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[–] 59 points 7 months ago (10 children)

The really weird thing is how many LGBTQ folks latched onto HP in its early releases as what was recognized to be a kind-of pro-queer YA novel.

You had a young boy who was literally in the closet, disowned and disrespected by family, who is spirited away to a magical school where his differences are valued and cultivated. He's got a bunch of friends who could easily sub in for queer icons. There are gender-bending magical spells, the bad guys are explicitly fascist, most books end with some kind of "The power of friendship and love will triumph!" rejoinder. FFS, Dumbledore is canonically gay.

It is far more a testament to the psychologically corrosive power of plutocracy that JK Rowling went off the rails. I don't think it's unfair for people to like the books and hate the author. Just remember not to pay for anything and you're fine.

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  • [–] 5 points 7 months ago (6 children)

    It's most probable that Rowling is actually trans, but refuses to accept it. Denying it along with degrading empathy due to her financial success just creates a void she feeds with hostility. This leads to guilt, more hostility due to "shame", etc. Her books portray her actual feelings, but she fell off the wagon because she believes it is shameful to accept a different gender. She has even said that she wished she was a boy. Regardless, funding any kinda hate group is fucked. Believe what you want, but don't try and stop people from having their own joy if it's not harmful.

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  • [–] 12 points 7 months ago (2 children)

    It’s most probable that Rowling is actually trans, but refuses to accept it.

    I've heard this speculated extensively. It would certainly be ironic.

    But I'm more prone to believe she's one more British Fascist, poisoned by money and a growing circle of reactionary hysterics.

    She has even said that she wished she was a boy

    A lot of that stems from British entrenched misogyny. Wanting the privileges of masculinity, as much as the actual biology.

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  • [–] 1 point 7 months ago (1 child)

    While the cultures are different, I don't get it. Women in the US basically have a "just cause I lack a penis, doesn't mean I am not equal" mentality. And women earned rights in the UK before the US. Just seems like the misogny would be less over there. Then again, racism was on the decline here, and now it's like everyone has a golden ticket to be bigoted assholes, so...

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  • [–] 4 points 7 months ago

    No she's just trying to sell the idea that being trans is a tactical choice just like how she put JK instead of Joanne on her book cover so more boys would buy it.

    Standard terf belief is that trans men just sometimes wanted to do boy stuff as a kid but didn't because of sexism and are too cowardly and weak to stand up for themselves so they treacherously try to join the enemy. As part of trying to convince herself and other people that's how it works she has to do her own Evangelical "I smoked crack every day before I found Jesus" thing.

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  • [–] 3 points 7 months ago

    I think she's actually talked about how she'd have been trans if she had been born in a more trans-friendly age.

    Like you also theorise, maybe that's what making her so mad, other trans people getting to have lives outside the closet when she was too afraid to.

    Oh wait you had that in there

    She has even said that she wished she was a boy.

    My bad read it too fast

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  • [–] 2 points 7 months ago (1 child)

    Keep in mind, it's also the series where one of the fascist teachers kills the retroactively gay character but had a good reason for doing so and is actually not a baddie at all.

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