willing to learn and I know others my age that are also willing to be more than allies.

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

Right off the bat, I resonate with the idea that the discourse about trans people should be driven by what trans people actually have to say about themselves, rather than focusing on the drama with people who attack them. I had a lot of trouble understanding the whole concept of a trans person when I was much younger, because I really only had access to what other cis people had to say. Even when they were advocating for trans people, they were doing a poor job of it, and explaining things in way that didn't really make sense. Once the internet made it possible for me to listen to _actual_ trans people telling their _own_ stories, it almost immediately made sense.

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

@@mikaelamonsterland I do too. I am currently on a wait list for assessment. I've struggled with a bunch of things my whole life, that I never understood. After discovering several autistic creators at different ages on KZbin, I was struck by how much of MY life they were describing, when talking about theirs. In one case, I started shaking all over, while listening to a description of what masking feels like. I started asking friends and family about their internal experiences and started talking to my psychologist about the wide gulf between what they were describing and what I'm like inside. This led to referrals for diagnosis. My psychologist did not feel remotely qualified to diagnose me, but she felt that reflecting on our discussions through the lens of her limited understanding of ASD felt like everything snapping into focus. I have to wonder how my life would have been different, if I had been exposed to autistic people talking about themselves earlier in life, instead of the depiction in the media.

[@DelilahDarling17]

@@mikaelamonsterland Yep. Same thing for people with OCD. The amount of times I've had people question or doubt if I really had OCD just because they've known people with it yet don't experience everything I do (as everyone experiences it differently), but don't actually have it themselves, is a big number. Or they just dumb it down to being a germaphobe and/or liking things perfect and organized. I think this happens a lot, unfortunately. With any marginalized groups, it's difficult to be listened to. But those who don't experience what life is like for you are listened to instead, if I worded that right.

[@-tera-3345]

@@t3tsuyaguy1 Have you seen the video on Don't Hug Me I'm Scared by Patricia Taxxon? I'm not even autistic myself, but that video made me cry.

[@t3tsuyaguy1]

@汀良 -Tera- I had not seen that. I really enjoyed watching that, even though it was heart crushing at times. Thank you for telling me about it.

[@lavienestpasunlongfleuvetr2559]

But the trans lobby doesn't listen to anyone but the most vocal of itself. Old-school transexuals who have DECADES of experience of transition are pushed aside when they advocate against transitioning children and putting more safeguards in place to minimise the numbers of detransitioners by slowing down transitioning and better assessing people before allowing them to begin the process. Likewise, trans folk who insist that being trans doesn't make a man a woman or a woman a man are shunned, because they don't subscribe to gender identity ideology and the narrative that the lobby wants to promote. Detransitioners are treated like lepers, and despite their insistance that the reason for their detransitioning is the fact that they were never trans in the first place, the trans lobby claims to know better, and pretends that stigma/social pressure is the reason behind detransition (when in reality, it can actually be the reason for transition in the first place).

[@xBoringPerfectionx]

I remember at uni we had a lecture on harry potter and the academic absolutely ripped it to shreds calling it derivative and problematic. I was angry at the time sat there in my hogwarts jumper but years on I get exactly where he was coming from!!

[@oliomphalos3657]

That's interesting! Could you share some of the main points why it's regarded as problematic in academia? No need to go into the details if you don't want to, just ones that stuck with you the most.

[@SirWeirdGuy]

It seems kinda tacky for an academic to spend class time ranting about disliking a kid's book but w/e I took film classes I couldn't imagine my professors wasting class to rant about how they though Shrek was derivative of Disney and the wolf character was offensive

[@ebbenazor7857]

@@oliomphalos3657 I agree. I'd love to know if said academic spotted any of the things I have since come to recognise as problematic, though I've long since moved on from trying to reimagine such works. Kinda makes me wonder if I'd feel differently about David Thewlis' (Remus Lupin's) interpretation of the material nowadays.

[@dickottel]

@@velocityraptor9270 my mum loved HP 😆 she was 37-40 when she read the books with me

[@cineful]

@@SirWeirdGuy Professors in my film studies classes would rip into any work. They'd praise other works too. It is subjective on whether they are right (you agree) but the lesson is to demonstrate how to deliver a comprehensive media analysis/argument to others. I assume that's what this professor was doing just with literature instead of film. Teaching isnt tacky.

[@kaibird542]

One of my biggest concerns about the anti-trans women is what they choose to say does and doesn’t make you a woman. I’m genderfluid, but I am AFAB, so all my life I’ve used the women’s bathroom. I do not look like a “traditional” woman- I wear more masculine clothes a lot of the time, my hair is pretty short, really the only thing that stands out about me that’s very “woman” like is the fact that I have a large bust. What would stop any terf from thinking that I’m a trans woman who got breast implants? They say they can “always tell” if someone is a woman, but on many occasions I’ve seen transphobes and TERFs label cis women as trans just bc they don’t agree with their transphobic ideas. I can’t go to the bathrooms without being afraid, but I can’t imagine what it’s like for trans women who just want to pee in peace. I’ve altogether gotten rid of my Harry Potter merchandise- even the merch I got from third parties, because I don’t ever want to give the impression that I agree with her ideaology. I can’t own it in good faith. I refuse to give her any more of my money.

[@a_newcomer9403]

I am cis female and dress in generally gender ambiguous clothes and have short hair. Once I walked out of a bathroom and heard this older lady say, kinda at me? but not super confrontational? "that's the ladies room" and I'm like?????? So yeah feel you, you rock your style and body friend

[@Karladudhoff]

Nothing MAKES you a woman. You have female DNA or you don’t. That’s not to say that trans women don’t exist. They most certainly do and have every right to be treated with respect and kindness.

[@Otakugatothequeen]

Every single time that I try to speak out about her ableism, I get told to shut my mouth or "endgame" myself. Marginalised communities don't exist to people like that, not unless we're _evil_ or we're _jokes._ They refuse to see the LGBTQ+, disabled, and bipoc communities as _human._ If not threatened or silenced, we're discredited and ignored. Breaks my heart as someone that once looked up to her. .

[@Otakugatothequeen]

@@kaiyodei She's peddling harmful stereotypes about several groups and your only response is to ask about a rabbit? Thanks for doing exactly what my comment says and trying to discredit us. Ignoring the Bambi bit, it's important to see disabled people represented and that we're depicted accurately. It's also important for other marginalised communities to be seen. We exist too. We're just as human, and just as normal. White abled cishet isn't the only way to live, nor is it a choice that any of us could ever make to be either. Vilifying and dehumanising us is wrong. We deserve the same rights as our counterparts and we deserve the same showmanship. Have the day you deserve and don't waste my time again.

[@Hyzentley]

As an autistic person: Thank you. It gets ignored so much and I hate how that happens

[@Otakugatothequeen]

@@Hyzentley I'm Autistic myself. Will continue to fight and speak. We're all human, we all deserve the same rights.

[@emilydavison2053]

@Kitty Spalla a wrong take. Rowling's mother had MS and she is very aware of disability issues. Has given a lot of money towards MS charities. She cares about women's rights especially.

