Thinking about becoming transphobic? Don't!

As much as I dislike giving attention to the Harry Potter franchise, this new reboot makes me mad enough to write about it. Beyond the basic “not everything needs a reboot!” defense, I am here to argue against watching HBO Max’s new Harry Potter series for moral reasons.

But Liv, I love Harry Potter! I’ve grown up with it and it’s been part of my life forever!

Good for you! Maybe you can go back and watch the decently accurate movies they made. Or, and this might be an ask, you can even reread the books that brought you so much joy as a child. I’m sure your reading level hasn’t changed much so those books shouldn’t be too challenging to get through.

(That was harsh…I’m sorry?)

But wouldn’t streaming those movies still give JK Rowling money? Isn’t that what you’re arguing against? And what if I don’t have the books, how am I supposed to read them without buying them?

Let’s not be stupid. There are plenty of ways to watch/read media without funding the creator. And I’m not even talking about piracy—borrow from a friend or pay your local library a visit and check out their DVDs. If you’re worried about picking up the books from the children section, good. That’s embarrassing. Walk yourself over to the adult (or YA, no shame!) section and pick out a new fantasy book you haven’t read. It might even be good enough to give you that same satisfaction that you felt with the Harry Potter books for the first time. Bonus for being able to say you’ve read at least one book since middle school!

Liv, you haven’t even told me why I shouldn’t watch the new series.

If you’re #unplugged you might not know of Rowling’s actions. If you’re online with the rest of us, you probably know that the UK author is transphobic. Violently so. You probably don’t know just how transphobic she is, though. It goes beyond just a few hateful tweets.

Rowling started her own legal fund for “women’s sex-based rights” cases. I won’t explain more about this. I’m not here to educate you, I’m here to make fun of you. Read the article if you actually want to learn more. Just understand that her hatred for trans lives goes beyond comments on the internet. By giving her money and supporting her work, you are funding this anti-trans organization.

If you made it this far without clicking away in frustration, thank you for hearing me out. As a reward, these are my personal picks for fantasy that you might enjoy in place of this reboot:

• BBC’s Merlin (2008) for magical hijinks and a great ensemble cast

• Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Avalon book series for an Arthurian retelling through a feminine lens

• Dimension 20’s Fantasy High for that magic school vibe…but also Google “magic school series” and I guarantee you’ll find something

• House of the Dragon on HBO Max, a medieval contest of dragons and politics with a nonbinary leading actor

These are just some of my favorites, and plenty more can be found across all mediums. Don’t be afraid to look at video games and books if there are no TV shows or movies that call to you. With all that’s out there, it sure seems like a waste of time to be dwelling on old stories that weren’t that great to begin with.