Harry Potter fans, yes, I am speaking to the entire millennial generation, we need to have another tough conversation with ourselves: the Harry Potter fantasy must end now.

Last week, J.K. Rowling tweeted (not for the first time) a transphobic comment. She quickly doubled down on the sentiment, publishing a lengthy essay in response to the backlash, leaving Potterheads to decide whether denouncing Rowling and her anti-trans position means that the entire Potter franchise must also be denounced (opens in new tab).

Like many others, I feel a deep emotional connection to the series. The Potter series is the soundtrack of my life, and each new book coincides with a milestone in my own adolescence; when the seventh and final book was released the summer after my senior year of high school, it felt like Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were growing up together. A Pottermore personality quiz revealed that my Patronus was a silver cat and that I borrowed a yew wand from Ollivander's. The fact that it is common to define oneself by Hogwarts House (proud Gryffindor) shows how personal this universe is. Hogwarts is like a place for us.

I am also a ciswoman. As important as this franchise has been to me, if I am to consider myself an ally, I must consider the damage that Rowling (and potentially the entire series) has done to trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people. Being a white cis woman gives me a voice like a magical force. It is my job to use that "magic power" as a force for good and say what no one else wants to say. If Rowling had been a Hogwarts parent and had heard that Lupin was a werewolf, her Karen would probably have demanded that he be fired for endangering her little Hufflepuff.

Rowling has come under fire several times for saying or implying terrible things (as she herself pointed out in an essay); in December, she tweeted support for Maya Forster, known as a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist). More recently, some have also pointed out several problematic and racist elements of the Potter series: the Goblin of Gringotts, the creature who controls the entire wizarding world, is portrayed in explicitly anti-Semitic stereotypes. The Goblin of Gringotts, the creature who controls all the property of the wizarding world, is portrayed in an anti-Semitic stereotype. Rowling's American story set in a school named Ilburnmorny has been roundly criticized for appropriating and flattening Native American mythology, borrowing liberally from an entirely different tribe and tradition, and watering it down to something cute and vaguely magical. The story centers on white settlers from Ireland who establish a magic school, implying that there are no Native American witches or wizards at all. Meanwhile, a creature from Wampanoag legend called "Pukwudgie" appears as a sidekick, awkwardly representing all Native Americans. (Needless to say, in Rowling's book, Hermione's devotion to SPEW is treated like a ludicrous character quirk, like that of a raw vegan.)

The Wampanoag are not the only Native Americans who have a "Pukwudgie.

As a theoretically awakened coalition, those of us in my periphery can acknowledge these things, but we all seem particularly reluctant to consider canceling Harry Potter (whatever that means).

To say the least, the usual "art vs. artist" debate has surfaced as we re-engage with Rowling's announcement of herself as a problem child. Fans are wondering and debating whether they can continue to listen to Michael Jackson or watch Woody Allen's movies with a clear conscience now that they know that Michael Jackson and Woody Allen's movies have been condemned. Do their cultural contributions so outweigh their reprehensible behavior?

Thanks to my background in English literature, I can come up with a compelling case that Harry Potter should be appreciated independently of Rowling. My instinct is to see a work of art, whatever it is, as itself. Once I have created something and sent it out into the world, it no longer belongs to me. It is like having a literary child.

And this is true with regard to Harry Potter. Rowling is not the sole creator of this world we now live in. The actors who starred in the films, for example, are an indelible element of the franchise, and many of its most famous stars have openly opposed Rowling's position on trans rights. Take a look: statement by Daniel Radcliffe on The Trevor Project. After Rowling published her controversial essay, other stars, including Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katie Leung (Cho (played by Chow Chang) and other stars have begun to express their support for trans rights on social media. Noma Dumezweni, who played Hermione in the stage production of "The Cursed Child," and Arthur Levine, who edited "Harry Potter," also voiced their condemnation of Rowling's remarks.

Some of these statements included a comforting message to fans that it was okay to love or have loved Harry Potter. They included a comforting message to fans that it is okay to love or have loved Harry Potter. In a moving statement, Radcliffe wrote: "If you find something in these stories that resonates with you and has helped you at some point in your life, that is between you and the books you read, and that is sacred." If Harry Potter was a source of love and belonging for you, then that love is infinite and can be received without judgment or question. Trans women are women. I see and love you, Bonnie x."

These words from those we know who had a direct hand in the creation of Harry Potter are especially comforting. The Harry Potter worldview was invaluable to my childhood. I agree with Radcliffe and Wright.

But

all this analysis and anguish misses the point. Who does it hurt to continue to tout a series written by outspoken trans people as the defining text of a generation?

Trans people are at risk for hate crimes and violence, especially trans women of color. The Human Rights Campaign counts at least 26 trans and gender non-conforming people murdered in 2019, but the actual number is likely much higher because it goes unreported. Just last week, two black trans women, Lia Milton of Ohio and Dominique "Remmie" Fells (opens in new tab) of Pennsylvania, were murdered. That same week, the Trump administration rolled back anti-discrimination laws that protect LGBTQ people (especially trans people) from being denied medical care. This is to say nothing of the fact that we live in a world where it seems as if the infrastructure itself is determined to deny the reality that trans, non-binary, and non-conforming people exist. Ideologies like Rowling's are actively and deliberately cruel and dangerous.

I don't want to be one of those people who say "I'm an Ally" and do nothing more than attend a Pride parade or be moved by Call Me by Your Name. Nostalgia for my childhood should not be more important than transgender trauma and physical safety. If continuing to refer to myself as "Gryffindor" or referring to Hermione as my personal hero glorifies transphobic figures, encourages hate groups, and puts people in danger, what choice do I have but to abandon this story?

Ironically, Rowling's book has taught me that each of us, no matter how young or insignificant we may seem, has a contribution to make in the fight against evil. My favorite quote from my senior year of high school was Dumbledore's last line to Harry: "Of course, it's all going on in your head, Harry. Of course, it's all happening in your head, Harry. "To be honest, that worldview is still with me.

But it's time for Harry Potter to be pulled down from its reign at the top of the zeitgeist. We can no longer use the series as an ethical yardstick, measuring good and evil on a scale from Voldemort to McGonagall or using the Patronus Quiz as an astrology-inspired self-assessment. The Cursed Child and Harry Potter theme parks should be considered for closure. Because we simply and completely cannot separate ourselves from the wizarding world that Rowling has created. Even if we patronize Harry Potter theme parks and films like "Fantastic Beasts," Rowling still benefits financially, and her position of power is unstoppable. In doing so, we are abandoning the transgender lives that her public statements put at risk.

The Wizarding World is not the moral sanctuary it once was. We are adults now, and we must acknowledge that.

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Rowling herself writes through Harry's thoughts: "Dumbledore said it was important to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting. So let's fight. Let's take this opportunity to talk openly about anti-trans violence, about TERFs, and about the importance of language that accurately identifies people, like using the right pronouns and acknowledging that not all women menstruate and not all menstruating people are women. That is the least we can do to keep evil at bay.

Here are 17 LGBTQIA+ organizations (opens in new tab) that support trans rights. Donate Now (opens in new tab)

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