[@Otakugatothequeen]

@@emilydavison2053 Not a wrong take just because she knows someone with one disability. Doesn't erase everything else she's said or done. You're not going to discredit me like that. Nice try though.

[@Skittikyu]

When I first learnt my roommate used "Harry Potter fan" as self-identification for part of her personality, I couldn't fully understand my feelings of uneasiness as she hadn't "said" or "done" anything aside from occasionally wear Gryffindor pyjamas. Your story about your sister in law's Hufflepuff sweater and Aranock's emotionally powerful segment validate what I thought was just unwarranted paranoia on my part (and what a lot of people will still consider as such, likely). I think this video will be deeply helpful for those who have thoroughly compartmentalized elements of discourse by giving them some starting points for taking steps to look at the full picture and while I wish it hadn't come at the cost of your peace of mind this holiday season, I thank you for making it.

[@Aranock]

💜

[@charlodynatimberheart4860]

To me, it's always been odd how the "Trans people are attacking me!" crowd literally forced Graham Norton off of twitter for saying the most neutral thing he could to sidestep any controversy.

[@swishfish8858]

Trans people are the latest scapegoat in the war for cultural dominance. We're still on the "ehhh" side of public acceptance, which makes us a prime target.

[@charlodynatimberheart4860]

@@swishfish8858 Yeah. I just find it insanely ironic that the same people who scream "Trans people are harassing me!" literally turn around and harass people off of platforms

[@swishfish8858]

@@charlodynatimberheart4860 Well yeah, they don't actually give a shit about trans people one way or the other. Some of them are probably at least indifferent to trans people. You know how, when you're at work, you need to put on a smile and pretend you're happy to see someone, even though in reality, you're only doing it to keep your job? That's what all these punduts are doing, just replace "to keep your job" with "to get people to listen to and agree with them so they can control the cultural narrative". They don't care what the narrative is, they just want to control it. And they go for hate, because hate is an easier emotion to rally people together with. Trans people are a weapon in their war. They don't actually care about the cause they're fighting for - hell, the right-wing is all about male superiority, and we're supposed to believe they're suddenly advocating for women's rights? It's all part of the game to win power, and frankly, they're winning.

[@aureliodeprimus8018]

Only tangentially related. but i always laugh when Right-Wingers are talking about Antifa and how they are under threat by them. I tend to answer, if Antifa would be even as half as dangerous as they always say, they all would be corpses by now.

[@adiksaff]

FINALLY DONE WATCHING! I needed to separate watching in chunks, cuz my heart couldn't handle too much negativity in a day but I'm glad to be able to finally get through it. Thank you so much for your vulnerability Jessie and Aranock!

[@nancyjay790]

When my son was young, a thin, dark haired boy with glasses, he really got into the Harry Potter books. We would go to the midnight bookstore openings to sell the newly released volumes, sometimes with his friends. The fourth book came out just before he had to be rushed to hospital for an emergency operation where his appendix burst. Because it burst, he was stuck in hospital for twelve days after his operation, and at his request, I brought his copy of Goblet of Fire to him. Several nurses couldn't believe that my nine year old boy was reading such a huge, thick book. When Rowling began to take off the mask, he had a month of grief. Even though he enjoyed the first Fantastic Beasts film, he decided he couldn't go see any more of them. Or go to the theme park. Or do any of the things he once dreamt of doing. He doesn't grieve anymore. He decided Rowling isn't worth his thoughts. But he still believes that magic -- the kind where people allow themselves to become greater than they once were, and kinder-- exists. He won't tell anyone else what to do, because he doesn't judge. But if someone asked him, he'd say Rowling is Dolores Umbridge.

[@nancyjay790]

@@JDoe-gf5oz He gave himself a time limit to be upset.

[@XEzomoX]

Oh boohoo

[@haleyselene]

JK Rowling definitely isn't worth it. But believing in magic is priceless

[@matcha9250]

@@XEzomoX this is how i know you’ve never loved anything deeply at all. i honestly feel a lil sorry for you

[@TheSirSpence]

I love your comment. It echos some of my sentiments in this issue. I still grieve the loss of some people I loved growing up to insanity, bigotry and horrendous actions, of which JK is just one. . I admire the maturity of your son in the actions he has taken. I wish some of the people who claim to feel similar thoughts about JK, yet still intend to buy Hogwarts Legacy would have a similar conviction.

[@thewrongsorcerer]

The example you gave about Neil Gaiman makes me think of Yoshihiro Togashi (author of Yu Yu Hakuhso and Hunter x Hunter). In YYH, Togashi included just one trans character, Miyuki, who the protagonist is really transphobic to before killing her. Togashi later went on to write HxH and included some of the best trans representation in manga/anime with the inclusion of a character named Alluka. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's nice to see authors grow over time.

[@reallaurenmiller]

I heard that the scene in question was actually a botched attempt by the author to show the protagonist ISN’T transphobic in that he doesn’t care whether his enemies are trans or not, but the author didn’t communicate it well in the story.

[@DeusExProcella]

@@reallaurenmiller I could believe that. Japan is insanely conservative, and YYH isn't exactly a recent show. Knowing about Alluka in HxH definitely shows a willingness to grow and learn.

[@christianjohansson7185]

My lil trans brother has a very similar relationahip to the books. He read them back to back, over and over. And now whenever anything, big or small, reminds him of HP just makes him incredibly, incredibly sad. I dont want anything to happen to him. I want him to be happy. An JK has made it harder for him. I cant put it in a good way. I am so angry and sad. My heart burns. Even so. Thanks Jesse. I feel a bit more educated. You're a good person, and some of it rubbed off on me.

[@natashavalkovski9363]

as a non binary person i feel the same , i feel like i can only consume fan content, but even that i feel like i can’t do. i have old slytherin clothes i can’t throw out but i feel too bad to wear. it sucks.

[@christopherjohnson9167]

tell him he should play the game, it looks great!

[@TheVektast]

*IGN: 9/10 "Amazing"* Glad, I preordered the Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe edition! Can’t wait till tomorrow!!

[@livenitup862]

I’m so happy that Rick Riordan decided to evolve into a person that decided to listen to people& be an ally. JK decided to ruin my childhood comfort series already, at least I have Percy Jackson.

[@performanceenhancingdude5362]

Honey the books never changed…you did. Hahahahaha. I’m sure next week you’ll hate Percy Jackson for some bigoted purpose or another.

[@themythosarchives7520]

Rick is also very trans supportive and has included tons of queer characters in his books, including a gender-fluid character, defended this inclusion against bigotry, and has collaborated with a queer author in his most recent release.

[@sppotterstark8057]

Rick riordan peddles in racial stereotypes . See Cherokee feathers controversy over a Cherokee character in heroes of Olympus.

[@hopetikvah4906]

​@@sppotterstark8057Never assume malice when ignorance is the more likely explanation. Rick seems like an upstanding guy

[@Moonstone_Oli]

​@@sppotterstark8057 I believe he removed them from Piper after he learned that it was wrong. He's a good dude who just has to learn a little.

