I'm not a huge
Harry Potter Fan. I have read all the books and watched all the movies and enjoyed them, it's just not something I go back to, and have forgotten a lot of it. These days, consuming any
Harry Potter content brings up the complicated issue of whether or not we can separate the artist from the art, or should. Since the last book of the
Harry Potter series was published in 2011 and the script for
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was published in book form in 2016, author
J.K. Rowling has made increasingly concerning anti-trans statements, and funded anti-trans organizations and movements. Can we still love
Harry Potter if we find her views on human rights egregious? I don't know the answer to that, but I went to see the Broadway tour of
Cursed Child (
playing at the Orpheum through May 17), which is the product of so very many artists. I received complementary tickets as a member of the press, but I donated the price of the tickets ($290 for two) to nonprofit organizations that support the trans community* in order to counteract any ill effects of my decision. And I'm glad I did see it; I loved the play and found it to be not only an incredible technical achievement in theater, but also such a beautiful message about friendship, family, community, and banding together to fight against evil and injustice. I cannot make it make sense that someone who created such a beautiful and inspirational universe can also spout such hateful things about trans women in the guise of feminism (BTW, it's not feminist to narrowly define "woman" and vilify anyone who doesn't meet that definition). In the interest of not throwing out the baby with the bathwater, maybe we can take in, admire, and emulate the words and actions of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and their kids (as this play features) instead of those of their creator. And use it to inspire us to continue to fight against the very real and scary evils in our world that are continually acting against the most vulnerable and most in need among us. That's what Harry would do!
