I was all set to start back up on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone, ch. 10 Halloween. I was looking forward to it, as this chapter is where I think the series, and certainly this particular book, starts to get off the ground. Unfortunately, J.K. Rowling wouldn’t let go of her shovel and is determined to dig her hole at least 6 feet deep.

To anyone who is unaware, Rowling recently released a new book under her pseudonym Robert Galbraith (sorry, does no on else notice the irony of her using a pen name of the opposite gender?), Troubled Blood. Similarly, WB is trying to gain publicity to attract fans for the new Harry Potter based game, Hogwarts Legacy, which is set to release in 2021 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows. But the muggles aren’t having it.

“#RIP J.K. Rowling” began trending on twitter and it seems the richest woman in England (yes, richer than the Queen) has officially gone the way of the Titanic. Yes, I’m making the “too big to sink” joke. Troubled Blood, which I have not read, as the following synopsis per Amazon.com: 

A breathtaking, labyrinthine epic, Troubled Blood is the fifth Strike and Robin novel and the most gripping and satisfying yet.

Private Detective Cormoran Strike is visiting his family in Cornwall when he is approached by a woman asking for help finding her mother, Margot Bamborough – who went missing in mysterious circumstances in 1974.

Strike has never tackled a cold case before, let alone one forty years old. But despite the slim chance of success, he is intrigued and takes it on; adding to the long list of cases that he and his partner in the agency, Robin Ellacott, are currently working on. And Robin herself is also juggling a messy divorce and unwanted male attention, as well as battling her own feelings about Strike.

As Strike and Robin investigate Margot’s disappearance, they come up against a fiendishly complex case with leads that include tarot cards, a psychopathic serial killer and witnesses who cannot all be trusted. And they learn that even cases decades old can prove to be deadly . . .

According to PinkNews.co.uk, “JK Rowling’s latest book is about a murderous cis man who dresses as a woman to kill his victims” as the headline reads (for the full article, please see the link at the bottom of this blog post). In the wake of Rowling’s transphobic “essays” and twitter posts, which I glossed over in my previous post, the author has effectively placed her career on a one way trip via hearse. Despite the mythical and mythological aspects of her beloved children’s series, I see no coming back from this determined and deliberate death spiral, Fawks be damned. While I continue to make puns and keep a light tone, I view Rowling’s words and attitudes with seriousness and I deplore them with no exception. Whether Rowling was a victim of sexual assault and domestic abuse or not (I argue neither side), there is no excuse for her transphobic rhetoric. Feigning being a feminist is not solid reasoning for such hyperbole and does not give any substance to her arguments.

As a feminist and member of the LGBTQA+ community, I’d like to unequivocally state that being a cis woman is not the requirement to be a feminist or to have feminism apply to you. Being a trans woman, for that matter, is not a requirement. You may identify however you like, because feminism applies to every person, and the feminist community should like-wise be comprised of every “type” of person. While I would like to denounce J.K. Rowling (Yes, as I said in my previous blog, I will continue to love the Harry Potter of my youth and the fanfiction that it continues to inspire) I am determined to leave my hatred for her at the end of this blog post. The opposite of love is not hate, it is apathy. 

So no, I will not be exploring Hogwarts circa the 1800s in Hogwarts Legacy, despite its beautiful; graphics and my love for the creatures and characters that I might encounter. WB may continue with its empty breath to tell the public that J.K. Rowling is not directly involved in the game, and it is true. I highly doubt she was “directly” involved. But indirectly, she will likely make millions off of the proceeds. I have sworn to no longer contribute financially or positively in any way that I am aware of, to “She Who Will Not Be Named” (I didn’t make that connection, so don’t roll your eyes at me, I’m quoting fans all over the web. And yes, I think that’s mean to Voldemort, as well, which I am also not the first person to point out. I’d argue that Rowling has made herself a worse villain than Dolores Umbridge, who everyone knows was hated more than Tom Riddle, Jr.). 

To be clear, I hope J.K. Rowling stops promoting her “agenda” as so many like to call that of the LGBTQA+ community. In a perfect world, I’d like to see her realize her mistakes and apologize. In this world, I would like this discourse to continue. I want people to continue to be outraged over her hatred and bigotry. I hope to see people clamoring for fair representation in all forms of the media, and to see their demands met. I hope to see less rebranding and more legislation. I don’t want to forget the time one of my favorite authors decided to poison the world she created and the world she inhabited. I want all lives to matter equally; regardless of race, gender, sexuality, religion, economics, career, age, or any other “category” or “label” society comes up with. And if I cannot make change in my lifetime, I am determined, at the very least, to not let the inequality of my time change me. 

#RIPJKRowling

#itstimetomakeourownworldmagical

https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/09/14/jk-rowling-new-book-cormoran-strike-troubled-blood-killer-dresses-woman/