[@timelessjoq]

Hey Jessie, I'm a trans woman with a Jewish son who was honestly going to play this game, I'm an educator working in the rural south, and honestly I thought that "Look, I'm a trans lady who teaches fourth grade during this poitical environment, let me be a gender-queer Ravenclaw after my long days." But at the end of the day, while I am trans, I am also a middle class white lady who despite her transness gets the door held open for her by the rednecks in her town. Listening to specificallyThe Real Game section made me face what it is hard to face... despite my transness, despite all I have gone through, I still have privilege. I don't get to shrug and say, "Well I'm a trans teehehe, so it's okay." I can't say my partner is Jewish and my son is Jewish so it's okay. Nah. Being transgender doesn't make me an ally, it just makes me transgender. I'm only an ally when I'm supporting all of my siblings. You're my sister, and thank you. I think a lot of my journey has been about myself and affirmation, but you're right, if we can't do the minimum against this TERF shit then we don't have hope. Thank you sincerely for the hours of videos you have created. I know it's not going to be the end of your harassment and challenges, but your videos have helped me be a better woman, a better ally, and a better mom. Live long and prosper.

[@TiBunCosplay]

The Harry Potter books saved my life. They were a light in the darkest time of my childhood. When I was being relentlessly bullied by (and no exaggeration) the entire school (It was a very small school. 3 classrooms because it was so small they combined grades into three groups. the younger kids took point from the older and joined in on the bullying) and the only friends I had were the teachers, teachers who meant well but only made things worse for me by bringing attention to me in their attempt to fix things. I was driven into dark thoughts of ending things--ending myself. Running away to the one place no one could ever hurt me. Then on a trip to the library I found a book about a boy wizard in a school of magic that promised to be the first in a series. A book that gave me hope. Made me feel seen. Pages were my safe space to hide myself away in. A book that made me hold on to life because I needed to know what happened in the next book, then the next, then the next. It kept me clinging to life until I broke free of wanting to end it all. Until I found out how to be happy and could continue life, and even then I still had more to look forward to. Harry Potter saved my life and holds a very special place in my heart, and for a while, that extended to the woman who had written the books. Now? She's erased from that part of my heart. As a queer person that does fall under the trans umbrella as an enby, it fills me with so much disappointment and hurt that the woman I had once looked up to and aspired to be like, who was like the McGonagall of my life has turned out to be unmasked as Umbridge. I can't quite make myself to remove the books from my bookshelf, or get rid of some of the merch I have gotten over the years. Heck, just a few months before all this started I had gotten official Ravenclaw robes and had gotten to wear them out to a convention exactly once. Robes I now fear to wear again. One of my favorite/most comfortable cardigans is Ravenclaw. It sits collecting dust as I wonder if I could ever wear it again or if I should try to carefully remove the Ravenclaw patch without ruining the knit so I can wear it freely again. I have an old notebook of paper with the Hogwarts crest on it (cover and every page) in my bag for writing quick notes on that I have had since middle school (I'm in my 30's now) that I go out of my way to hide that it is HP when I take it out in public. (it's paper, it's almost gone but I don't want to waste the pages by tossing it) I have a few collectables I love that I second guess displaying in my home. I'm queer, I have a lot of queer friends, trans friends, I want them to feel safe and accepted when they visit me and walk into my home, yet I can't quite get rid of everything HP I have collected over the years. I have gotten rid of a lot. and I have more at my parents house to go through, I'm sure, but my history with the books prevent me from truly letting go, even as I never pick up the books to read again. Remembering HP is bittersweet, and JKR is responsible for that. I refuse to further support her so long as she stays rooted in this actively hurtful and hateful stance. I can only hope that one day she'll realize the harm she's doing and opens herself to learning, changing, getting better. Then maybe I can try reading the books again, but as things are now? No. maybe after she's dead in the same way other authors works have been reclaimed once they can no longer actively hurt anyone, but so long as people are being hurt by her, I cannot support her, and I look upon the very thing that had once saved my life with the hurt that it's been tainted. The game looks beautiful. it looks like a game I once would have went crazy for, just based on the artwork and the fact that it was it's own storyline apart from the books (I haven't heard about the actual storyline before now). But I just can't get excited. I can't support JKR in any form.

[@pandorainthebox69]

You can acknowledge the good the books brought into your life while also acknowledging the harm that their author keeps causing. Don't feel bad for loving them at one point. They meant something to you, but let it stay in the past. They belong to the past.

[@thesaltybeard1793]

The antagonists and villains of the game I heard are the jews- I mean goblins! Ahem...take from that what you will.

[@MarioGonzalez-di9fn]

pirate the game and enjoy. stay strong and remember that we are here for a limited time so don't let people bring you down.

[@Immortalcheese]

That was a very strong story. You'll find a new art form and universe to immerse yourself in. There's hundreds

[@RedMoonSolitary]

That's an ok and a reasonable response, I think. I don't it think it's fair for others to dismiss what good the books have done for some people because the author wound up being a terrible person.

[@steelplatedheart]

My parents are in the "support trans people, know Rowling is transphobic, and consume HP related media anyway for whatever reason" except since they're my family I know that "support trans people" means "won't kick my brother out of the house but refuse to use his name and pronouns" and "know Rowling is transphobic" means "heard Rowling was cancelled for being transphobic but haven't examined the finer details" and "supports her work anyway" means "goes out of their way to support her work because my dad is a small c conservative who finds all this gender stuff confusing and upsetting and supports other people grappling badly with these same concepts as a way to reassure himself that he isn't a bad person for refusing to use my brother's name and pronouns."

[@generatoralignmentdevalue]

Not kicking your own kids out is the same kind if bare minimum support as failing to buy one random game. I wish you and your brother the best and I hope your parents figure their shit out.

[@aashycoconut]

Relatable

[@haleyselene]

My dad is just like that in terms of "supporting" my trans brother. He's never talked about JK Rowling, but he loves to pretend he suddenly cares about women's college sports and "fairness"... It can be really difficult to deal with. Keep supporting your brother fully, and I think you'll both reach the other side.

[@fightvale57]

Pronouns just literally isn't that confusing. They've learned to use computers.like...

