BlackHeart Biohazards

We are incapable of discussing Harry Potter rationally or logically. I need you to understand that we hated JK Rowling before it was cool and moral to do so. (Since book 5 was published.)

We were enveloped by, enmeshed with, and ultimately betrayed by the books and the author. We didn’t need her to tweet her bad opinions to know she had bad opinions, only to look at the content of her writing as it continued.

We want to be able to still participate in the queer and transgressive part of Harry Potter fandom (the parts that that author hates and are anathema to the themes of her work), but it hurts too much to do so.

We genuinely applaud anyone who is still able to separate themselves from their anger enough to play in that sandbox.

Harry Potter fandom defined our teen years in general, and defined some of our system members in specific. Our feelings of rage and hurt and attachment to the series and fandom are so complex that we simply cannot engage with it ourselves.

In general, speaking broadly of media by creators who suck as people, we are in favor of ‘the death of the author’ and enjoying works and fandom for what they are without supporting the author or their views.

We already went through the same thing with Ender’s Game and Orson Scott Card.

If you want to read a book and enjoy a fandom without lining the pockets of a corrupt author, pirate their work and make fanfic they would hate.

It’s okay to do that. It’s okay to enjoy work by, and create transformative works based on the writing of shitty people.

It’s equally okay to want to avoid an author and their works and fandom because you hate the author and their views.

What isn’t okay is harassing people over their taste in and enjoyment of fiction.

By all means, attack the arguments of people who present disgusting viewpoints such as queerphobia and transphobia, but do not harass people who do not espouse those viewpoints just because of the fiction they choose to consume.