[@christopherjohnson9167]

sounds like a based and caring family ^_^

[@RyanLoken]

It's very hard to change deep feelings about a beloved childhood story but I definitely grow with each video from you Jesse. I hope they don't wear you down or harm you. Your work is a treasure I hope appreciates with time

[@xLoadez]

I'm a cis guy. I do a lot of digital art on my PC at home, and like to listen to video essays in the background. This was a really interesting watch, not only because of how your points and thoughts were so well put together, but also because of how it highlights major issues in our society. I'm sorry that the trans community is suffering so much. Keep being you

[@Kino_Cartoon]

Cis woman here and funny enough I was doing the same. I was able to escape mobbing and harassment after leaving my school being me and I always looked at the way trans people are being treated the same way other outsiders and me have been treated in school. I was so happy to escape that pool of prejudgments, rumors and mobbing justified by made up stuff, when people finally gave me the chance to get to know me and I discovered that I can be liked and that I'm actually very social... Everytime when I look at trans people's situation it reminds me of my school and it horrifies me to realize than contrary to me they'll never be able to escape "their school". Made up stories, rumors and prejudgment will follow them their whole life. One of the hardest pills to swallow when becoming an adult was the realisation that people don't grow out of abusive and harmful habits but will simply become adults *with* them if they never experience a wake up call and confrontation with their awful behavior and the learned excuses for it... The best we can do for now is to make sure they aren't alone in this fight. If you were scared to stand up for someone singled out in school you can use your strength gained as an adult now to stand with your follow people. I learned to do this because I couldn't fall that much deeper and nowadays I continue to do it because I experienced the joy of someone who's been helped up when they thought they were alone. I've been there, I was lucky enough to had help back than and I'll always will give it out if possible for me. We stand with you trans fam! And maybe, just maybe, similar to the acceptance of different sexualities, we will manage to break the "school experience" into *exceptions* , instead of the rule. In any case, that is worth fighting for ^^

[@sociallyineptsnapper]

@@philscott3759 Sorry Phil, despite what you might want to believe, we are not all transgender.

[@Kino_Cartoon]

@@philscott3759 next you are telling me there is no such thing as big big it's all just hight.

[@sociallyineptsnapper]

@@philscott3759 attempted character assassinations? Wdym? Is that not what you meant when you stated “There is no such thing as cis.”?

[@sociallyineptsnapper]

@@philscott3759 The actually of the situation, which you stated as there being no cis people. This means they’re all trans. Phil, not all people are trans.

[@illreadwhatshesreading]

i find it very hard to be sympathetic towards jkr when she posts screenshots of people sending her death threats and other gross messages when she knowingly induces that same kind of harassment towards others on a much larger and more personal scale. great video, jessie!

[@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick]

Especially since people are far less likely to ACT on a death threat towards an incredibly public figure in comparison to a member of a disadvantaged minority group.

[@8114梦见]

This is what I was trying to get through to my parents. I have zero respect for a person with a huge following who weaponizes that against people with literally no way to combat it. Just sickening behavior.

[@gwenmurbz7617]

Honestly, people should just flood her Twitter with the hate messages her transphobes send to trans people. It's her garbage, and she should have to see it if she's not gonna clean it.

[@Enderbrine98767]

@@Raddflyer I mean, Jessie kind of covers this in the video, but bastardizing was not the first strategy. It was only after JK doubled down that people really started getting angry. Most of us generally do assume ignorance over hate.

[@UsenameTakenWasTaken]

@@Raddflyer Almost ain't quite there, is it? A single cherry picked quote is nice, but it's not about trans folks, and it's not exactly offsetting something like, say, writing a story under the name of a Conversion Therapy proponent about a serial killer that dresses as a woman to get close to women to kill them. You are not being intellectually honest here, and I'm trying really hard to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you're simply ill informed, but seriously, watch the video.

[@zombiedeathrays8862]

The part around the 1:20:00 mark where you talk about other authors who have learned from criticism was really powerful. A really wonderful part of this video essay.

[@corvusclones]

"it's crazy to call me cancelled" -the woman pretending to be cancelled who no one else believed was cancelled

[@pashortt123]

Aranock's segment broke my heart. I can't imagine how much it hurts to have such a beloved part of your childhood revealed to be so antithetical to your very existence. My parents have been trying to get my daughters into Harry Potter. I've tried to use that as a way to explain to them (my kids, not my parents; they are beyond reasoning with) the truth of who Rowling is. They don't fully understand yet, but they do keep asking me to talk about her and why the things she says and does are harmful, so I have hope. Also I am absolutely buying them Animorphs books after this.

[@lady8jane]

Tamora Pierce is another author of JK's generation who writes wonderful fiction for preteens and teens and is a strong trans ally. Can highly recommend her Song of the Lioness series, especially if your kids like knights and mages.

[@pashortt123]

@@lady8jane Thank you! I''ll check those out!

[@capriccio9294]

I haven't heard anything bad about Rick Riordan yet and his books only became more inclusive the more I read when I was younger.

[@TheShadowChesireCat]

2nding Tamora Pierce suggestion (my fave living writer of over 20 years, since I was a kidlet). I also recommend trying them on The Wee Free Men by Sir Terry Prachett. A series about a young witch, feeling very much like a fish out of water feelings, but with some magic, fairies and support and guidance from older Witches. Oter parts in the series are best read as an older reader, heads up (it was his final Discworld character arc before his death, so it's a lot of... heavy, condensed ideas in the later books... as opposed to his usual, hilarious but scathing social critiques in a pointy hat, with "wizzard" written on it). If they like Wee Free Men by Sir Terry, try Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents (I think that's coming out in movie form soon too).

[@veelogation3890]

I also recommend Tamora Pierce. Except maybe not the Immortals series - the end has an iffy relationship so I can't recommend that for young girls. I remember loving the books as a kid but that aspect stuck with me, it definitely felt weird. (Potential spoilers: It's a ~10-15 year age gap relationship between a mentor and his former mentee. She is 16 when they get together and she was 11 when she became his student.)

[@lilbread1717]

The discussion (around 2h40) about media and the discourse being focused around a person (here JKR) instead of the larger issue (transphobia, antisemitism...) is something extremely real. I'm French, and France has a big issue with p*dophilia. We have way too many artists (musicians, book authors, comic artists...) who have publicly said they were attracted by young teens or even had relationships with young teens, sexualize young teens in their creations, sometimes it's even a biography about their crime. And everytime feminists or even victims speak out, asking "why do those people are still authorized to publish, why are they still being celebrated", the media and the discourse only focus on the person being call out, and not on the issue, which does nothing.

[@extrules]

I am intersex , but I identify as a woman and generally pass in public. Twitter was the only place I have ever been misgendered, and it was by Harry Potter fans. It was in your mentions, in fact, a while back. I know it sounds silly, but I have never felt like that before. I have looked in the mirror and felt mannish, tall and broad and hairy, but everyone in my life has always reassured me. "You just need to wax and wear makeup" sort of thing. Never before have I had dozens people who haven't even seen me, screaming out my every insecurity, saying I was lying about being intersex, that I was tricking my way into women's spaces, that I was disgusting, a freak, a TIM, a man, he him his and much, much worse. It would be gross to even repeat much of what they said to me. When your friend talked about her harassment online, I cried with her so hard. I left Twitter because I couldn't take it. I couldn't defend myself like that when I still see myself... as what they say. It just hurt too much. As an intersex person, I'm not trans, I'm not cis, I'm just... a little freak, alone and weird. A half-girl. A secret girl. A girl-in-disguise. A magic girl, part girl and part something else. I wrote an entire Harry Potter fanfiction when I was a kid about a half-mermaid girl who lived in the lake with the giant squid and who didn't have to pick a dormitory, who got to go to lessons at the big school and sleep among the quiet magic reeds under a full moon and owl-specked sky. I used that fantasy to go to sleep for years as my body began to betray me and I felt more and more alone. Only for the supposed fans I share love with to make me feel the worst I have ever felt online, so many years later. Harry Potter *is* a hate symbol. That is what it has become. I can't wear my merch, or read my own books, without remembering it. Without fearing I will being fear to someone else... The betrayal is not comprehensible to someone who didn't experience it, I think. And I have the option to go out in public! I only had to fear some words online! I can pass, ffs! For people who don't pass, or who don't want to, this brigade is out for blood, and are hastening the collapse of democracy. Authoritarianism when it comes to gender identity and presentation is a canary in the coal mine of fascism. Bigotry is the foundation of the status quo, and defending it is the core of nationalism. We little freaks carry the weight of societal progression upon us. Our identities *are* resistance. Our love of ourselves and each other is the future incarnate. They can scream all they like, but they won't break us, even if they broke open our safe memories and scraped them clean- we are grown, and we are still here, and I don't want to buy the crap game anyway- I have some revolution to do.

[@nerdyninjatemptress]

Your mermaid fantasy sounds quite lovely and comforting. It’s awful that something so lovely has been ruined for you. I hope you have something else you can find comfort in now.

[@TheVektast]

Hi I'm a black *transportation* and IGN said the new HP game is 9/10 so I preordered the Deluxe edition for me on ps and my lil sister on xbox.

[@pinkcupcake4717]

honestly a mermaid wizard sounds like a great story.

[@user-jy8zb2wc8l]

You are a woman. Your identity is so powerful that declaring yourself exactly as you are sends a powerful beam that destroys fascists. And let's be honest - many fanfic writers have written better stories than the original material for decades (and now we can be loud about it).

[@keppakappa5033]

@@TheVektast 0/10 trolling. No effort made, troll lacks clarity and direction, thinks literally anyone gives a shit about a game that's been described by other outlets as a broken, buggy mess.

[@PeakeABoo]

"Jessie Gender Critical" Got a belly laugh out of me. Love a good pun. There is a difference between being an ally and being an accomplice. What we need are more accomplices, allies are not going to stand with us when things get hard.

[@ErekLich]

As far as the "Death of the Author" point - as you pointed out, this only really works when said author is, in fact, dead. Lovecraft himself gets no royalties from people selling Cthulu plushies. Rowling is still alive and still getting those royalties.

[@starwarsprequelsandsequels7582]

True

[@mewmew6158]

Exactly

[@c.b.-]

Damn it, you've reminded me I want a Cthulhu plushie.. (kidding! ..mostly.😅)

[@unamejames]

"Death of the author" means interpreting literature without looking at the author's life or intent at all. It's not really relevant to the video so I'm not sure why Jessie brought it up at that part.

[@ErekLich]

@@unamejames it's relevant because some fans are using "death of the author" as justification for continuing to buy HP merch even thoughthey don't support JK's views.

[@sarahd.5244]

The bit close to the hour mark, of the letter from 2018, super heartbreaking. The Tonks analysis rocked me. As a kid reading the books I was sad and baffled Tonks and Remus ended up together (and later dead) seemingly out of nowhere. I even started wondering if it was to try and deter the Remus/Sirius shipping in the fandom. Now, as a queer adult on my own gender quest, the fate of Tonks hits even harder. It's just so sad, to look back on this franchise that used to bring me joy, and feel hurt and alienation instead. It's horrific what was done to you by Rowling. An account that huge specifically targeting you is so vile, she knew what would happen and she endorsed it.

[@alishac5096]

❤ Tonks was such a shining light, and missed opportunity. The flaws in these books are truly reflective of harmful stereotypes about queer folks in particular. I’m going to keep shipping Sirius and Remus and maybe we can imagine Tonks an androgynous NB muggle partner with a skill for seeing and calling out bs. The time has to be up on this ignorance, erasure is painful and has consequences. People live their entire lives not knowing who they are because it’s not an option they can see for themselves. I’m upset someone I saw as a role model is so harmful but I’m honestly proud of myself for being ready to let go of the attachment I held.

[@BenClark83]

This has been hard for everyone. I personally am not a Harry Potter fan. My wife is. When she studied for her Nurse Practitioner degree she put Harry Potter marathons on to just have in the background Becuase it eased her anxiety Harry Potter merch was always an easy gift. I’ve shifted into reading lesser known fantasy works together. That’s really been the best outlet. To imagine another world that isn’t hers

[@Donnagata1409]

Love Percy Jackson and all Rick Riordan's work. A much kinder saga. IDIC.

[@GrahamChapman]

Have you introduced her to Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's stuff yet? :3

[@djadelaney]

Something I think gets overlooked is that her transphobia also seems connected to a fear and hatred of men, which usually conservatives hate in self-proclaimed "feminists". I've experienced tons of sexual assault by men, as a cis woman, and I have managed to not decide all men are threats and fear them "infiltrating" women's spaces. Not that trans women are men, they're obviously women, but she thinks they're men and hates them for it, because she also hates men. Which is gross.

[@nikhtzatzi]

crypto lesbian gatekeeping an imsecure world so she doesnt face her truth. Thats how i see her, and many terfs.

[@Zeldagirl86]

Which confuses me why have pen name Robert or lie on women authors not popular. You cannot have both ways . Why a main character a man? For me she never spoke for women that been abused (I was almost kidnapped at 4 ) For me humans be evil. For me I got help from both men and women etc. For me it was scary seeing men cannot be rape (used 11 year that raped by nanny). I thank trama and therpy groups both co and not for helping. I left HP for JK attacks on women fanasty writers especially one who wrote their worlds before hers. Power goes people’s head. I hate death and want my friends and family alive and hate or fear doesn’t help anyone. I more trans men friends and worry on their safety along trans women. Many hide .

[@yllejord]

I think she hates femininity, not men.

[@fireflybutton1939]

I'm conflicted on multiple fronts... I love Harry Potter and it got me through horrific times but on the other hand J.K has made my life hell. I am a non binary person that is femme presenting as I'm a busty person (G cup... it'll be important further on) but I have a condition called PCOS that causes me to grow facial hair often gaining me trans excluding sentiments by TERFs. The experience that stuck with me the most was when I forgot my razor and had been having a long weekend at a friend's place so I was stubbly. It was time to walk home and passed by a mall on my way so needing the bathroom I headed in to use one. When I go inside the bathroom area outside the cubicles a woman starts side-eyeing me really intensely but I brush it off as I had a stupid bunny hat on so I thought it was just a "ugh so immature" look. After using the toilet I come back out to wash my hands and this woman just says "ur disgusting, u know that?!" I look at her in horrified confusion and she just goes off on how I'm obviously trans due to my 5 o'clock shadow and that I'm a large breast fetishist and I'm sick for getting implants to fulfill that kink. It got to the point I threatened to pull my pants down and show that I'm cis. Eventually, a female security guard comes in and asks wtf is going on as another woman heard the commotion outside and got help. Luckily, the guard saw me in tears and the TERF red faced in rage the guard thankfully heard me out and believed me... To this day I'm horrified about what happened and feel immense sympathy for trans people and how J.K has empowered these hateful people to attack anyone even REMOTELY not accurately presenting as cis and hurting both cis disabled persons and trans in the same breath.

[@bacchus9389]

I’m so sorry you had to go through that, thanks for sharing your experience. Transphobia hurts cis people, too.

[@wrenfritsche9153]

Yep I feel this so Hardcore. I am so sorry that you had this experience. I also have PCOS and hirsutism (hair growth) presenting as well. I am so fearful of running into the same situation all the time as I do not hide my facial hair or tailor my outfits to hide my chest hair (all attempts at getting rid of both have failed).

[@gabriellef3351]

😟💔

[@jamie1602]

You're gonna need to understand something. Terfs are Nazis and hate the chronically ill and disabled women too because we're "broken on the inside and out" and we don't fit into their neat little boxes. So stand with trans people or we're next in being murdered. Terfs are nazis. Protect everyone so we can protect ourselves. WE KNOW HOW THIS STORY PLAYS OUT.

[@elipticalecliptic481]

yeah that's the thing the only women Rowling's "defending" are women who fit into a very white and conventional version of womenhood; she's just kicking any other woman who doesn't fit in that tiny box under the bus, and she doesn't give a fucking shit about it

[@caitlin4598]

As a cis person who was transphobic in the not-so-distant past (more out of ignorance than anything else, but still, that doesn't make it okay) I just want to say thanks for laying out all of these points so clearly and providing all your sources. It really helps as someone who's trying to educate myself to be better but often doesn't know where to look, or where to start when it comes to 'doing my own research'. I know you don't owe us cis folks anything when you've more than suffered enough, but I appreciate it. Videos like this and content creators like you are helping me to dismantle my lingering prejudices and work on being a better and more accepting person. Thank you.

[@Beuwen_The_Dragon]

‘Suffered”

[@Cole_Cross]

We love and welcome you while on your journey to having more compassion and empathy! In trying to be a better version of yourself, you ARE being a better version of yourself. Keep up the good work

[@coughin]

Thank you for trying to better yourself, Caitlin. You sound really cool, it takes a lot to recognize and overcome bigotry

[@Mountainlion118]

@@Beuwen_The_Dragon Suffering

[@MikMoen]

Maybe you should take a step back, and question if you truly had something to apologize for. Or if that's just what they want you to believe. Admitting you were at fault solely because you're not one of them. Cause I'm getting really tired of this, "I'm Cisgendered therefore I'm guilty" mentality.

[@amycatass]

I watched this video early on Nebula, absolutely worth it. I don’t know if I can bear watching it again, as the end section was majorly emotionally affecting to me, but I will share it around. Thank you Jessie, and may your dreams finally be rid of the tormenting TERF

[@WizWiteKnight]

Samesies, but just for the numbers and the algorithm, im putting her on mute and letting her run in the background

[@statsy150]

Ok so i basically never leave two comments but I feel like I have to. I’m 15yo, nonbinary and closeted and in class we started talking about the wizarding game, and it was basically me against the world. I was not trying to call them all transphobic for not not supporting the game, I just wanted to make sure trans voices were rapresented in the discussion since I don’t think anyone else is trans in my class. Only a few people actually listened on what I had to say and actually had a discussion, while the others are now just posting images of the game with price tags on the group chat. People kept saying to separate art from the artist but how can I do that when she is alive and still gets clout from the art? Add also the fact that I’m not the best debater ever and I almost cried when talking about JKR. I feel like this is such a lost cause cause talking about the game seems that it just makes people want it to buy it more and I’m super done with cis people feeling entitled to choose what is harmful to trans people and what isn’t. Just listen to us that’s all I want at this point

[@JessieGender1]

I’m sorry that happened to you. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@yourneighborhoodfbi7518]

My original reply accidentally got discarded so I’m just gonna summarize with this one. I’m sorry that your classmates may’ve not listened to you (I’m not trying to like gaslight you by saying “may’ve,” it’s just that I wasn’t there. However it’s very believable considering… well, people). I want to point out that Rowling isn’t actually transphobic-she actually wrote an entire essay about how she sympathizes with trans people’s abuse as a woman who’s been abused. I can link it as a reply if you want. I get it, you’re young and are still figuring out stuff. I’ve had slightly more time to, even though I’m basically in a similar boat. However, please do not listen to people who scream the loudest. There is always a line between cruelty and honesty, a line that Rowling doesn’t cross by any means. There are people who are transphobic who do cross that line when speaking about biological differences between trans people and non-trans people, etc. However, there are a lot of people who have not crossed that line (like Rowling) who have been screamed at for being a “bigot” because the truth is a hard thing to accept. I would know as someone who has to accept my own reality of dealing with a severe psychological disorder, amongst other things. Tl;dr: Don’t listen to people’s screaming. Please do your own research (and I don’t mean to be like passive aggressive or anything, sorry if it comes across as such. I’m just very mentally exhausted).

[@yeah493]

@@yourneighborhoodfbi7518 Don't.

[@j.rohmann3199]

I saw trans people buying the game and liking the franchise and simply not caring about what rowling says. Its that easy. People should be able to enjoy what they want without needing to get educated on some sh*t some author said. And at the end, you are just a minority. No one should have to bend to the will of a minority

[@cinthiagoch]

@@yourneighborhoodfbi7518 I see you copy-pasting that argument on a lot of comments. You can refuse to watch the video and ignore everything that's being said, but DO NOT come with that crap onto young people who are feeling vulnerable and alone, and looking for understanding and a place to feel safe. You just proved you don't care about them, only your narrative. Go away and grow a heart, for f's sake.

[@justinamundsen3245]

It amazes me that kids media is filled with messages about being yourself rather than pretending to be someone you think others will like and yet so many people seem to miss that point, including the author who wrote it. Do people just forget that or do they believe it’s something they feel only applies to them? Maybe creators like JK should be clear that Harry was being his “correct” self and not his true self.

[@umi2751]

Tbh Harry Potter was always the character he was expected to be in his universe: he's good in everything he does, rich, popular... The only times ppl ostracized him were the snake talking part and during that part in the goblet of fire. Meanwhile the author made character to be laughing stock like Neville for being an orphan, simas for being bad at spells, etc etc

[@falconeshield]

Got mine, push ladder away

[@falconeshield]

@@umi2751 He's also a trust fund kid who married his kidhood sweetheart and became a wizard cop, despite the system almost killing him in B4.

[@azarinevil]

Harry Potter was never about being yourself.. I excuse most people for not realizing because they were kids when they read it. It was a book about finding the place where your privileges and celebrity make people accept you. All the people who were themselves were used for laughs or delivered unto tragedy, it was a subtle way of telling kids that being different isn't worth the suffering it will cause you.

[@Dave102693]

@@azarinevil yeah. Harry was half nobel , and was granted a massive fortune when he was eligible to attend Hogwarts.

[@somechickwithcats]

This is my first time seeing a video from you and I must say I'm shocked. I've just discovered that I've apparently been living under a rock for years and somehow missed anything regarding JK Rowling and the franchise in general. I recently heard about the game and was very interested, thinking it would be fun to relive my childhood and reignite my Hufflepuff love. Not only was I about to read the books again, rewatch all the movies, and preorder the game, I actually had a HP tattoo planned as well. Having learned all of this, I will not be going forward with any of these things now. Instead, I'm proud to subscribe to you and see more of your content. This is the easiest decision I've made in a long time and I thank you for the knowledge and excellent video. (And a MASSIVE thanks to sparing me from getting a tattoo I would have later wanted removed.)

[@wettapeheartbreak]

I'm glad you saw this before getting a tattoo! Crisis averted lol

[@somechickwithcats]

@@wettapeheartbreak Yes, I agree 100% lol!

[@maddieb.4282]

Yeah thank fucking god I never got an hp tattoo!!! Oh my god that would have been terrible!

[@somechickwithcats]

@@maddieb.4282 Yes! After seeing all of this I learned that a friend of mine who had one for years actually got hers covered up and god was it a PRICEY fix.

[@thestratman9]

You should do your research first. Because the statements that sparked all of this was essentially over JK Rowling supporting Transpeople, but at the same time, belives that biological womem and trans women are not the same on a biological level. She had some concerns about womens rights and then the whole lgbt+ community grabbed their torches and pitchforks.

[@Radjhitoocool]

My family is black my siblings immediately knew jk was kinda racist with the names even as kids. Every scandal we hear about her we shrug our shoulders and say sounds about right. I think you have to be pretty close minded to not notice the cracks in her work

[@victoriav9240]

Racism before: slavery, KKK, segregation. Racism now: names Maybe you are too comfortable and making up problems😎

[@neon2870]

For me (a white person from a white family), I didn't notice the issues with the names initially because I just hadn't had a history class at the time I first read them. But then once I did learn I never second guessed my initial thoughts on the books until someone did it for me. I wouldn't call that close mindedness, but it certainly got to a point of willful ignorance.

[@neon2870]

@@Raddflyer watch the video. It's explained very well.

[@kraziiXIII]

Considering Jessie's age (and mine too) most of these books were published before we even got into high school. It's hard to see the racism and antisemitism when as white children there were little to no adults in our lives pointing out how harmful it was when we were under the age of 14. It isn't willful ignorance if you've been brainwashed and grown up under white supremacists (as the US is) and literally do not have the critical thinking skills to understand what harm these things are doing when it isn't obvious. For me personally, my area growing up was like 95% white-eurocentric folks. All of my teachers were white as well. Racism and antisemitism are learned and when the only people teaching are the ones who benefit from the system there is little to no incentive to openly speak against it. Like for example, because of how I was raised Cho Chang, Moaning Myrtle, and the goblins were never anything that slipped my radar as offensive or harmful. I am very grateful to those who took the time out of their days to educate me (usually video essayists and commenters). It was ignorance, yes, but it wasn't intentional or a refusal to learn, but the lack of opportunity to learn that lead to the inability to see the issues with JKR.

[@JediMB]

@@Raddflyer You're doing what is called "cherry picking".

[@freakthecentipede2743]

Rowling really thinks owls are associated with her lmao No sis. Owls belong to Eda the owl lady and her non binary partner and her bisexual adopted child

[@CirianAlani]

[Laughs in Athena.]

[@catpoke9557]

I actually don't associate owls with any form of media, but if I did, it would probably be Avatar: The Last Airbender because of that creepy owl monster.

[@SpecialBlanket]

Haven't owls been a mythology thing for a long time?

[@chibibluemouse]

Aronok's portion of the video has convinced me to cut ties with the absolute last vestiges of what little Harry Potter influences I have clung to. I don't want to be someone who inspires fear. I don't want to propagate hate. When it came out that THAT woman was a TERF, I swore off ever buying any of that merchandise or asking for any of that merch for presents. But now I will pack away that sadly vital part of my childhood. Let it rest in the past.

[@Aranock]

💜

[@ladyeowyn42]

I was on the fence about sharing HP with my little kid. No longer. There’s plenty of great books without transphobia attached.

[@ArcturSophos]

Same here. My mom keeps buying me HP merch, but I'm going to stop wearing it. While I didn't financially support JK by buying it, it still sends the wrong message to any trans person I might meet. And also sends the wrong message to any transphobe I'll meet. I was even thinking about making a house colors scarf. But I'm thinking no now. I'll find something else to use that red and gold yarn for

[@flicnerdy4385]

@@ArcturSophos Yarn usage suggestions: A fancy teddybear Christmas jumper One of those plushies that look like food, like the pizza tortoises, cause those are very food colours!

[@isadoracostahamsi163]

@Georgia not gonna lie. Sometimes, I catch myself wandering if JK could die before my child is 10yo just so I can read her the books. But sadly she isn't old enough to die of natural causes in the near future and I will not wish for people to die of unnatural causes. So I will just not read it for her...

[@polaris_draws]

Massive props to Aranock for sharing her story, thank you.

[@Aranock]

💜

[@pap64]

Here is a fun fact: An episode of "Kirby: Right Back at Ya!" featured a whole parody of Harry Potter called "Pappy Potter", and the characters were such fanatics that the author of the books, who is a in-universe parody of Rowling herself, came to the village and decided to make a whole Wizarding World. When Tiff, one of the main characters, asked her why she wrote the books, her blunt response was "MONEY OF COURSE!'. Later it was revealed that this Not-Rowling was a monster sent by Nightmare Enterprises to fight against Kirby. Sure, the real Not-Rowling would come in and be nicer, but in hindsight it's funny that an anime about Kirby, a character from NINTENDO, somehow predicted Rowling's reputation going down the drain, including her bragging about money and becoming a monster in the eyes of many...Funny how things work out.

[@trashcatlinol]

Wasn't expecting to hear about this series, but I remember that episode. I wonder if they honestly saw jk that way or were doing their best to exaggerate.... Great series.

[@pap64]

@@trashcatlinol I think it was done to parody PEOPLE'S perceptions of JK Rowling at the time prior to her becoming a TERF; by the time the episode in both Japan and the US movie two had been released and one of the books was out prior to it concluding. They were mocking how JK was this rich snob that only did it for the money since that's how some people saw her at the time before she was painted and a PERFECT ROLE MODEL. But now the episode feels like it predicted how it would all go down by sheer accident

[@halfmettlealchemist8076]

Common Kirby W

[@augustr4413]

Wow reading this completely unlocked my memory of that episode. Wild

[@kai_maceration]

OH OKAY I didn't know we were bringing up MY obscure childhood favorites now lol /j /j /j (for context I was never into HP as a kid so I didn't expect to feel nostalgia rn) never saw that episode, but that's awesome I love that show. Now I'm just imagining how funny it would be if the real life JK was also sent by nightmare enterprises, way more lighthearted than reality tbh :/

[@KristiChan1]

Personally I jumped ship when I heard Joanne say "Oh yeah, like, Dumbledore is *totally* gay you guys. I'm so inclusive!" 🤪 And my dislike for her was solidified when she essentially backhanded the autistic community when she said said something along the lines of "they don't know any better" in reference to autistic trans people.

[@swishfish8858]

Woooah I totally missed that last part, what a cuntmuffin

[@KristiChan1]

@@swishfish8858 Yeah she said that not long after her final HP book came out, but mostly people were quiet about it (although there were a lot of glances like "did she really just say that?).

[@KristiChan1]

@@swishfish8858 Also, I'm now adding cuntmuffin to my vocabulary lol.

[@hexonyou]

My life was already getting too busy to let myself live in my harry potter escapism after my teens. But I still remained a fan for a long time. When she started making little addendums like the one about Dumbledore, it truly felt like she was trying to strike back at her fan base who had... now become as knowledgeable about her world as she was (and possibly pedantically more familiar, tbh). It really felt like she was coming up with little trivia bits off the fly to say "see, I know this world better, you didn't even know this secret!" but since there were literally no seeds in her work about the things previously, it felt less like a calculated part of the character/world from the start... and more like her trying to maintain control or at least feel in control. By the time I was reading Harry Potter to my son (we read it when he was probably 8ish, and... re-reading it as an adult w/o the naivete and ignorance of childhood, I had a lot of "oof" moments at the writing where we had to take a break from reading while I kind of put into context what the characters were acting out, and the good/bad of those moments) I was no longer a fan and already quite cynical about JK's actions and mood towards her fandom. The re-reading didn't help, and then doubling down on ugly stereotypes and not listening to polite critique... and then the transphobia. And her transphobia peaked right at the time when I had come out and was navigating being a trans person who was vulnerably "OUT" now. As a trans masc nonbinary person who is neurodivergent, everything she says about trans men is so disgustingly infantilizing.. and the vitriol she supports being poured out to trans women is just truly abhorrent imo.

[@alim.9801]

She said WHAT??

[@NamelessBody]

You know Jessie, you're the kind of person I'd really love to have in my friend group. Especially because of the Star Trek dorkiness and your ability to make three and a half hour videos about things that matter to you. You're the good kind of intense.

[@beetlebob4675]

Agreed. I'm the ubernerd of my group and i suck people into my geek vortex all the damn time. 😂 i tend to get way too excited when i meet new people who are the same way. I used to wear my trek outfit to music festivals (when i wasn't broke af lol) and i once ran into someone else wearing theirs and we dove headlong into a fandom freakout that we subjected everyone around us to for well over an hour. 😂

[@Quotate]

Transgirl to transgirl to Jessie's cowriter: please get off Twitter girl. It's clearly tearing you apart and it only makes your life more stressful. Once I deleted that shitty app my mental health got so much better

[@ImaginaryAlchemist]

Yeah, once Elongated Muskrat took over Twitter it became a lost cause. Best to just delete your account altogether. It'll probably crash and burn in a year or two anyway

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Well done. Don’t know what more I can say other than that I can’t thank you enough for giving Aranock all the time she needed to say her piece.

[@Aranock]

Thank you Vera 💜

[@gregvs.theworld451]

@@Aranock I found your part very moving Aranock. Of course, Jesse's whole video had me feeling hers and yours and all us queer folks righteous anger and frustration, but your brave moment of vulnerability made me stop playing video games as I listened in the background and really make sure I heard and absorbed your section in its entirety. I commented that Jesse should upload your part of this as a separate video, but knowing how many comments she'll no doubt get on this vid, she might not see my suggestion. I would offer that more people need to see that part, and offer the suggestion that, if you so choose, you, Jesse, or both of you should upload your section as their own videos on your respective channels.

[@Zapporah85]

Aranock described it for me very well. I own the first 2 books in Japanese because I know the books backward and forward so well that it's really easy to listen to the Japanese version. It was helping me keep up on my studies. I can't even listen to it for that reason anymore. Anyway, back to sewing trans patches onto my sltherclaw scarf.

[@mboatrightED300]

Even without the queer coding (which my straight self completely missed as a teen), Tonks and Lupin was such a blatant "no buildup, no chemistry, pair the spares" relationship that I hated it.

[@KutluMizrak]

it also frankly weirded me out as a teen reading that book when they were revealed as a couple because.. I mean... MASSIVE age difference.

[@idasvenning3892]

@kutlumzrak2689 Yes! And it was justified basically like "well she insisted, how is a man supposed to say no?" Nah man you don't get a 13(?) years younger girlfriend because she fell in love with you. You keep your distance (and remember that it all could have been avoided if you had married Sirius like god intended)

[@rayafoxr3]

New headcanon: that’s because they’re each other’s beards. Everyone pretty much knows that though. Maybe they’re platonic partners

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

I work as a freelance editor, who is also writing my own fantasy book series. There is a reason why it looks as though the later books in the Harry Potter series did not undergo an editorial process, because that's very likely what happened. When an author meets with some success, the publisher and editors tend to back off and let the author have free rein. After all, the publisher does not want to interfere with a property that is making a lot of money. This is around the time the author jumps the shark, when all of their bad habits come out, their language gets very sloppy, and their stories become incredibly bloated. You could see this in how the books steadily got longer, until the 4th and subsequent books were more than twice the length of earlier entries and the author's neoliberal politics were practically oozing off the page. By this point, the only editing job done on a book will be copy editing, which is essentially proofreading to check for basic spelling and grammar. There will be little to no content editing, which is the more involved kind of editing that analyzes the characters, plot, themes, narrative style, and other story elements. The author could certainly have used a content editor, but given her record, she doesn't seem likely to have responded well to any form of criticism.

[@APairOfOldSkoolVans]

I don’t know if it was just me but I remember finding even the first book hard to understand at times. I remember not being able to tell which character was the one speaking on multiple occasion. I think I remember it lacking a lot of words likes “said”, “argued”, “exclaimed”, and other related synonyms for “said”

[@emilydavison2053]

If you're an editor, you should know it's 'free rein' not reign.

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

@@emilydavison2053 You're right, fixed.

[@FrozEnbyWolf150]

@@APairOfOldSkoolVans It's actually not recommended that you do that. Keeping the dialogue tags simple is the best way to get the point across. The content and context of what the character is saying should be enough to convey the mood. Otherwise you can easily end up with awkward phrasings where you rely on the attributives to tell readers how the character is feeling. If you're good enough, you can write an entire conversation without any tags at all.

[@LolaFaraday72]

yes! i liked up to book 5 in the series and after that, even though I read it all, the series had lost its magic for me. (sorry for the pun lol)

[@fogstarmoss]

This video was clearly exhausting to produce. Thank you for making it. You are an amazing creator.

[@purplepuddlenut]

I've been watching this over a few days because ADHD and I feel so validated in my anger and fear. You manage to say things so much better than I ever could.